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The Special District Leadership Foundation’s Transparency Challenge District Spotlight:
Herlong Public Utility District

It is now more important than ever for local governments (including special districts) to be open and accessible to the public. The Special District Leadership Foundation’s Transparency Challenge showcases the many steps that special districts take to show they are available and transparent to their constituents and customers.

The Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) recognizes Herlong Public Utility District as one of the ten 2021 SDLF Transparency Challenge winners! The district shares about the process, the benefits of this transparency recognition, and some more about their district below.

Share your experience completing the Transparency Challenge. (What did you learn about your district? How difficult was the application process?)

When this SDLF Transparency Challenge came out, I was fairly new to the Herlong Public Utility District. I thought to myself what better way to learn about the district I work for, let alone special districts in general!  The process was not difficult; it took me roughly eight months to gather all the information. During that time, I learned things that the district hadn't done yet and put them into place, like searchable/readable agendas and updating our policies uploaded onto the website. With the assistance of this challenge, I feel the district is now more "transparent" than before with website requirements, specifically.

Why was completing the challenge important to your district?

The district last received this award in 2014. Primarily due to personnel changes within the district the last few years, it was important to show our board of directors and the public that the Herlong Public Utility District is still moving forward and improving every day.

Now that you have earned your SDLF Transparency Certificate, how will you use the recognition to highlight your district’s accomplishment to your customers, constituents, and/or other stakeholders?

Herlong Public Utility District Staff and Board of Directors will proudly display the accomplishment on the district website, conference room, and in our monthly newsletter. As a team, we are striving towards our District of Distinction Accreditation in 2022.

About Herlong Public Utility District
The Herlong Public Utility District was formed on February 14, 2008, by the Lassen County Local Formation Commission under the Public Utility District Act (CA PUC Code 15501 - 18055). Herlong Public Utility District’s mission is to provide safe drinking water that meets or exceeds all of the State and Federal Government standards; maintain a water reclamation plant that disposes of wastes in an effective and efficient manner and produces reclaimed water. The district provides these services as economically as possible. For more information, visit www.herlongpud.com.



See this article featured in the California Special Districts magazine, page 36 of the March/April 2022 issue.