Amador County – The Amador Water Agency Board of Directors on May 1 signed a one-year contract with its general manager, and also was petitioned by its department heads to form a bargaining unit. The agency also called a special meeting Friday to discuss an employee reorganization plan.

The Agency Board on April 28th signed a one-year contract with General Manager Gene Mancebo after Mancebo accepted the permanent position of General Manager. The Board appointed Mancebo interim General Manager in September 2009, following the resignation of former G.M. Jim Abercrombie.

Mancebo in a statement Tuesday said his salary and benefits “reflects current efforts” by himself and AWA Directors to reduce costs. Mancebo signed a contract that started May 1, with a salary and benefits package that is $6,300 less than his compensation through April 30. The $137,000 salary (plus benefits) is more than $17,000 less than Abercrombie received as G.M. in 2008.

Mancebo said the “Water Agency Board and staff are facing significant financial challenges and the current economic downturn is testing the resourcefulness of employees and straining resources.” He said the “public depends on us to provide safe, reliable water and wastewater services,” and “failure isn’t an option.” He said he appreciated the “Board’s confidence in my abilities and the opportunity to continue at the helm of the Water Agency as general manager.” Mancebo has been with AWA since1988 and led the Agency’s engineering department for 17 years before becoming interim G.M.

In late March, the AWA Board of Directors received a petition from its four department heads, who are seeking to form an employee bargaining unit. Mancebo said the “Engineering, Administration, Construction and Operations department heads have not been part of an employee bargaining unit for three years.”

Members of the public at the meeting encouraged the Board to not recognize the new bargaining unit, so as to “maintain current control over department head salary and benefit costs,” Mancebo said. “Directors discussed whether the Board has legal standing to prevent a properly filed petition by the employees.” The matter was tabled pending clarification for the Board by the Agency’s labor attorney.

Last week, AWA in a special meeting approved a draft employee reorganization plan, and will reconsider that plan, with comments taken, in a special meeting 9 a.m. Friday, May 13. Board President Don Cooper participated in the meeting last week via telephone from Waltham, Massachusetts.

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