No one can accuse Jim Schmid of standing idly by and waiting for someone else to take up the fight on behalf of water users in his community and his profession.
Director of operations at The Lakes Country Club in Palm Desert, California, where he oversees a golf course and a massive homeowners association, Schmid is one of four people running for the hotly contested District 2 seat on the Coachella Valley Water District board of directors.On Nov. 8, voters in the CVWD's District 2 will choose one representative from a list that also includes incumbent Ed Pack, Anthony Bianco and Sergio Nunez.
A longtime member of the CVWD's Golf and Water Task Force, that, according to the district, is "committed to reducing the amount of water used by golf courses in the Coachella Valley," Schmid began attending district meetings about two years ago. Although he says he's never harbored any political ambitions, he considered running for a board seat after taking a closer look at the credentials of sitting board members, including Pack who is a retired fire prevention officer.
"I watched the process and deliberations, and it occurred to me that none of them really have a strong background in golf or HOA management," Schmid said. "And their policies affect golf courses and HOA operators."
The District 2 race has elevated beyond the scope of a simple local election. According to The Desert Sun, a Palm Springs-based newspaper, candidates running for water district seats rarely raise more than a few thousand dollars for their respective campaigns.
Schmid, who has established a web site in support of his campaign, says he has raised about $22,000. Bianco, a farmer from Palm Desert, has raised about $87,000, much of which has been donated from supporters living outside District 2.
"There are about 100 golf courses in the Coachella Valley, and one water district oversees all of them. Since getting in this, I've learned that golf is absent from the political process," Schmid said. "Ag is very involved and has a lot of money. When the person in my district was up for re-election, it dawned on me that somebody has to do this."Coachella Valley has several water sources, including the Colorado River, recycled and groundwater. The golf course and grounds throughout The Lakes HOA utilize recycled water for irrigation purposes, but the 902 condominium units in 225 buildings and 44 pools use a lot of potable water.
Hot-button issues for voters include reducing water use further, extending the recycled water pipeline to the western edge of the valley and developing an equitable way to spread the rising cost of water in light of revenue shortfalls at CVWD caused by reduced use. Also on the minds of voters is how new regulations limiting the amount of Chromium 6 in drinking water derived from groundwater.
A New York native who earned a bachelor's degree in economics from SUNY Binghamtom and a turf certificate from Rutgers, Schmid says he wants the district to take a closer look at how it raises revenue to cover losses caused by water conservation and the costs associated with meeting the Chromium 6 standard. About two-thirds of the valley's golf courses are on recycled water, and Schmid also has said he wants to help more of them onto recycled or Colorado River sources.
The Sun's editorial board endorsed Schmid on Oct. 19.
"Schmid, director of operations at The Lakes Country Club in Palm Desert, showed he has the depth of knowledge and thoughtfulness to be a good representative not only of Division 2 covering Palm Desert and Thousand Palms, but of all of CVWD clients," the paper said.
"Every sector of California is going to have to continue to reduce water use moving forward," Schmid said. "I want to help the board structure policies in a way that can move us in the right direction without bringing business to a screeching halt. I want to make sure we are getting a fair shake.
"It's not just my profession, it's my community. I live here, and I am raising a family here, and these issues affect everyone."
A participant in this year's We Are Golf summit in Washington, D.C., to represent the interests of the golf industry, Schmid encourages other superintendents to get involved in local issues as much as possible.
"One of the things that resonated with me is that I thought we had a better opportunity to be more effective at the local level," he said. "A lot of the decisions that affect golf, zoning concerns, environmental concerns and water concerns, are regulated at the local level, and a little bit of input can go a long way.One of things resonated with me, thought we had a better oppty to be more effective at the lcoal level, alot of decisions on golf, zoning concerns, env concerns, water concerns, are reg at the local level and a little bit of input can go a long way."