Who runs BSU?

Many utilities are government-run, but Bonita Springs Utilities is different. It is a not-for-profit cooperative, owned and run by its member-customers.
While BSU member-customers are not involved in the day-to-day operation of the utility, they are responsible for electing representatives who set policy, review budgets, determine rates and oversee many issues that impact service.

Those nine elected representatives serve on the utility’s board of directors. Each year BSU member-customers elect three fellow members for a three-year term on the board. The board of directors meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. In addition, each board member serves on various subcommittees and work groups, devoting 10 to 60 hours a month working with the utility’s management and staff. They also serve as the utility’s eyes and ears in the community, helping to ensure that BSU is meeting the needs of its service area.

Our most senior board member has served since 1986, and the newest joined the board in March 2009. Board members’ educational backgrounds range from high school graduates to a Ph.D., and their professional experience varies from engineering, real estate and executive management to hostage negotiation and telephone installation. What board members have in common is a commitment to our community and a dedication to our mission of providing excellent service to our member-customers while protecting our water resources.

Any BSU member who is a full-time resident of BSU’s service area is eligible to run. Ballots and biographical sketches of candidates typically are mailed to BSU member-customers in February, and election results are announced at the annual meeting, held the third Tuesday evening in March.