By Vernon Robison

Moapa Valley Progress

The authority of the Moapa Valley Water District (MVWD) General Manager position will be shared among two high level staff members for the foreseeable future, according to a decision made by the MVWD board in a meeting last week.

Staff members brought the issue before the board at the meeting after being recently faced with a dilemma in dealing with Clark County. They had been completing County paperwork in connection with the district being required to give up a strip of right-of-way on the front of MVWD office property facing Moapa Valley Blvd. But the paperwork required authorized signatures in order to be processed by the county. County officials observed that, in the absence of a General Manager, no one had been officially recognized by the board to sign off on the paperwork.

“The County wants something in writing from the board, specifying who is authorized to sign this,” said Susan Rose, MVWD senior office staff member who had been overseeing the paperwork. “And they need it right away.”

The MVWD has been operating without a General Manager since April. At that time, the board requested the resignation of former General Manager Brad Huza due to significant disagreements with him concerning the future direction of the district. Since then the day-to-day management of the district has been handled by senior level staff members including Water Distribution Superintendant, Joe Davis and Water Production Superintendant, Brian Mortensen.

Since the time of Huza’s removal, the board has stated that it would eventually look for a new General Manager. But no effort has yet been made to do so.

MVWD attorney, Byron Mills, urged the board to make its intentions clearer on the matter of filling the position.

“You need to have a General Manager or at least an interim General Manager position to see to the day-to-day operation of the district,” Mills said. “The board has said that eventually it will hire one. But you are not moving on it. There has been no posting for the position, no application developed. Meanwhile it has all sort of been in limbo. If you want to do that, then it’s fine. But my question is: Where is it all going? Where are you heading with it?”

Board members responded that they were comfortable with how the district has been operating over the past four months without a General Manager.

“The delegation of duties has been very clear,” said board member Scott Carson. “Everyone is working hard. The staff all know who they report to and who their bosses are. Morale is wonderful. I’m very comfortable with it.”

“I think that staff has done an incredible job of stepping up and filling in what is needed,” said board member Randy Tobler. “Joe (Davis) and Brian (Mortensen) have worked together and collaborated well. It has also given them the opportunity to cross-train and learn each other’s duties. Right now it is working. The district is moving forward. I don’t see any reason that we should panic about this.”

“The board is elected to look at the information, make judgements and then establish policy in the best interest of the ratepayers,” said board member Lindsey Dalley. “We are doing that here. This direction we are taking has brought a lot of positives to the district. We have been able to find innovative solutions to a lot problems and we have been able to save ratepayers money. We just need to get that message out to people in the community.”

Board Chairman Ken Staton brought the discussion back to the issue of authorization. “We have this minor detail that we need someone who is going to sign contracts; someone who has the authority to speak for the district,” he said. “We need to specify that.”

Board members asked staff if they saw any problem with authorizing both Davis and/or Mortensen to speak and sign agreements for the district.

“Brian and I work well together,” Davis said. “We collaborate on everything. Having dual signatures or allowing either of us to sign is not going to kill anything.”

“I have been comfortable with how things are going,” Mortensen said. “Yes it is a little unorthodox. But I’d rather be unorthodox than look like every other water district out there that is laying people off right now.”

Staton made a motion to authorize both Davis and Mortensen to sign contracts, agreements, maps, plans or anything pertaining to the every day running of the district. His motion included that either of the two could act with full authorization.

The motion was passed with a unanimous vote.