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March 29, 2024 8:03 am
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OPD Board Approves Organizational Changes

By VERNON ROBISON

Moapa Valley Progress

The Overton Power District (OPD) Board of Trustees approved some significant changes to the district’s staff organizational structure during a meeting held on Wednesday, August 21. OPD General Manager Mendis Cooper, who was recently promoted to the position after the July 1 retirement of former General Manager Delmar Leatham, presented the changes to the board for consideration.

Cooper explained that changes were made necessary because of vacancies created by the retirement of two OPD staff members earlier this year and another which is expected to take place this fall. These retirements provided an opportunity to re-assess the OPD organizational chart and streamline it further, Cooper said.

Cooper told the board that the proposal would moderately reduce the OPD staff as well as save the district significantly in its payroll costs.

“We are not proposing that we add any more staff,” Cooper told the board during his presentation. “By re-allocating some of the duties to existing people, we think we can continue to keep up with things.”

Cooper said that a recent vacancy in a Meter Tech position would be left unfilled. Those duties would be distributed among existing staff, he said. An open Lineman’s position in Mesquite, created by a recent retirement, would also be left vacant.

In addition, Cooper proposed some consolidation in customer service positions and in the district’s Information Specialist position.

The proposal retained the position of Assistant General Manager, a position which Cooper had occupied up until Leatham’s retirement last month.

“I saw from my duties in that position assisting Delmar that, as General Manager, you are pulled in a lot of different directions,” Cooper said. “If I’m not careful, I could be gone more than I want to be. So I feel that it is important to share those duties.”

Cooper proposed that OPD Finance and Administration Manager Terry Romero be promoted to the Assistant Manager position.

“Terry has worked here for over 18 years and has been office manager,” Cooper said. “I have been working with her and she has taken on some of those duties already.”

Cooper proposed a salary of $116,335 for the position. He stated that this figure is in line with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) compensation guide which represents a middle road estimate of current average salaries in the utility field.

Cooper added that Romero would continue to maintain her role over Finances and Administration. The duties of Assistant Manager would simply be added onto her current role.

“So what we are doing is just adding responsibilities and paying for that added responsibility,” stated OPD Board Chairman Larry Moses.

“Yes, that’s right,” responded Cooper.

In addition, Cooper also proposed promoting the current OPD Engineering Supervisor, John Jensen, to the position of Engineering Manager; a position which was also previously filled by Cooper while working as Assistant Manager.

“John has been serving as the Supervisor and he has done a great job of managing those things,” Cooper said. “I propose that he should be given that position based on his 26 years of experience and the good job he has done in that time.”

Cooper proposed that the Supervisor of Engineering position then be eliminated; with all of its duties being consolidated in the Engineering Manager role.

Cooper stated that, if the proposal was adopted, it would bring a savings of $152,280 this year in the district’s payroll costs. Next year, with another retirement expected, those savings would increase to $272,000 per year, he said.

The proposal would also keep the OPD staff running lean and efficient, Cooper said. He explained that the district currently has 50 employees. Under the proposed changes that number would drop to 48. This would give the district a ratio of 300 customers per employee, Cooper said.

“That is high compared to other utilities,” Cooper said. “Most utilities in Nevada are at around 195 customers per employee. Nationally that number is 290. So that means that we are staffed right where we need to be and we are heading in the right direction.”

Cooper said that the proposed organizational changes, if approved, would be permanent changes.

“But we will keep an eye on outages and problems and if we need additional staffing then we will come back to the board and inform you of that at that time,” Cooper said.

During public comment, Mesquite resident Barbara Ellestad complained about the raise in salaries given to the employees who were being promoted to positions of higher responsibility.

“In previous meetings you have said that, with Mr. Leatham’s retirement, we were going to save all of this money in personnel costs,” Ellestad said. “But $50,000 of those savings just got eaten up with three employees. That’s $50,000 a year on three employees! I hope that all of you sleep well tonight.”

Mesquite resident Rich Green, who identified himself as a Certified Public Accountant, said that he had taken the opportunity to study the OPD financial reports.

“I found that it has been a very good thing to be an OPD employee over the past three years,” Green said.

He claimed that the average OPD employee works very little overtime and has a lot of time off for vacation and holidays. In addition, OPD employees have received annual pay increases of 6% over the past three years, he claimed. Green pointed out that the average OPD employee earned nearly $76,000 in 2012.

“Maybe this good thing for OPD employees hasn’t been such a good thing for the ratepayers,” Green said.

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