EWEB Board of Commissioners — January 6, 2026

0:03 On that note, we will open the Eugene Water Electric Board's January 2026 board meeting. Uh my name is John Broski. I'm the chair. Uh and we will start off this meetings with item number one, which is our agenda check. Does anybody have any additions, subtractions, or modifications to the agenda at this point? Okay, then we will move on to item two, which is items from board members and general manager. And we'll just go around the room. We'll start with John. >> Thank you. Happy New Year, everybody. Um, just one thing I I'd like to thank Ann and staff for helping me. I had a person had an issue trying to call second and they couldn't get through.

0:50 They thought we were closed and all that. So I I called and I went on hold for over 25 minutes with you know the elevator music and that was it. And that's unfortunate because I know that we have an explanation in here Julie about that. But to me it's still unacceptable to to have to wait on hold and not get anybody for a half hour. And that just absolutely in plains betray only see five minutes that's a long time but a half hour um we and she had an explanation that's a oneoff and maybe didn't happen but if we knew that was coming is there any way we could have staffed up even better for that or we gave a better explanation you said we're we're it's like every recording you get anymore it always says we're we're experiencing unseasonably your you know

1:35 call volume well that's a standard now you know it's like pressing one for English it's a standard in any recording And so I was just wondering if maybe we can hopefully in the future when we know we're going to have an influx of calls uh do that because that's a really good way to get people had at least one. So just thought I'm not trying to throw darts at anybody. I understand the situation but I just did think that hopefully we could do better. >> Great Sonia. >> Happy new year. That's all >> indeed. >> Yes. Um, I had the misfortune of having our furnace die in the last month or so and um, one of the major uh, HVAC companies came out to see if it could be

2:22 revived and it couldn't and um, told us what our options were and steered us towards replacing our gas furnace. And um, I just wasn't totally sure because I've had this experience with this company before. And so I called EW Webb and had um two people come out as they do to look at our system to give us some um information. And those people were Haley Dawson and Robert Solace. They were fantastic. They did such a nice job of like looking at our system and um talking to us about our options and it was really really super helpful and we got so much information. And they also did a fantastic job in while they were up in our attic looking at stuff, just

3:08 looking at other things that we can do, looking at our insulation. They went into our basement where we have another heat system and gave us some recommendations about what we could do to kind of for energy efficiency and they were just super professional. They were they were fantastic and it was great to um just be a regular customer and experience that. Um, unfortunately we need a new furnace which is costly. But anyway, I just had a really positive experience and wanted to give Haley and Robert a huge shout out. >> Great. >> That's it. >> Yep. >> Happy New Year. >> Happy New Year. Um, all right. Uh, for myself, I enjoyed a happy new year as well. I just wanted to thank staff and

3:53 the board for the opportunity be to be president over the last year and be in leadership for the last three years I believe because of the flipping when we had a different uh commissioner in the leadership role. Um thanks to Mindy for being the vice president and helping with all those really tough agenda setting meetings. Um, but yeah, thanks to staff for helping get through all of that and uh I appreciate the uh uh ability to be president. So, thank you. Uh Frank, President Burovski, I can say that one more time. Uh commissioners, good evening. Just wanted to point out one thing um that was uh in the report uh

4:39 the GM report to you. Uh and that was um we did uh we're doing a a soft launch for interval data now that people can look at their bills in more detail either hourly or monthly. Uh this is just part of our continuous improvement work on the new system and the new uh metering. And so I wanted to point that out and that'll be an important tool as we look toward demand response and and different customer programs going forward. So, um there's some instructions on on how to effectively use it if you want to go try it out. Uh I have tried it out. It's interesting and we're slowly or um putting in more and more historical data uh over the next uh couple of months. >> Great. Will will that be just

5:26 electricity or will the water be also be able to be monitored? >> I believe at this point it is just electric. Electric is a bit more dynamic. The meters record uh every 15 minutes. It's not quite the same on water because they don't have a power source, so it's a little bit different. >> Okay, great. All right. Uh next up is correspondence. Anybody have anything? Oh, we did have something on that. Um, so President Barski, just a couple comments on this, but also, you know, upon further review, this is this is the beauty of dynamic board meetings. I was I was told that water is also interval

6:11 data. May not be quite the same interval, but it's also interval data. So, >> the referee at the game was overruled by uh those reviewing in New York or whatever they usually do. Um, so I appreciate that. the the correspondence this evening is really informational for review. Um a number of of these if you have additional questions or feedback and either um we can talk about those in our individual check-ins um or um if you had any questions that that staff could answer, we'd be happy to answer those. >> Anybody have any questions or comments on the items that were presented in correspondence? Um, I did see one thing in the annual board policy reviews under the uh

