Amador County – The Amador Water Agency Board of Directors last week adopted a hiring freeze, and also reduced its own compensation, and removed all of its benefits.
AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo announced the moves in a release last week, saying the actions were part of “ongoing efforts to cut costs to meet reduced revenues.”
Mancebo said the “agency has been operating under an unofficial hiring freeze for two years.” He said the “temporary policy adopted Thursday ,formalizes the policy and aligns the water agency with Amador County government’s hiring freeze.”
The Agency has reduced staff by 20 percent since 2008, “through voluntary and non-voluntary means,” Mancebo said. “These positions are being held vacant, given the current economic and financial conditions facing the Agency.”
Under the new policy, the board will consider any proposal to fill job vacancies, “on a case-by-case basis,” Mancebo said.
“Board members also reduced their own pay and eliminated the directors’ benefit package”.Mancebo says. “The Board approved a maximum compensation for seven meetings per month for directors, down from 10 meetings per month. Reimbursement for the Board president will remain at a maximum of 10 meetings. Directors are paid $119.80 per meeting day.”
The reduction in benefits effectively dropped all health, dental and life insurance coverage for the five directors. District 1 Director Paul Molinelli Senior had already made a campaign commitment to refuse any compensation for his service on the board.
A voluntary water conservation notice remains in effect for AWA public water customers of Mace Meadow, Rabb Park, Pine Grove CSD and AWA’s CAWP Retail.
Recent heavy rains have filled water treatment plant storage ponds at Mace Meadow Golf Course, triggering an emergency contingency plan, as determined by the state.
To prevent the ponds from spilling, the plan requires the AWA to ask for voluntary water conservation.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
