I would like to thank all those Bainbridge voters who gave me their overwhelming support in the Public Utility District (PUD) Commissioners race and to share why I believe this office is important to our community.

While the total count was not sufficient to carry me through the primary this year, I gained a heightened awareness that PUD No. 1 needs to do more to inform islanders of the responsibilities and services they currently provide our community. In addition, we should seek a greater voice to direct those activities to meet our goals and objectives.

PUD No. 1 currently provides reliable, affordable drinking water service to nearly 20 percent of the households on Bainbridge Island and is responsible for county-wide water resource planning and groundwater monitoring. It has been demonstrated that Kitsap County’s drinking water comes from a number of integrated, sole source, limited aquifers.

We may live on an island but our water resources come from the same glacial aquifers tapped throughout Kitsap County. Those resources are limited and coordinated efforts to preserve, conserve and protect these essential water resources are critical to our region’s continued viability, health, welfare and economic sustainability.

That is why, now more than ever, Bainbridge Island has a stake in the activities and investments PUD No. 1 will make on our behalf. Bainbridge has not been represented on PUD No. 1’s Board of Commissioners since 1992.

Although I did not succeed in my effort to fill that void this year, I do intend to run again and am committed to participating in the process by attending regular commissioner’s meetings to provide public opinion and input towards their agenda.

And I will be supporting the incumbent, John Armstrong, in the race ahead because of his knowledge, experience and openness to this dialogue.

Arlene Buetow

Bainbridge Island