HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-07-25 Min - Board SPECIAL MEETING
July 25, 2007
In accordance with District Code Section 2.08.010, the TDPUD minutes are action only
minutes. All Board meetings are recorded on audio tapes which are preserved perpetually and
made available for listening to any interested party upon their request.
The special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Truckee Donner Public Utility District was called
to order at 4:00 PM in the TDPUD Board room by President Taylor.
ROLL CALL: Directors Joe Aguera, Ron Hemig, Patricia Sutton, Tim Taylor and Bill Thomason were
present.
EMPLOYEES PRESENT: Nancy Waters and Barbara Cahill
CONSULTANTS PRESENT: None
OTHERS PRESENT: Frank and Juanita Schneider
PUBLIC INPUT
There was no public input.
WORKSHOP
DISCUSSION WITH RALPH ANDERSEN & ASSOCIATES REGARDING THE INTERIM GENERAL
MANAGER POSITION. a. This item involves a brief discussion on the Interim General Manager
position and input on items of interest to the Board with regards to potential contract
negotiations with selected candidate.
Heather Renschler and Michael Lawson of Ralph Andersen & Associates were present to answer
questions and advise the Board about hiring an interim General Manager.
Board Discussion:
• Should there be a contract or hire as a temporary employee?
• Need a better explanation of Board expectations- what are goals for next 6 months so he can
attain them
• What is appropriate to pay- hourly, daily, lump sum, monthly?
• Need to perform due diligence and speak with applicant's prior employer/board or other verifi-
cation; have Ralph Andersen &Assoc do a third party review
• Structure contract/letter of understanding- compensation, expectations, hours, lodging, travel,
automobile, particulars
• TDPUD GM job description is suitable for Interim General Manager
• Authorize the President of the Board to work out details with Ralph Andersen & Assoc
• May want to pay the salary the GM currently gets and pay the expenses separate
• Need Board consensus with direction
• PUD needs managerial support and leadership
• This is an executive position- deals with what needs to be done, keep things going, not coming
to clean house, here to bridge from one GM to another GM
• In summary: Ralph Andersen & Assoc will help the PUD to focus and hire an Interim General
Manager: full time- will need lodging, no benefits, position description, background check, help
with agreement
1 Minutes: July 25, 2007, special
ACTION ITEM
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE JOB DUTIES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE
INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER AND DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE DIRECTION TO NEGOTIATE
AN AGREEMENT FOR INTERIM GENERAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
Director Hemig moved and Director Aguera seconded, a motion to authorize the Board President the
authority to retain the services of Ralph Andersen regarding the incoming Interim General Manager;
and to authorize the Board President to work out a satisfactory employment agreement with the
candidate, not to exceed the present General Manager Salary range and to exclude benefits.
ROLL CALL: All Directors, aye. SO MOVED.
WORKSHOP
DISCUSSION WITH RALPH ANDERSEN & ASSOCIATES REGARDING THE NEW GENERAL
MANAGER SEARCH. a. This item involves the search timeline, process and gathers input for
the General Manager Profile and search brochure.
President Taylor read an email from Rolf Godon:
Hello again--- I cannot attend the meeting tonight as I have appointments. Please distribute this to
board members and have it read into the minutes.
I feel as if I am beating a dead horse. Once again I offer my perception of the importance of hav-
ing public input and board transparency regarding the type of Manager we are looking for. I guess
keep repeating myself because I get no response from the board one way or another. It is as if it all
falls into a void. I really would like a response to my input that is affirmative to my idea and that the
board's intention is to have a public meeting to discuss the matter and than to share with the public
the manager attribute list that will be used; or no, the board will be doing this on their own.
Again, it is clear to me that the manager is the most important single person on the PUD and as
such we want someone who fits what the community wants and needs.
Here is a rough list:
1. Education---lots of good leadership experience with positive references from those he/she has
led, peers, and ratepayers. Education in management, negotiation, networking, and so forth.
