GM Announces Retirement as Board Modernizes Rules, Reshapes Committees

The Coastside County Water District Board of Directors moved through a dense agenda Feb. 10 that blended long-deferred housekeeping — a first regulations update in more than two decades — with a piece of news that will define the district's next year: General Manager Mary Rogren is stepping down. With Rogren's March 2027 departure now on the clock, the board also created a new outreach committee, green-lit a critical treatment plant spare part, and got an encouraging progress report on the district's biggest active capital project.

• General Manager Mary Rogren announces retirement effective March 2027; board plans special meeting March 2 to launch replacement search

• Water utility regulations overhauled for the first time since 2003 with unanimous adoption of Resolution 2026-01

• New Interagency Affiliation Committee created to formalize outreach to elected officials and partner agencies on funding and community engagement

• $8.5M Carter Hill tank project nears a milestone — disinfection and initial filling expected within days

• $39,464 sole-source gearbox purchase approved to protect against a single point of failure at the Nunes Water Treatment Plant

• FY 2026-27 budget timeline set, integrating the master tank plan into capital planning for the first time

Why it matters: The general manager is the only employee who reports directly to the board, making the search for a successor the body's most consequential near-term decision — one that will shape operations, capital planning, and community relationships for years.