6:59 approved uh media uh people that was listed in that. Uh we don't have Lookout listed and it might be worthy to put Lookout in there. I think they're a a new player in our market and I think it just I mean I I don't think they would have been turned away but there was a list of a bunch of media that was in there and I think we could vet them and add them to that in the next time we do a revision. Um, Ann, any complications to doing that as far as individual represent representatives or is it by organization and we can just add the organization? >> Policy typically just lists by organization and we do have some other news media who may not be listed but

7:45 have been approved because they've sent us a letter. So happy to include them when it comes back on the consent calendar. >> Yeah, I would just say the next time around just throw them in. I mean, it's most of the radio stations and public well-known publications and it's been around long enough that I believe it's it's a valuable tool to our community. >> Yep. We'll make that note. Thank you. >> All right. Okay. Anybody else on correspondence? I didn't see any hands raised. We are a little bit early for public input, but nobody on the phone. There's one person on the phone, but they are in the queue. So, I am going to open up the public comment and I will read the preamble. Welcome to the public input session for

8:31 this meeting. EW Webb is a public non-for-profit organization whose charter is to deliver drinking water and electricity to our community. Although this forum is not used for an open back and forth dialogue, commissioners and staff value hearing diverse perspectives and receiving community input. Speakers are asked to keep their testimonies relevant to e webb business and request that everybody share their comments in a productive and respectful manner. Speakers should should speakers or audience members become disruptive, they may be muted and or removed from the meeting. At this time, we have one caller and one person in in person. If there's other people that would like to speak, uh there is still forms to be signed up.

9:17 We've got two here and one on the phone. Um, so now the public system is open. I already did that once, but we can do it twice. And the our first speaker is Andrew Simmeran. Andrew, you can unmute yourself and you'll have three minutes to speak. >> Are you able to hear me? >> Yes, we are. Thank you. Okay, great. Thank you. My name is Andrew Simron. Thank you providing pro for providing this opportunity to speak. I live in Ward 7 in the River Road Water District. I wanted to comment today on the recruitment of the general manner manager position. I see that there's

10:04 going to be some deliberations between now and the next uh public board meeting according to the timeline. And I'd like for you to keep in mind um that it's important that we have a general manager that understands the importance of climate resiliency and affordability for the community. Um, we're assuming going to be getting another water source for our for our network from the Wamut and that's a whole another watershed that needs to be taken care of um since it's going to be another one of our water sources um in the faces of wildfire, drought, things like that. We need a climate resilient future um that U web should be prepared to um handle. Um, we know that the,

10:50 uh, climate recovery ordinance and climate action plan 2.0, the the um, metrics we're getting back from that aren't doing so hot. So, it would be great to have a manager that can work on the greenhouse gas emission goals. Um, considering that this is um, the city's or the area, one of the area's principal utility providers. Um so although my I get my water through the river water district, they purchase it of course through e webb. Um so there's many downstream dependencies there. Um so again I would just please encourage you to keep focus on uh lowcarbon

11:35 affordable energy, clean water and resilient systems in the face of climate catastrophe. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next up is Vicky Curry followed by Mark Roen. You come up to the table. You will also have three minutes to speak. You can sit or stand, whatever. >> Can I be heard? Fine. Okay. So, I'm here u to advocate for one of my clients. I'm a psychologist in Eugene. I've been treating Hogan Mulgrave for almost 5 years since there was a threat to his life while on duty uh as a meter reader and cog. So I'm advocating for his request to not have a smart meter

12:22 installed at his home. I sent a letter to the board members. Did you did you receive the letter? Um I'd like the letter to go on the record. So, I don't want to discuss the veracity or the accuracy of the statements that are made, but I'd like you to know that these are the perceptions of uh Mr. Mulgrave and I've seen significant data to support them. So, I'll just read them and it is what it is. It's what I I'm really nervous. Anyway, I testify in court, but I know that scene. This is novel to me. Okay. Uh Hogan Mulgrave has shared with me his deep concerns and legitimate fears about

13:08 Ew Webb's demands to install a smart meter at his home. He has given me permission to advocate for his well-being regarding this situation. Mr. Mulgrave experienced profound and indisputable racial discrimination while in the employee of Eb, including a refusal by Eb to install a smart meter that may have kept him out of harm's way at a particular house in Cobber where he ultimately had his very life threatened. Mr. Mulgrave also alleges with substantial documentation that he experienced chronic racial discrimination from management members uh of staff at Eb over his decadel long tenure at the organization. He holds Eb largely responsible for and complicit in his current experiences of PTSD which he continues to receive

