Jasper Utility Departments plan on reorganizing
The Jasper Utility Service Board is poised to reorganize the Gas and Water, Wastewater and Electric departments.
The move comes after the departments have seen six retirements since the first of the year. Department managers have decided to take the opportunity to explore the best way to fill the openings and make changes in job descriptions to increase efficiency.
Utility General Manager Bud Hauersperger said during the USB meeting that they have had “three pretty critical retirements in the last few months. Mike Oeding, Gas and Water manager; Windell Toby, the manager of the generation plant; and Jim Reuber, superintendent in the Electrical distribution department.”
Hauersperger says that the retirements give them the opportunity to move qualified employees up in their respective departments, leaving new entry level openings.
Some changes Hauersperger would like to explore include different crew configurations in the Electric Department, change of job descriptions in the Gas and Water Department, and adding a new position to the Gas and Water Department.
He says it could mean better use of existing personnel. For example, the Gas and Water Department is the only one that is still using paper drawings to keep track of all the gas and water lines in the city. They are moving towards placing all of them on a computer-aided design (CAD) system and have an existing employee who could be moved into a position to head that effort.
There will be another meeting at the end of July between the Gas and Water, Wastewater and Electric Utility Committee chairpersons and USB President Wayne Schuetter or Vice President Rick Stradtner to make decisions on which direction to go with each department. Those recommendations will be brought before the USB meeting in August for approval. [hr]
-During the Water Committee report by Dave Hurst, Committee Chair, he and Hauersperger recommended the board hire Morley and Associates to help determine why the water levels at Beaver Lake are 9 to 12 inches lower since the completion of the new dam. The Board approved the contract between Morley and Associates not to exceed $8,000.00 for the review.
-Also in the meeting, Hurst told the board that the Ireland Water Utility is asking for additional capacity from the City of Jasper due to an increase in use and anticipated future use. City Attorney Renee Kabrick created an amendment to the existing contract, which will be reviewed by the Ireland Water Utility and returned to the USB for approval.
-It was also announced that the Third Avenue water main project is going to start up with a new date for a wage determination hearing set for August 8th. Dave Hurm will represent the City.
-Attorney Kabrick presented a resolution for the sale of excess equipment (a wastewater main line camera) to the Patoka Lake Regional Water & Sewer District at a price of $10,000.00. Wastewater Manager Ed Hollinden reported to the board that an estimate of the value of the equipment is between $8,000 and $12,000. The board approved the sale.
Finally, Gas and Water Manager Ernie Hinkle told the board that a new ANR Odorizer was ordered for the Gas Department since the quote came in under the estimate of $45,000.00. The price is $40,588.00 and was approved by the board for purchase.
