Heading Into Its 75th Year, the Calaveras County Water District Adopts a 2021 – 2026+ Strategic Plan   

After several months of development and a broad outreach campaign that included three Board workshops, the Calaveras County Water District Board of Directors adopted a new strategic plan last week.  The 2021-2026+ Strategic Plan embraces the District’s rich 75–year history while also providing a roadmap for the District’s work over the next five years and beyond.  Despite the challenges facing modern water agencies, the District’s directors and staff expressed unity and optimism as the plan was adopted. 

The plan is based on over six months of internal research and planning, during which District Staff and Board Directors worked closely with John Woodling and Maria Pascual, of GEI Consulting, and Ellen Cross, of Strategy Driver Inc., to conduct surveys, focus groups, and interviews to determine the most pressing needs and goals for the District and communities throughout Calaveras County.  

CCWD prioritized six ambitious goals in the plan: 

• Positive Customer Experience: Build trust and demonstrate value to customers with responsive service and positive experiences. 
• Fiscal Responsibility: Prioritize investments based on risk and benefit to our communities and fulfill the District’s services commitments. 
• Operational Integrity: Ensure District operations deliver efficient and reliable water and wastewater services. 
• Effective Programs, Projects, and Initiatives: Implement programs, projects, and initiatives to ensure water reliability for the prosperity and wellbeing of our residents, businesses, and watershed. 
• Valued People & Partnerships: Engage our stakeholders and partners to best protect our water resources and infrastructure and further our shared interests. 
• Enduring Organization: Ensure reliable and consistent services through building an evolving organization that reflects the District’s values. 

By working with partners and the communities it serves, CCWD is confident it can meet these goals. The District also plans to revisit the Strategic Plan and track the progress of implementation on a continuous basis.  The Plan emphasizes CCWD’s determination to remain responsive to the community’s needs.  

A foreword to the Strategic Plan states: “we recognize our role and responsibility to provide continuous water and wastewater services, resource development and planning, and hydropower asset management for our communities.”  It goes on to state:  

In this era defined by a tragic pandemic and catastrophic wildfires, we are reminded that water supply resiliency and reliable wastewater services are critical to our everyday lives and serve as fundamental building blocks for our communities. That is why we came together to develop this strategic plan and articulate the most important opportunities to protect and enhance our life-giving water resources.  Beyond drinking water and irrigation, reliable and resilient water management is also critical to our watersheds to nurture healthy forests and prevent wildfire. 

The Foreword was signed by Board President, Jeff Davidson, Labor Union President, Richard Hibbard, and General Manager, Michael Minkler. 

CCWD staff and Board of Directors celebrating the adoption of the Strategic Plan on April 28, 2021. 

The Strategic Plan also includes a new mission statement, a vision statement, articulation of the District’s core values, and detailed objectives for each of the six goals listed above.  CCWD encourages its valued customers and community members to take some time to read through the Strategic Plan to learn more about Calaveras County Water District’s ambitious goals as it strives to provide a quality customer experience.