13:55 treatment for on a weekly basis. based on his prior experiences with your agency, his ongoing symptoms of PTSD that disrupt his life on a regular basis and his extreme distrust of e webb uh their employees and their policies. He has requested that no smart meter be installed at his home. He has acknowledged about he has knowledge about the inner workings of the devices and it seems reasonable that he would be concerned about unethical but absolutely possible inappropriate monitoring of his home. This would be an undue and devastating situation for him to have to endure. He suggests that he may even have to uh move somewhere outside of e webb u area to minimize

14:42 ongoing stress and triggers. do what would be what would amount to e webb's potential for detailed surveillance of his personal life if the agency went forward with their demand to install the device. Please do the right thing by allowing his request for no smart meter that no smart meter be installed in this home now or in the future to be honored. I noted that a number of the board members have some expertise or knowledge about psychology and/or mental health and hope that these perspectives are considered and given weight in making this determination. I am aware of vast numbers of homes and businesses who currently have the ability to opt out or uh it's they're in

15:27 untenable locations to utilize uh smart meters for lots of reasons. Um, so even though it would be to the advantage of U web to install them, I do know that it's possible for them to wave that requirement and I believe it's reasonable to expect this courtesy to be provided to Mr. Mulgrave. >> Thank you. >> Does anybody have any questions about any of >> We don't usually do a back and forth, so I'd ask. >> You bet. Thank you. Thank you, Mark.

16:17 uh good evening. Um two things, try to get them quick. One, as I saw on your schedule, you're going to have a discussion on the quote watershed bill of rights uh initiative. word about the Clean Water Act signed by Richard Nixon. It didn't accomplish as much as was intended with the West Eugene Parkway down the street from here. When that was proposed, the Clean Water Act did not prevent construction. It merely required disclosure of the plan damage. What actually stopped it was a very different law called 4F which prohibits building federal aid highways parklands not wetlands. Unfortunately the initiative doesn't

17:04 specify who would enforce anything doesn't have any legal processes specified in it. So it's unlikely to impact e-web operations, but we need to do a lot more for pollution prevention since we are in the sixth great mass extinction of life as we all know but prefer not to think about too much. Something that will impact e-web operations and the western power grid and society in whole is data centers and peak electricity and the decline of natural gas which has become the backbone for the western electric coordinating council which we also don't want to talk about. And I have some

17:49 charts on this I'd like to leave. I don't know how many to leave for the commissioners. they go whatever and we'll make sure that they get submitted to the board members. >> There's even proposals for new nuclear reactors at the Hanford Reservation, the most polluted place on this side of the planet and along the Columbia River. And if those are successful, then probably everywhere. There's even proposals I read about a couple days ago for thermonuclear fusion reactors for the Northwest, even though nobody has ever generated a millowatt from fusion power. Fusion would create new nuclear waste through high energy neutron bombardment of everything else, including the

18:34 structural supports. And if you think global warming is not happening fast enough, then 100 million degree centigrade plasma all over the place, we could really accelerate climate change and the melting of ice caps and snow packs. Um, I realize we live in insane times, but the idea that we're going to boost fusion reactors all over the Northwest to power giant data centers to make II AI fake videos is just um the only response is psychiatric. So, be nice in the new year to think about limits to growth on a finite planet because Earth is not getting any bigger. Thank you. Uh, is there anybody else who

19:22 has signed up? Okay, with that I will close the public comment and ask commissioners if there's any questions or comments that you would like to speak to. Seeing none, we will thank you everybody for coming out. Um, and Mark, leave your stuff and we'll make sure that it gets distributed to the board and the general manager. All right. Next act next item is the approval of consent calendar A, minutes and routine contracts. >> I'll move to adopt consent calendar A. >> Second. >> Moved and second. Any discussion?

20:07 With none, I will call for a vote. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed? Vote is unanimous. Next is approval of consent calendar B. >> Move to adopt consent calendar B. >> Second. >> Again, any discussion on consent calendar B. Seeing none, I will call for a vote. All in favor say I. >> Opposed. The vote is unanimous. Next item is 2026 election of officers. At this point, we will accept nominations for the president and vice president and then we'll have discussion and vote on that. Indie.

