Submitted by Cory Harrington.
I am a former employee of the Eastsound Water Users Association (EWUA), where I worked for four years as the Billing & Membership Specialist. The statements below reflect my personal views and consist of verbatim questions I submitted to the EWUA Board, along with the responses I received.
I am sharing this not to relitigate my employment, but because these exchanges raise broader questions about transparency, accountability, and governance at a public-serving utility. Readers can decide for themselves whether the responses reflect open and responsible oversight.
Over the past several months, I submitted written inquiries to the Board on issues including legal spending, capital projects, labor relations, and management oversight.
When I asked how much EWUA has spent on legal fees since 2022—including settlements, union-related legal work, and costs related to the General Manager’s lawsuit—the response did not provide figures. Instead, I was directed to general nonprofit tax filings and told that additional information would require justification. The reply also included personal commentary unrelated to the substance of the financial questions.
When I asked why EWUA paid to relocate a water main serving a third-party system—rather than the property owner or another utility—and what the total costs were, I was told the Association was “not aware of any affiliation” I had with the project and that such details were not typically disclosed.
Questions about Board involvement in staff investigations were answered only at a high level, with reference to the bylaws, without addressing whether Board members should be conducting personnel investigations directly. Questions about the status and timeline of the union contract were declined on the basis that I am no longer an employee.
I also raised questions about the Clark Well project, including the original Board-approved budget, current costs, and whether the project had been formally reauthorized after exceeding its initial scope. I was told the appropriate forum for those questions would be a Board meeting.
Based on my direct experience and conversations with current staff, I am deeply concerned about the working conditions facing EWUA’s field operators. These are the employees tasked with protecting our drinking water, yet their work environment appears to have grown increasingly hostile.
One operator was recently terminated under circumstances that were disputed by that employee. Others who have raised concerns about management decisions report being questioned by both the Board and the General Manager. From my perspective, this creates a chilling effect that discourages operators from speaking openly about operational or governance concerns.
I ultimately resigned because I felt targeted, intimidated, undermined, and subjected to a level of workplace toxicity that made it difficult to function day to day. I worry that the remaining operators are experiencing similar pressures, with fewer options to step away.
My fear is that operators may leave—or be dismissed—not for performance reasons, but for attempting to raise legitimate concerns. Losing experienced operators through attrition or fear-driven silence poses real risks to system stability and public trust.
Members and ratepayers deserve clear answers. I encourage the community to attend Board meetings, ask questions, and remain engaged in how this essential public resource is managed.
