Council dissolves commission, works to enact new board

In an unexpected move Monday, the El Dorado City Council dissolved the El Dorado Water and Sewer Commission, opting to form an advisory board that will report water and sewer issues directly to the Department of Public Works.

Aldermen voted 7-1 to do away with the commission in a specially called meeting, with Alderman Billy Blann casting the sole opposing vote.

The council suspended the rules to act Monday and read the dissolution ordinance three times.

An emergency clause was enacted after final passage, meaning the ordinance went into effect immediately.

No representatives from the El Dorado Water Utilities were at the meeting.

Mark Smith, general manager of the utilities, said he learned about the vote and meeting from Pete Parks, former chairman of the water and sewer commission.

“I didn’t know anything about it, and as far as I know, none of the commissioners knew about it, either,” Smith said.

Water and sewer commissioners included Parks, Bret Garrett, Robert Rushing, Michael Donnella and Bill Luther.

In an email to the NewsTimes on Monday night, Parks reiterated that none of the water and sewer commissioners were notified about the specially called council meeting.

Parks said Luther notified him about the vote after having been contacted by a city alderman.

“It came as a complete surprise to all of the commissioners,” Parks said.

The council first considered dissolving the water and sewer commission more than four years ago when aldermen questioned the utilities’ customer service efforts, quality of repairs and willingness to address complaints.

Those issues were again broached Monday, and coupled with charges of inefficiency while making repairs and low employee morale at the utilities.

Alderman Willie McGhee, who had been out for several weeks due to surgery, kicked off the discussion Monday, saying the issues raised by aldermen and customers in

2013 have persisted.

“It seems like we’re not on the same page at the same time. In past discussions, we’ve talked about bringing the water company under the city altogether,” McGhee said. “That way, we can have better communication and better information when citizens call. Sometimes, we have to get information through a third and fourth party.”

McGhee asked his fellow aldermen for support in dismantling the water and sewer commission and bringing the utilities’ operations under the auspices of the Department of Public Works. He then made a motion and quickly received several seconds.

“Don’t we have to have an ordinance to do that?” Alderman Judy Ward asked.

City Attorney Henry Kinslow said yes, adding that he had already drafted a proposed ordinance, which was later adopted.

Under the new ordinance, a water advisory board will be formed and will consist of five members, each with five-year, staggered terms.

“The Water Advisory Board shall be under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department. The Water and Sewer Manager will report to the Director of Public Works,” according to the ordinance.

After McGhee made his motion, Blann said he was not ready to immediately vote on the matter without a plan in place.

A detailed plan McGhee said he had spoken with Robert Edmonds, public works director, who told the council that he had developed a detailed plan.

“Well, I sure would like to see it,” Blann said. “I want to make sure we have everything in place because it’s our baby, and I don’t want to get down the road and say, ‘Here’s something we didn’t think about.’”

“It will work. I’m not saying it’s going to be seamless, but we will make it as smooth as possible,” Edmonds said.

He said he has already lined up a professional engineer and existing water utilities employees can handle the workload.

Edmonds said he has noticed that several workers have been dispatched to a job that can be handled by a threeman crew. His plan, he said, would restructure utilities’ work crews to take care of several jobs with smaller crews.

“Our infrastructure is deteriorating, and we can’t get to this stuff fast enough because you’ve got 17, 19 guys on one leak,” Edmonds said.

Smith later told a News-Times reporter that while more than one crew may sometimes be called to a job site, depending on the size and scope of the job, the water utilities typically operates three-man work trucks.

A given number of employees at a worksite also speaks to employee safety, Smith said, noting that the utilities boasts a “good safety record.”

Edmonds and Mayor Frank Hash also pointed to street repairs, saying that utilities’ workers often do not properly refill street beds when they open streets to make water or sewer repairs.

A few years ago, the city and utilities agreed to coordinate their work schedules — water and sewer repairs and the city’s annual street improvement program — so the city can follow the utilities in properly fixing streets after work has been done to water and wastewater infrastructure.

Edmonds said the city has spent $45,000 in the past three months to address such issues.

Smith acknowledged that bills began arriving weeks ago from the public works department, but he said neither Edmonds nor city officials have discussed the matter with him.

Smith also said street repairs by the utilities have “come a long way,” but he admitted there is room for improvement and noted that water utilities’ crews are not trained in street repairs.

“Our employees are fixing leaks and wastewater and water problems. Their focus can’t be street repairs,” Smith said. “I never said we were street repair experts.”

During the city council meeting, Edmonds said morale at the water utilities is “terrible.”

“Why do you think that is, Robert?” Blann asked.

“I think it points to the current leadership,” Edmonds said.

But Smith said he is unaware of any such issues.

“I have no idea what they’re referring to. I’m not seeing that. I’m not hearing that,” Smith said.

He said employees undergo an annual performance review, during which they have the opportunity to share any grievances and concerns.

“Are there any disgruntled employees? I’m sure there are, but I don’t believe there are very many of them,” Smith said.

Smith was hired as general manager of the water utilities in 2013 after completing a comprehensive survey of utilities operations. At the time, Smith offered to compile the report in response to complaints about poor customer service.

A month after sharing his findings, Hash endorsed Smith for the general manager’s position, which was vacant after the retirement of former general manager Larry Waldrop.

“I started implementing issues in the study, and I did what I told them that I was going to do,” Smith said. “I’m just shocked, really … Frankly, I don’t understand the rush to do it in three readings and not give the public, general manager, commissioners or water utilities employees the opportunity to respond. … You have a commission with 50 to 60 years of experience, and they certainly can answer any questions or address any concerns.”

McGhee said he was “not knocking” Smith and other water utilities employees.

“When we gave it to (Smith), it was a mess, and he did what he thought he could do to rectify the problem,” McGhee said. “Everyone down there is doing the best they can do, but we have tried everything. It’s like they’re not part of the city team, like they’re their own entity.”

Hash thanked McGhee for “making a bold move” in calling for the dissolution of the commission.

As for the new advisory board, anyone interested in serving should contact City Clerk Heather McVay at 870-881-4877.

Hash said that invitation also is open to members of the now-defunct water and sewer commission.