20:53 >> So, it's usually standard for the person who's in the vice president role then to roll over into the president role for the next year, but I'm going to take myself out of that. Um, so I would like to nominate John Brown as president and Sonia Carlson as vice president. >> Is there a second for that? >> Second. >> Okay. Are there any other nominations? All right. John or Sonia, would you like to speak to it or >> I just say I'm Thank you. I I'll be more than glad to step up and do it. And uh I'll have probably have a little dialogue amongst all of us about what

21:39 your preferences are for how meetings are run. And uh as long as I don't start hammering the gavl when we're one minute over time on an agenda item, I promise not to do that anymore. But uh no, I thank you. If that's the will of the group, I'd be more than glad to take the gavl. Uh, well, I appreciate the nomination and we'll do my best to sub in for John Brown when and if he's not here. So, >> okay. For sure. >> With with that being said, I will call for a vote. The the slate is John Brown for president and Sonia Carlson for vice president. All in favor? >> I opposed. All right. Carries unanimously. I pass the gavl. Thank you very much.

22:26 >> I was going to say something about a peaceful transition of power, but I I don't think I'll I'll make that comment. >> January 6. Please don't. >> Oh, I forgot. >> Yeah. >> And please make a note on my time card about the pay adjustment for the new position. Please. Thank you. >> So, the next agenda item is uh item number uh 10. No, excuse me. Item number nine. Um the appointment of board leazison and assignments and committees. Um, and Frank, you want to lead us through that? >> You want me to do that? >> Okay. Um, sorry, I'm not been prepped on this. So, anyhow, the that's who who does what with particular committees and everything now. And so, uh, Sonia, we'll go with you and Tim first, Elco. And

23:11 now, Sonia, you've been there for a long time, and that's that's a pretty good time commitment for you, I think. and but I know that you've moved up in the hierarchy of uh you're the president and things such as that and and uh you know why don't you express your will about about that and same with Tim. >> Yeah. Um they typically meet every other month. Um and then if you're there are opportunities to be on other committees within that. There's budget committee, there's a um audit committee, and then there's the executive committee. I served on all of those during uh my time with Elco, but like um John Brown mentioned, I went through I was on the um executive committee. I was vice president for two years and then the president for two years. So I've I've

23:57 been on the committee for six years and I thought it might be good to provide others with the opportunity to be on um on if they would like to be. Um, I I have a lot of other personal commitments right now and it would be great to take that one piece off at least for a year or two. So, there's others that are interested in it. Um, would love some interest there. >> Jim, your thoughts? >> I'm happy to step up unless any of the other commissioners are deeply and passionately interested. Um, that's fine with me. Happy to do it. I I will also say so Elco, the Lane Council of Governments is a wonderful opportunity to meet governments around Lane County and

24:42 even though I've been on the board for six years, it still impresses me how many new things I learn about what they do for our community and they're just it's a very unsung hero of support services for some of the most vulnerable. So it is very important. So, without hearing anybody else, um, I would probably propose that we have Tim Morris be the primary and Sona, would you agree to be the alternate in case of Tim's absence? Okay, check that one off. Thank you, M. McKenzie Watershed Council. John Barovski. >> Yeah, if if nobody else has any interest, I would like to stay on that one. I've uh gotten to know the people up there and it's very been very informative and I I would stay on it

25:27 unless somebody else wants to do it. And that's the council, not the alliance. The alliance um is has a staff member doing it. So the alliance is kind of like the board for the council. And so we have a EW staff member that does that. The McKenzie Watershed Council is the one that I would be designated to. and Craig. >> Yeah, just one comment. Um, you know, I think it is good to have alternates in the case of some secession around this this board. And so I would encourage the board to consider an alternate for Commissioner Barovski um to just participate. Yeah. >> And then the only thing that I would say to that is that that meeting is al

26:14 always staffed by two other e webb staff members. So there's there have been times when I haven't been able to attend, but I give my voting proxy to one of the e-web staff members. Um just but yeah, I'd love to have an alternate. That's that's fine. And the more the marrier. It's a it's a fun group, but there is just the one vote. >> I did that for years. What's the frequency of the meetings now? >> It's monthly probably. They don't meet I think two months out of the year. And I would say the majority of them are either in Springfield at IP or up river. Um so the there is there's probably a third of them that are upriver, a third that are online, and a third that are at IP.