2. People skills---a person who has clearly demonstrated in past jobs, his/her abilities in work-
ing with people in all aspects of the job including the public. One who is open and collaborative.
3. A person who is a fiscal conservative; willing to shed unnecessary overhead and committed
to saving the rate payers money and perhaps even reducing rates. (There should perhaps even be
some sort of incentive in the contract for every monetary unit
saved.)
4. Flexibility and desire to learn about and understand our specific community thru getting out of
his/her office and talking to "us" and attending other agency meetings and so forth.
5. A commitment to working/networking with other agencies to cooperatively utilize resources,
plan and deliver the most effective services.
6. Committed to building an administrative team that he/she can work with, trust and deliver.
7. Thoroughly understanding and open to the present era of alternative energy, conservation,
and reduction of greenhouse gasses. And committed to making those things a priority and balanced
economically.
I am sorry I cannot attend tonight and I sincerely hope that at a meeting in the near future this will
be agendized for discussion. I look forward to your response.
2 Minutes: July 25, 2007, special
Heather Renschler and Michael Lawson of Ralph Andersen & Associates led the Board in the discus-
sion following the General Manager Profile Information Worksheet:
• Community involvement can contribute through a form or at public meetings
• Process moves from profile information to a draft to the public for comment
• Do not rush this aspect of the process- Board should develop the first profile and let the public
have an opportunity to comment
• Timetable dates can be changed
• Include public—but Board should get the right candidate
• Board should make the decision, but can benefit from public input
• Functional responsibilities (from the worksheet)
o Budget
o Support board
o Communicate
o Plan and direct work in operations
o Manage team
o Deal with labor relations
o Public outreach
o Act as agent
o Advise Board on policy, strategy and issues
• Organizational responsibilities (from the worksheet)
o Operational decisions in district policy
o Employees
• External responsibilities (from the worksheet)
o Represent district tin the community and professional organizations
o What is the level of engagement with the community- high? Performance objective?
• Reporting relationships (from the worksheet)
o Staff
o Board-best way to communicate- helps to know what the Board expects
o Does the GM just communicate with the Board President or the entire Board
o GM has ability to sign contracts, resolutions ordinance and discuss agenda
• Challenges (from the worksheet)
o Truckee is an isolated utility- regulated by California, but not on the Ca. grid (ISO)
o District faces balancing new electric regulations while keeping rates reasonable
o Regulation knowledge and reporting
o Future power contracts- green resources, demands, right portfolio
o Water meters
o Broadband
o Corporation yard- facility planning
o Conservation
• Work environment (from the worksheet)
o Staff vacancies- barriers to hiring
o Morale issues
o Aging workforce
• Technical skills (from the worksheet)
o Knowledge of water and/or power- public utility
o Regulatory environment
o Does not have to be an engineer
o Wording for profile can make a difference as to who applies- use as a screening tool
o Executive level coupled with technical aspects
3 Minutes: July 25, 2007, special
• Managerial skills (from the worksheet)
o Ability to work in a public utility setting (versus investor owned)
o Public service focus- interpersonal skills
o Tolerance to works in public agency setting
o Fiscal responsibility
o Discussions with an elected board- clear up front
o Understand public finance
o No micromanage
• Interpersonal skills (from the worksheet)
o Has supervised
o Background in organizations
o Ability to work with publically elected board
o Style: outgoing, collaborative, team oriented, strong manager
• Other attributes (from the worksheet)
o Trustworthy
o Responsive
o High integrity
o Creative
o Transparent/open
o Articulate
o Good speaker
o Stewardship- financial acumen
• Compensation (from the worksheet)
o Contract is standard- memorialize the employment agreement so there is less
misunderstanding- still "at will"
o Negotiate General Manager salary separately from management staff
o Severance
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 6:45 PM.
TRUCKEE DO PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT
Tim F. Taylor, President
Prepared by i '�(P-1 W --
Barbara Ca VFII, Deputy District Clerk
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4 Minutes: July 25, 2007, special