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Home My WebLink About2021-06-16 Min - BoardREGULAR MEETING MINUTES June 16,2021 1.CALL TO ORDER The meeting of the Board of Directors of the Truckee Donner Public Utility District was called to order at 6:01 p.m.by President Finn. Disclaimer:Due to the COVID-19 situation and the California Governor’s Executive Orders, this Board meeting was conducted with the Board via video/teleconferencing measures and live streamed on the District website. Public comment was opened using email and questions and answers on Zoom. 2.ROLL CALL Director(s)Bender, Aguera,Harris,Vice President Laliotis, and President Finn. EMPLOYEES PRESENT:Brian Wright,Steven Poncelet,Mike Salmon,Joe Horvath,and Shanna Kuhlemier. CONSULTANTS PRESENT –Steve Gross,District Counsel 3.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE –defer. 4.CHANGES TO THE AGENDA –none. 5.PUBLIC INPUT President Finn called for public comment. Public Comments: Aimee Hall Fuszard: I would like to express my deep concern about pursuing legal action against Kim Harris. Kim is a beloved and respected member of the community. As an HR professional, her role was to ensure that all processes and procedures were legal and above board. However the actual events transpired, the community is well aware that she was silenced when she was dismissed. Her commitment to transparency is why she joined the election and was voted in as a board member. She was voted in with very high numbers and has a lot of community support. If you pursue legal action against her, your activity will only look more suspect in the eyes of the community. I would like to personally recommend that you halt the pursuit of any legal action against her. You hired her to be an HR professional, and she was doing her job. Persecuting whistle-blowers never goes over well in the eyes of the public. Though I am only one member of the community, I know I speak on behalf of a large percentage of homeowners, public school participants, and local business owners. I urge you to reconsider this reactive legal action against her. “The Grateful employees of TDPUD” After reading the Moonshine Stink article that seemed to be proudly passed around the PUD by a couple of clearly disgruntled employees who are still at the district. We can’t help but be disgusted at the Board’s lack of protection for their own! SHAME ON ALL OF YOU! Not a word of public dispute for the reputations of these hard working employees? The large majority of us are very grateful to work here. It would be nice to know that ANY of us who were wrongfully targeted by would be quickly defended by the Board and the new GM for that matter. This should be read into public comment. However, It seems too little too late. 6. DIRECTOR UPDATE This item provides time for Directors to comment on any item within the purview of the Dis- trict. President Finn submitted for the record: Reading these two comments back to back, I think does a pretty good job of helping everybody to see the spot the Board is in, if not to fully understand it.Both contain elements of the truth, but neither paints a full picture.For example, Director Harris is a valued member of this com- munity.As is Director Aguera, Director Laliotis and Brian Wright.As is every single employee, manager, vender and Board member who serves the District. Our employees, past, present and future, certainly deserve our protection.When an honest, skilled and valued employee is publicly defamed, as Shanna Kuhlemier was, she deserves our full throated defense, paired with effective and meaningful action.Every single employee, manager, vender and Board member at the District is entitled to the same.They have a right to live their lives and to do their jobs safely, with their confidentiality respected and their privacy intact. So, here we are,in a moment filled with accusations, half-truths, Un-truths and gossip.How do we move through it? I do not believe that we can do it via the pages of Moonshine Ink. Or through a whisper cam- paign that turns neighbors, friends and co-workers on each other.This is a small town and the tendrils that connect us all are powerful and complex. What do we all need to move forward?Because we are stuck.How do we get unstuck? I believe that we need more information, not as ammunition but as a way to arrive at truth and to come to a real understanding.Because I do not have understanding yet.I do not believe anyone does at this moment.I need help to get there.That is what the board is doing.We have taken a step.It is not the first, it will not be the last.Where we are now is not where we will be.Because we can't stay here. This community is facing real challenges that will require us to support each other, even as we sustain hurt and heartbreak and loss.The reality of climate change is crashing down on us, with drought and heat and fire.Our solutions are human, and therefore imperfect, yet, act we must.We must act.We must move.It the words of Winston Churchill, "If you are going through hell, keep going." This District is going to keep going.We will continue to help forward solutions for renewable energy sources, grid resilience and local generation and control, for holistic watershed and forest management, for broadband reliability and access.Remember, THAT is what we DO.We deliver high quality, reliable, affordable electric, water and utility services to our com- munity.We do it proudly.We do it transparently.And we do it very well. I will use every tool at my disposal to ensure that we will continue to do so. Thank you. 7.GENERAL MANAGER UPDATE – CONSENT CALENDAR 9.Consideration to Approve the First Amendment to the Memoranda of Understanding with the Town of Truckee for the Use of the Town’s Fueling Facilities and Funding of a New Fuel Tank. This Approves and authorizes the Interim General Manager to execute the First Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding, establishing terms for the District’s investment into the shared use and expansion of the Town of Truckee’s fueling station, in substantially the form presented with such changes as are acceptable to the General Manager and District Counsel including, but not limited to, revisions to the indemnity, insurance and termination provisions. President Finn called for public comment, seeing none. Director Bender moved, and Director Aguera seconded, that the Board approve the consent calendar. The motion passed (5-0), by a roll call vote. ACTION ITEM (S) 10.Set the 2022 and 2023 Budget Meetings Schedule. This item involves setting the biennial budget process schedule. President Finn called for public comment, seeing none. Director Harris moved, and Director Aguera seconded, that the Board approve the Budget Schedule as 8/18/2021, 10/6/2021, 10/20/2021, & 11/3/2021 starting at 5:00 p.m.The motion passed (5-0), by a roll call vote. 11.Consideration and Direction to Establish a Plan for future Board Meetings. The Board of Directors conduct a workshop and provide direction to staff on re- turning to in person Board meetings beginning July 21, 2021. President Finn called for public comment, seeing none. Vice President Laliotis moved, and Director Aguera seconded, that the Board directed staff to implement in person meetings by the October 6, 2021 Board meeting. The motion passed (5- 0), by a roll call vote. 12.Consideration to Establish Standing Committees. A) The Board of Director’s hold a workshop on Board committees. B) Establish a Broadband Initiative Committee and a 100% Clean Renewable Energy Initiative Committee. President Finn called for public comment, seeing none. Board consensus was to bring an item back for approval with Board suggestions. CLOSED SESSION 13.Closed Session Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(4), Deciding Whether to Initiate Litigation, one case.No reportable action ADJOURNMENT -8:47 p.m. There being no further business before the Board, the meeting was adjourned to the next scheduled regularly scheduled meeting of the Truckee Donner Public Utility District on July 7, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. TRUCKEE DONNER PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT _________________________________________ Christa Finn,President Respectfully Submitted,________________________________ Shanna D. Kuhlemier, CMC, District Clerk