27:00 So yeah, >> I I I am curious. So we would continue to hold this position regardless of if we sold the up river territory. Oh yeah, >> because we have water. I just wanted >> water and Burke and dams and all all kinds of things. >> I'll volunteer to be the alternate unless anybody else has a burning passion because I spent about six or eight years there previously. So, and uh I've never known you to quit a committee, so I'm pretty safe. So, if you're okay with that, Barski primary secondary. >> All right. And then the OPED, that's me. That's um it's a non- voting position. We meet quarterly. It's pretty easy. Alls I do is sit there and not say anything and listen and listen to how

27:46 wonderfully that that that U fund has been in its post employment benefits to insurance for retirees and it's in good health. I've been there for probably six years maybe and I'm more than willing to to continue unless somebody else wants to do it. You meet like I said you only meet quarterly for an hour, hour and a half and you listen to all about the economics and how good the fund is doing and things like that and then you report back and say things are good. Yes. >> It's actually a little lighter load than you described. It's twice a year. >> Well, thank you. >> That's even more attractive. >> I've been going to a meeting. I don't know who I've been meeting with. No, it's twice a year then. That's even easier. That's So, I'd be more than willing to check that box unless somebody else wants to do it. >> We did just change that last year.

28:31 >> Thank you. >> Throw me under the bus and heartbe. Okay, I'll take OP sub. Mindy, >> um, yeah, I haven't really done much with sub, but I'm happy to stay on as that um, designate unless there's somebody that wants it. And it looks like we don't have an alternate, so if somebody wants to be the alternate. >> No, I think it's going to be important because they're getting a new general manager this year, too. So, it'll be good to at least have a face there. So, thank you for agreeing to do that. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Mindy for sub. Um, Lane Electric, that's me. Um, I'll stay there. I'm I'm a customer of Lane Electric besides Zeb, but also um they have a wonderful barbecue at their

29:17 annual meeting. That's fun to go to. So, if uh anybody else would like it, I'm more than glad to step aside, be an alternate or somebody else be primary. It doesn't matter. I'm We'll just have five alternates for the barbecue. >> Okay. Well, I'll take Lane Electric City Eugene liaison. Um >> that's you, too. Yeah. Okay. That's the That's us, too. So, that's John Brown and Sonia Carlson. And then the city of Springfield. Um, it's myself and Tim and, you know, we really haven't done anything other than I've met with the mayor on a few issues and other than that, but it's really kind of a passive relationship. So, I'm willing to stay there, too. >> Unless anyone is excited for it. >> I think we're good. What have we missed?

30:04 I don't think you missed anything. Um, President Brown, um, I do think that with a number of transitions, um, the continuity of this work can become important from a relationship standpoint, not not just at say I know it was mentioned that Springfield is getting a new general manager, city of Eugene is getting a new city manager, EW Webb is getting a new general manager hopefully at some point. Um and so having uh continuity um at the governance level is is important and so we really appreciate um how everybody's approaching these and and you'll you'll get tapped for various different reasons on various different issues. So thank you. I think this does it. >> Okay. Thank you.

30:49 >> Moving on. Next question. >> Hold on. One question. Yes sir. >> There there used to be another one that it was the MWMC. Is that what >> Metro Wastewater? Oh no, not the >> the regional >> there. >> Which one? >> One watershed. >> No, no, no. There was one a regional thing that >> Oh, that's the >> the Northwest Public Power Association. >> So, I can give a little bit of update on that one. I I have served on that board for the last few years. Um the way that the um governance is selected is that at the end of the year basically they took me off at at my request. They alternate around between general manager, executives of utilities and um and then

31:36 governance of utilities. So commissioners, it's not the state of Oregon's commissioner opening at this point. So, uh, I would suspect it might open up, um, in 2027ish for if if a board member was interested in the NWPPA, NWPA board. Um, but that is not available at this time. >> Okay. And may I just say that I did that for many years and uh, they meet four times a year, but they meet like in Anchorage, Sacramento, Reno, they meet all over the place and they the day the meetings are three to four days apart. So it takes about a week out of your life four times a year, >> right? And it's a huge time commitment. Um and so I would just warn you about that. >> It it it also um Commissioner Barski um

32:23 there are still NWPA, Northwest Public Power Association opportunities for education, including board education. And so it's not just limited to being a board member. uh one of the benefits that we really see in that organization is the multiple layers of educational opportunities that exist not just for staff but but for uh commissioners uh as well. So that opportunity still exists. >> Great. So I guess the one thing I would say is I hope when you stepped off you kind of left a placeholder maybe for for the incoming general manager or let them know that e webb is still wants to be a part of that organization. U and then

