Amador County – Amador Water Agency General Manager Gene Mancebo explained a draft employee reorganization plan last week, saying it would cut department heads, reassign jobs and duties, open some positions, and in total eliminate three positions. It was expected to cut $200,000 to $500,000 over two or three years.

The plan would remove five division managers and place a field operations manager over construction, distribution, installation, wastewater, water and engineering supervisors and departments. An office manager would head customer service and controlling divisions. Employees spoke to the AWA Board of Directors last week about the plan.

Engineering Supervisor John Griffin said the board may not have factored in $600,000 in new revenue in an agreement with Sutter Creek. There are grants that have not been applied for, and besides Fresh & Easy, there are 6 other vacant parcels on Sutter Hill.

Griffin read a list of 11 undone agency projects, including regulations; water plans; and bridge rebuild projects in Amador City and Sutter Creek. Three engineers cannot do all the work now, and two engineers would not be able to do it either, he said, and “we desperately need the Gravity Supply Line.”

Director of information technology Mitch Netto said companies he has worked for in the past have never had something like this. He called the plan “crass and very unprofessional,” and criticized management, saying the job had become horribly stressful, with threats from the administration. Netto said AWA’s technology network is ailing, with switches constantly failing, and not replaced because his program was typically under-budgeted “by 10s of thousands of dollars.”

Finance Manager Mike Lee said he has “enjoyed working here 11 years” and up until one or two years ago it had been a great place to work. He said the economy changed AWA, as it had water agencies all up and down the state. Lee said “our organizational structure is sound.” He said department heads and the general manager reorganized the agency about three years ago, and “we implemented about half of it last year.” He said the draft reorganization “does not really stand up to the hierarchy of any other water agency within 100 miles.” He said it will save money but it will not lead to a cohesive agency and will leave the financial side in chaos.

Mancebo said he thought a lot of what they heard was about sustainability, which is the real issue, and “failure is not an option,” because the agency provides water and wastewater services for this community. Mancebo said: “It is my recommendation that we do go forward with this,” though “it puts us in a precarious position with some activities.”

The draft reorganization plan’s final version could be considered by the AWA board 9 a.m. Friday (May 13).

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