Re-elect Karen Hull
for NID
Division 3 Director
Vision. Courage.
Smart Choices.
It's Your Water.
Experience
Matters.
Listen to a short audio clip of Karen Hull explaining why she’s the right choice for the NID Board.
Karen is on the job, protecting your water reliability and affordability.
For the past four years, Karen Hull has had the honor of bringing strategic and fiscal leadership to the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) Board as Division 3 Director. She is a local farmer and former executive leader at UC Davis with an MBA and decades of experience managing large operations and complex finances.
During her first term, Karen delivered on her promises. NID overhauled its financial operations, grew income without raising rates for three years, and developed comprehensive infrastructure plans (The Plan for Water). Karen and other NID leaders also avoided catastrophe this summer when PG&E infrastructure failures cut off water to our district. By holding PG&E's executives accountable and managing water wisely, we averted a crisis.
NID is now in a far better position to address the serious issues facing us next term, but we need proven leaders now, more than ever. Please support Karen so she can continue her work. She has the vision, courage, and experience to ensure reliable and affordable water for everyone in the district. Read more about Karen.
Endorsements
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All Current NID Directors – Rich Johanson, Ricki Heck, Chris Bierwagen
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Nevada County Contractors' Association (NCCA) PAC
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Placer County Supervisors – Cindy Gustafson, Jim Holmes
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Placer County Water Agency – Josh Alpine, Board Director
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Nevada County Supervisors - Heidi Hall, Lisa Swarthout
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Plan for Water Participant, Former ED of NCCA – Barbara Bashall
We're facing unprecedented challenges.
This term, NID is faced with complex challenges that won't be solved with simplistic thinking. Karen's top priority is to ensure reliable, affordable water for agricultural, residential, and recreational use — not just this year — but for decades to come.
Much of NID's infrastructure dates back to 1960s and 1970s and needs to be upgraded or replaced. We need to ensure we have enough water storage given changing weather patterns. And, NID is facing outrageous demands from the state water board that threaten our water rights.
NID's recently completed 'Plan for Water' provides the clarity we need to make smart, data-driven choices. A good example is the recent landmark decision, Choosing Rollins over Centennial – A Win for Water and Wallets.
Karen is committed to making strategic investments in our aging infrastructure and ensuring adequate water storage while also keeping water affordable. She also has the courage and experience needed to negotiate with the State of California and fiercely defend our water rights against state overreach.
Get to Know Karen
Experience Matters!
In a debate with her opponent, Brad Fowler, Karen delivered a strong vision for how her approach will deliver affordable, reliable water for decades to come. She also demonstrated her mastery of finances, processes, and business operations at NID.
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Brad says he wants to bring a "ratepayers perspective" to the board, but Karen is a farmer and ratepayer too — with a proven record of effectively managing water rates.
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Brad praises NID for it's remarkable transformation over the past four years and gives Karen credit for her leadership in helping to overhaul finances.
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Listen closely as Karen and fellow board member, Rich Johansen, politely explain why Brad's proposals would add costs and risks that NID and its ratepayers can't afford.
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In the end, Brad agrees with all of Karen's top priorities! Hmmm...!
Infrastructure
PG&E's stunning infrastructure failure earlier this year was a wake-up call, alerting us to the threats we face with our own aging infrastructure.
We avoided a catastrophe this summer when PG&E failures cut off water to our district. By holding their executives accountable and managing water wisely, NID prevented a crisis.
Much of NID's infrastructure dates back 50 plus years. We need to update it piece-by-piece in the coming years so we can avoid a future crisis and protect against the more extreme costs of urgent repairs.
Financial leadership is vital to creating a resilient future. Karen's expertise is exactly what we need to make these strategic investments while keeping water affordable.
Water Storage
Because of the PG&E failure, our reservoir levels were lower this summer – prompting many to wonder whether we need more water storage. The simple answer is "not yet". But when that situation changes, we have many cost-effective options available to us.
As attractive as it sounds to simply "build a new dam", recent analysis shows that the extremely high costs would make rates skyrocket.
Fortunately, NID's Plan for Water process revealed better choices, including the option to raise an existing reservoir when needed.
Karen is committed to making the right choices at the right time so we can avoid impossible debt and keep water affordable for everyone.
State Water Demands
Our district is facing a new challenge that could have dire negative impacts. The State Water Resources Control Board could force us to send up to 55% of our water downstream. This is a severe overreach by the state that threatens our water supply and local water rights.
We are fighting back. Since NID recently completed a thorough, science-based analysis of our supply and demand, we are one of the only districts in California that has been able to demonstrate the catastrophic impact of such a requirement.
As a former executive leader at UC Davis, Karen knows what it takes to navigate difficult negotiations with state institutions. She has what it takes to protect our water rights and prevent a disaster.
What a Difference Fours Years Can Make
During her four year term, Karen helped NID:
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Overhaul financial management to provide a clear and timely understanding of financial health and make better-informed decisions.
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Increase income without raising customer rates for three consecutive years.
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Implement a comprehensive long-term planning process (The Plan for Water) to identify and prioritize investments for our future water supply.
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Deliver much-needed improvements in Division 3 in support of both agricultural and residential needs
Financial Overhaul
Rate Control
Plan For Water
Division 3 Improvements