33:08 also if you see those educational uh opportunities make sure to forward them to us to see if we would like to avail ourselves of them. Yeah, I'll make I'll make sure that that happens and um um definitely been communicated that EW is still an active participant uh in that organization and that the next time it it rolls around to the an opening being in the state of Oregon for governance, then uh we'll we'll reach out to the board, I'll I'll make some notes that that that would be something to pay attention to. >> Great. because I know the the commissioner who h held this seat before me was an active member of that of that

33:53 uh commissioner. >> It was Commissioner Helison. >> Yeah. And he he got a lot out of it, he said. So, I just didn't wanted that to kind of fall into the ether. >> Yeah. I'll just I'll just make a note. um Holly and when you're looking at the the these positions for next year to put a placeholder for Northwest Public Power Association and then someone can reach out ahead of this meeting and see where they are at with their governance structure. >> Great. Thank you. >> Like I said, I just didn't want that to fall into the >> No, and I'll just give a shout out. NWPA is probably some of the best educational classes I've ever taken. the meetings. I mean, it's worthwhile, but like I say, you're taking a month out of your life. Um, besides the time commitment for

34:38 this. And so, it's just just word of caution, especially those that, you know, aren't self-employed or have a different schedule. So, but yeah, I can't I think hopefully some of us will take some of their classes because they're really, really good >> and we'll pay you overtime to do that. >> Time and a half. Thank you. Um, next agenda item. Yes. >> Don't we have to officially vote on those or do we not have to? It's I don't know if you have any >> I'll prepare a resolution for your conser. >> Oh, okay. Thank you. >> Yeah, >> so we good. Okay. Thank you. All right. Next agenda item number 10, general manner transition recruitment process and standard feed.

35:42 All right. Good evening, uh, President Brown, Commissioners, and General Manager Lawson. Uh, for the record, my name is Dedra Williams. I serve as the chief people officer here at Eb. Uh today I'm here to give a quick update on the executive recruitment process and I'm ultimately seeking direction from the board regarding the process for C final candidate selection. So brief update um for for everyone on the recruitment project. We are moving as planned through the process. Um board will note that our next activity is short list interviews scheduled for next week. After that uh those interviews, the boards will need to uh uh confer and determine if uh sufficient information has been gathered to determine who the finalist candidate will be or if a

36:28 second round of interviews should be scheduled with a rep prioritized candidate pool. Um our project timeline has been updated um to reflect that finalist interviews will be as needed depending on the board's direction. Um any selection of final successful candidate will take place in the public session. Um we look to make a final candidate selection in February 3rd with an offer of employment um somewhere in the February 17th time frame assuming we stick to our schedule. or statute requires the process for hiring of a general manager um to be discussed and determined in public

37:15 session. Um we have mostly accomplished this back in the September board meeting, but the one piece I neglected to walk the board through was the actual process that the board will use to make that final selection. So that's what we're going to do today so that we have that conversation um in the public session. The requirements for the process as stated in Oregon statute or EW bylaws are as shown on the screen um essentially that the deliberations and final selection uh need to be take place in a public session. The vote has to be completed in a clear and transparent method. Um each commissioner's vote has to be publicly recorded in the minutes. Uh majority decision is required. So

38:02 that would be three out of the five voting yes. That's part of our uh bylaws. And the board um not at the same time as selection necessarily, but we'll eventually need to approve the successful candidates compensation package in a public session. That can be in a separate meeting. So, I pulled together a recommended process for how um the board can u uh walk through and uh uh identify the specific candidate for the general manager role. Um the way that would work would one of the commissioners would make a motion to hire a specific candidate subject to contract negotiation. I provided a sample motion

38:49 um in the gray text up there. So I move to select you know the identify candidate as new general manager subject to successful contract negotiation and background check. Um you would then as a committee go through the typical seconding and discussion format. Uh the board president will call for a vote. Each commissioner will publicly state their vote as yes, no or abstain. Um, these votes will be public recorded and as I said earlier, for the vote to succeed, a majority of commissioners, three out of five, will need to vote yes. Um, so staff is requesting direction from the board regarding the process to identify a candidate to be hired as the new general manager of EW. Is this process, as identified on the slide, the

39:35 process the board wishes to adopt? Um, if not, are there specific changes that the board wishes to see within the process? >> Thank you. I'll open it up. Sonia, >> I just have a question. If we um you know adopt this process tonight and then we go through the candidates and we have candidates that we feel are very close and we wanted to do something different, do we have the opportunity at that point to change the process or do we have to come back and vote in public session to change the process? For example, if we wanted to have a a skill-based um uh you know, kind of test or rubric or something that that we have the

