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After years of furiously planning and preparing for Bonita Springs’ ongoing, robust growth, many people were caught off guard by the changes in our region’s economy during late 2006 and throughout 2007. While it’s easy to see some of the causes now, very few saw the approaching economic change or predicted its extent. Fortunately, our astute board of directors has responded and adjusted to the changing times.
Our customer service representatives, on the other hand, saw no evidence of the economic slowdown, handling 108,000 phone calls last year, 28 percent more than during 2006. That’s more than 400 calls a day, nearly 50 calls per hour, each requiring solutions, answers or service. We added nearly 1,600 member-customers to our water system, and more than 1,200 additional member-customers registered to pay their bills online at www.bsu.us. Other efforts continued at full speed. Our field staff installed more than 5,700 backflow preventers during 2007, keeping us on track to have this important protection installed on all business and residential water-service lines throughout our system, at no charge to our member-customers, by the end of 2008. We were able to sell more than 100 million gallons of surplus water to a neighboring utility, providing revenue for BSU.
The economy wasn’t the only change. Rainfall has slacked off in Southwest Florida during the past two years. You’ll be hearing more and more from us in the coming months about the importance of water conservation. Even in times of abundant rain, it makes sense to use water wisely and do all we can to protect and preserve this important resource.
Now, more than ever, it’s hard to predict the future. Fluctuating interest rates, uncertain growth rates and new government regulations add to the challenge, but we are working hard to be prepared for whatever comes our way. I’m confident that the leadership and judgment of our board, the experience and skill of our employees, and the expertise and dedication of our management team will serve our member-customers well.
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Fred Partin
Executive Director |
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Fred Partin, Executive Director
Mike Liggins, Director of Engineering
Debra Bautista, Director of Finance
Mel Fisher, Director of Operations
Evelyn Ferguson, Member Services Manager
Cynthia McHenry, Information Systems Manager |
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