The Department of Water and Power (DWP) is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners (Board) appointed by the City of Big Bear Lake, City Council. DWP serves the City of Big Bear Lake and the unincorporated communities of Fawnskin, Erwin Lake, Lake William, Sugarloaf, Moonridge, and a small RV Park on the north shore of Big Bear Lake.
Regular Board meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The meetings take place at the DWP Board Room located at 41972 Garstin Dr. Big Bear Lake, CA 92315. Public comments are welcomed and encouraged.
Bob Tarras has served on the DWP Board of Commissioners since 2007. Bob was reappointed by City Council in 2011 and 2015, serving as Vice-Chair in 2015 and serving as Chair as of February 26, 2019. His current term is set to expire June 30, 2023.
Barbara Willey, Vice Chair
Barbara Willey previously served on the DWP Board of Commissioners from 2003 to 2009.She served on the Bear Valley Healthcare District board from 2012 to 2018.She was re-appointed to the DWP board in 2018 and began her term as Vice Chair as of February 26, 2019. Her current term is set to expire June 30, 2023. Retired from International Trade and Logistics, Barbara served on many National and Regional boards, including AAEI (American Association of Exporters and Importers), TMA (Toy Manufacturer's Association) and Southern California FTA (Foreign Trade Association) and the CCIT (California Council for International Trade).
Craig Hjorth, Treasurer
Craig Hjorth was appointed to the DWP Board of Commissioners in 2013, serving as Treasurer since 2015. His current term is set to expire June 30, 2025.
Joe Cylwik, Commissioner
Joe Cylwik is a graduate of Loyola University and is a California licensed civil engineer with years of private sector, public utility, and public agency experience in infrastructure development and operations. In the past he was employed by the Fluor Corporation and AirTouch Cellular working on projects in Alaska, Venezuela, South Africa, Germany, Portugal, England, Australia and throughout California. The projects included roads, bridges, pipelines, buildings, refineries, and cellular communications facilities. In 1999, he began his consulting engineering services. In late 2004, he began consulting to the City of Big Bear Lake. Over the next 13 years, he provided consulting engineering services to the City and managed municipal projects including street construction, drainage improvements, sewer projects, municipal yard renovations, installation of solar energy systems, construction of parks and fishing pier, and construction of pedestrian paths and bridges. His current term is set to expire on June 30, 2023.
Mr. Smith was Chief of the Development Division, Planning and Development Agency, for the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. Jim is a native Angelino, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Geography from CSUN and a Masters Degree in Architecture from UCLA. He is a licensed Architect in California.
Mr. Smith was responsible for design, facility planning and water and energy conservation of parks and open space for Los Angeles County, Parks and Recreation. He was part of the County’s Energy users group the Healthy Design Ordinance Workshop Committee, and the Los Angeles County Sustainability Council. He has been an instructor in the U.C.L.A. Extension Landscape Architecture Program for 35 years, teaching design courses as well as electives in sustainability and open space, recreation, urban spaces and connectivity master planning. His current term is set to expire June 30, 2025