40:20 candidates do to help get us a better sense if if two candidates are very close. Could we do something like that or do we have to come back in a public session to change it? I'm just curious about what this vote means. I believe that that would be acceptable um as similar to identifying interview questions which the board is allowed to do in executive session. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. >> Other questions or comments? Tim? >> Yeah. Thank you. Um so, uh with the recommended process, uh a motion and a second will be made uh on that on a specific candidate. When it comes to discussion, will that discussion be

41:06 exclusively about that candidate or will there be opportunities to discuss the merits of that candidate compared to others? How how are you envisioning that discussion? >> Um the board can manage the discussion how the board man wishes to manage the discussion. Um so whatever process you need to go through um in order to come to a decision um you know you will have time within uh the the the executive session process to have some discussion of um perspectives as well. >> I would like to interject myself into the queue if I may. Two questions. Number one, just to respond to Tim's

41:51 there. I've done this a few times and I'd be cautious if we're if we're just discussing one candidate and then to compare that to another candidate. The one that we're discussing is probably the lead candidate and I wouldn't want to say anything that well they got more experience or you know I' I'd be careful on on that particular type of conversation. My question is is um Mindy nominates candidate A and Tim seconds that. Sonia nominates candidate B and John second staff. Now what? We've got two candidates that are moved. Do we hold the discussion of the merits of each candidate and then >> I'm just thinking about process. >> I I appreciate that

42:36 >> because I have to kind of facilitate that in case that happens. Yeah, I think I heard uh Commissioner Brosky suggest Robert's rules of order would be the way to to to manage the the motions and discussion. Uh my understanding is >> so we would have two candidates on the on the on the floor. >> So this for my little parliament I'll play parliamentarian here. Um if Mindy uh Mindy put somebody and there was a second that would be the person that would be up for discussion. if Sonia wanted to do a substitute motion and I I would like to substitute candidate two uh for this and there was a second to that then there would be discussion on candidate two there would be a vote up and down on candidate two and then it

43:22 would go back to it would be >> the the vote would be whether to substitute that person as first candidate and then and then if that passed that would be the discussion and vote first If that person didn't get three votes, then it would revert to back to the original motion. That's kind of my reading of of the way. All right. Thank you. And so this evening, you you're this is not an action item, it's a direction item. >> This is a direction. >> Mindy, you have comment. >> I just have a question. So, when I I know that we'll be discussing this in executive session on February 3rd, but this is for the public part of it, but I don't see it on the agenda for the

44:09 regular board meeting. How much time do we have for this? >> Um, actually, uh, General Mass Manager Lawson and I were discussing this beforehand. Right now, we have about 30 minutes, I believe, carved out for the discussion. Um, we'll look to see if we think that's sufficient and we may have a better idea of that after interviews. >> Thank you. >> I my question would be and and this is just what if what if no candidate gets three votes? >> I would need to look at the bylaws. the bylaws do say a majority.

44:54 >> Well, I think what would what that would in in my mind what that would mean would be opening up the the candidate pool again. That that would be kind of the takeaway that I would get if if there if there's no clear consensus of three commissioners to move any one of the candidates forward. It seems to me that it would we may have to reopen the pool. But I just wanted to have that question or at least have that discussion out there. If if nobody gets three votes, we don't have a new general manager. >> Yeah, Commissioner Barros. Oh, >> no. Go ahead. >> Commissioner Rob, there's there's a couple of different options. I think it it depends on on the reason why there's a lack of a majority vote. It could be

45:39 insufficient information. It could be some of the things that Commissioner Carlson were talking about. We don't have a full or proper understanding or a comparison that we can make a decision from. So it could be something that would warrant another step or it could be none of the candidates we feel are acceptable to the to the goals and the the obligations and the opportunities that we see here. And so it could be a let's open this up again or it could be we want to go down a different path to gather some more information. And that would that would be circumstantial. Um the the other thing just to note um if if I know and and this I I don't expect to happen but just just to keep this in mind since you're talking about Robert's rules of orders and sort of

46:24 this nesting um having a substitute candidate or an alternate candidate be part of that conversation does get both names in the discussion relative to each other. So that's one thing about it. But if if a single commissioner abstains and it's and it's two votes to two votes, two votes in that case is not a majority. A majority has to be 50.1% or greater. So um in the case of a two to two that does not u that is not a state >> well three in the case of five majority >> a majority is greater than a tie I guess is what I'm saying in that case.

