Special Meeting of Commissioners of
Public Utility District No. 1 of Clark County, Washington
July 24, 2023
A meeting of Commissioners of Public Utility District No. 1 of Clark County was held at Clark Public Utilities, 1200 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, Washington, on Monday, July 24, 2023.
Present: President Jane Van Dyke, Secretary Nancy Barnes Commissioners, CEO/General Manager Lena Wittler, Director of Operations/Interim Director of Water Gene Morris, Director of Employee Resources Nichole Reitzenstein and Assistant to the CEO/General Manager Margaret Anderson.
Staff present via digital conference (phone or video): Vice President Jim Malinowski.
Others present via digital conference (phone or video) or in person: None
Press representatives: Jaunee Happygood
At 1:00 p.m., President Van Dyke called the meeting to order for the transaction of formal business and the agenda was approved (Materials B).
Public Comment
There were no public comments.
Consideration of the Minutes of July 18, 2023
The minutes were approved as presented.
Consideration of Performance Review and a Resolution for the General Manager’s Salary
Commissioner Van Dyke provided a brief review of the performance review process, noting there were two executive sessions in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, RCW 42.30.110 (1)(g) – to evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee, prior to the meeting today.
Commissioner Malinowski shared his gratitude and respect for CEO/General Manager Lena Wittler since the board hired her into this position in 2019.
Commissioner Van Dyke expressed appreciation for the summary of utility accomplishments in the past year that Ms. Wittler provided to the board. She noted two items in particular, the Box Canyon power supply agreement and the Bonneville Power Administration undeclaration of a portion of the output from River Road Generating Plant, which provide a path to compliance with existing carbon legislation. She also acknowledged the value of returning to participation in smaller community events as a way to help employees stay connected to customers.
Commissioner Barnes also referred to Ms. Wittler’s summary of the last year, noting her three goals of resiliency, responsibility and new relationships. Commissioner Barnes shared she would hold Ms. Wittler’s performance as CEO/General Manager up against any public or private CEO and is proud of the relationships that Ms. Wittler has made with other leaders in the community including the City of Vancouver, the Port of Vancouver and Clark County.
All members of the board praised Ms. Wittler and the staff under her leadership for the continued focus on the utility’s culture of customer service, recognizing that winning 15 JD Power awards for customer satisfaction does not happen without the service mentality starting at the top.
Commissioner Barnes moved to increase Ms. Wittler’s salary to $335,000 annually, provide a $400 a month car allowance, a one-time award of 100 hours of comp time in recognition of 2022 utility goals achieved and all other benefits provided employees of the utility. Commissioner Malinowski seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
Ms. Wittler thanked the board for their continued confidence and thanked all the excellent employees on staff for the work that they do to provide reliable and affordable water and electricity, along with consistently outstanding and compassionate service to our customers.
Commission Reports and Comments
There were no reports or comments.
Staff Reports
There were no staff reports.
Other Business before the Board
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 1:20 p.m.