News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cumberland Plateau Water Authority Board has set deadlines and expectations for hiring a General Manager to oversee the possible merger.
Board Chair Greg Hanson said he believes the subcommittee tasked with searching for a general manager had not realized its level of authority before the board’s June meeting. He said the board’s May meeting was canceled, leaving those expectations unclear. Hanson said the committee has now been encouraged to search aggressively for a leader.
“The full board was expecting that they were making progress,” Hanson said. “And the subcommittee was still kind of treading water, not sure exactly what their go-forward position should be and how aggressive they should be in trying to solicit candidates, but fortunately, we got that all cleared up.”
Hanson said he hopes to have the list narrowed to two candidates by the August 12 meeting. He said the Tennessee Association of Utility Districts has assisted the board through job description recommendations, salary surveys, and advertisements.
Hanson said given the Authority is run by a volunteer-based board, a full-time general manager will have much more time to negotiate with neighboring utilities and, eventually, bring their employees on board.
“I think that some of us had though that we had maybe had that momentum back in the spring,” Hanson said. “But it’s clear we are all on the same page now. We have very defined responsibilities and assignments and we’ve established some deadlines internally that we want to meet, and so I’m more comfortable today than I have been up to this point in the process.”
He said the board pushed its July meeting back a week to give the subcommittee time to give a detailed candidate update on July 15. He said the board has had several local candidates reach out with resumes.
“If it was Crab Orchard that we were to negotiate with first, their GM has made it clear that he’s ready to retire,” Hanson said. “So, the thought being that, once we engaged in negotiations and the board approved absorbing the Crab Orchard operations, the GM that the Water Authority hired would replace the position as it currently exists at Crab Orchard, and then we would bring all of the Crab Orchard staff on board.”
He said he hopes the board, as well as the public, will have a short list of candidates present at the August meeting for questions and introductions. He said he would expect the board to make a final selection shortly thereafter.
