Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors voted 3-0 Thursday to have its general manager look into a new agency employee and management structuring plan that would remove one manager and four total positions. 

Director Terence Moore said they need to analyze the reorganization and see if the structure could run the agency.

General Manager Gene Mancebo was directed to talk with department heads on the organization plan, and get suggestions on how it may work.

Employees commented on the plan, including John Griffin, representing the management bargaining unit, submitted a letter asking “how the reorganization will affect the agency.”

In public comment, Liam Bailey said “rates need to go up. It costs a lot to live up here.” He asked the board to raise his rates. He said people are leaving the agency to better jobs and benefits, and the board “will not hold on to staff by giving them less money and benefits.”

Bailey said in-house engineers cost $78 an hour, but if they are gone, a consultant might need to be employed at $130 an hour, and would “need up-front hours to get up to speed.”

Mike DuBois, an agency electrical technician, said certified agency people are looking for new jobs, and “ready to go right now.”

Vice President Debbie Dunn said the reorganization schematic had no numbers, no way for them to make a decision, and no time frame to meet that number.

Mancebo said the number to cut from the budget to ease cash flow issues is $300,000, and no time frame has been incorporated yet, but talks continue with employee representatives.

Moore said he did not want to do anything without Don Cooper present, and Dunn said she did not know why Cooper missed the special meeting.

President Bill Condrashoff said he did not like the electrical and raw water supervisors each overseeing two people, as shown in the new plan, or a distribution supervisor overseeing three. He said it was inefficient. Dunn agreed, saying “there isn’t a CEO out there who would allow this.”

Human Resources Coordinator Karen Gish said unfilled vacancies caused the small division staffs.

Mancebo said department heads are working supervisors. He said per the plan, a construction superintendent and operations manager can consolidate, but they are working managers. It would effectively push work down to other staff, and “there will be work that does not get done.”

Director Gary Thomas recused himself from the board for discussion of the issue, due to a common law conflict of interest.

Mancebo was directed to discuss the reorganization with staff and meet with the board in a special meeting October 15th.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.