47:09 So under this process we we have to select a candidate and then we have to go and negotiate. So if we select them and then they reject our pay or the compensation package then we're also back to square one. Is is there the opportunity to um negotiate or at least Well, I guess we can't. H this is so irritating. I hate this whole process. um because it would be good to know that they actually, you know, would accept a pay amount before making an offer because this process can out somebody who then may not want to be, you know, out in the public with their desire for this. So, I just if there's any opportunity to um

47:58 I don't know, I mean, do normal processing hiring. I know that this is not normal, but it's um it it seems like it opens us up for a challenge if they reject the hiring package that we vote on at some later time because there's that negotiation process gap. If if there was an opportunity to say ahead of time, this is the package we would like to offer the candidate pool and offer it to the candidate pool and say, if we offer this, would you accept it? I would rather do that and have that be in a more public setting first so that the pool is aware of what that looks like. I don't know that >> I may respond to that. I think that didn't all the candidates indicate a

48:44 salary range expectation and they they would accept something within a particular range. I think if we go back to the the uh information that they all provided that that we know what that range is now and uh and we have to work within it. Um I I go back to my memory of of what their salary their compensation expectations were. >> One of the gating factors was that they would accept a package within the range that the board proposed in the October board meeting. Um but um Commissioner Carlson is a very interesting idea to put together a potential package and reuppose it. I I can uh and I can talk with council about see to

49:30 see how that might fit within a process. >> And to me that that's a little bit putting the cart before the horse. you're putting all your cards on the table and you don't have a negot you know some some people may have further to move some people may have other things that they want to do and if we go in and say this is what we can give you and you get this much housing allowance so you get this this and this we're tied to that we might be able to go in lower and save our customers some money by having a a true good faith negotiated uh salary package C >> can we have a negotiated salary package?

50:16 I mean, is there an opportunity for a back and forth with them? >> That's the next thing. The ne her next slide will show that >> that can be done via the uh you can authorize the executive recruiter to move forward with that that discussion on behalf of the board. So we select then they go and they negotiate and then we come back with something. Okay. All right. In your in your earlier process when you when you had done this process before were you a weren't you able to do um kind of ballots of sorts? No, we we we knew what that same the same process that was proposed here is what's worked in the last two general

51:01 manager services by my my recollection and it's worked well and and we give them that range. We say X to Y and you know because some people would rather take more retirement or deferred comp and things such as that. >> Sorry, I didn't clarify my question appropriately. when you were selecting a particular candidate, I thought that you had mentioned that they had you had um like a a secret poll of sort, not secret, but you know, like you could do like a round and be like, "Okay, did this candidate get enough votes? Did this candidate get enough votes?" So that we weren't outing any of the potential candidates who may or may not actually get selected >> in the public process or in the >> I'm not understanding your question. you you know when we were pulling >> you mentioned previously in >> we narrowed it down to three and it was

51:46 still an executive session and then we had discussions about the merits of of the three finalists and uh we went through there until we finally we didn't vote >> okay >> but you can you know it's it's like saying taking head nods or something else um is you know is anybody going to object or this is this what we're going to do in public session in public session we say we move to hire general man Frank Lawson as the next general manager and then from there we direct HR to negotiate a salary range and then when we give the HR that that range of salaries and compensation >> okay >> I don't like doing it this way either but we got to work through >> I'm just trying to understand the process and it's just such an important process and thank you

52:31 >> Frank >> yeah I was just going to make a comment I think I think that Commissioner Carlson to some extent there's a little bit of risk once you say this is the name when you get into the negotiations of what actually the the agreement general manager agreement looks like. Um I will say that likely the candidates understand the fact that this is a public organization and at some point if they reach that point their name is out there. Um, and so I I I think that's pretty well understood in the in the public u utility public um agency like like we are. There is a little bit of risk to that that there's still some negotiations left. Um and so um but

53:19 generally I I do think um Commissioner Brown's correct that that in deliberations in executive session you can express your perspectives and I think it'll be there will be some discussion where you understand what your perspectives are and and where there's commonality. You can't you can't vote you can't authorize the negotiations but but there is some form of discussion there. I'm just back to the time. Um, so we only have an hour for that the executive session. So I don't I don't know how we're all going to feel, but like if there are differing

54:04 opinions, an hour might not be enough. >> Are you talking about the February 3rd? There's also, if you recall, two hours at the end of um from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on the 13th. >> Okay, >> great. >> So, I have one last question. So, um 26 27, go back to your time chart. If needed, I mean, if if we have that option if one candidate stands out stronger than all the others and we're ready to make a recommendation after the first after next week. >> Yes. >> Does that timeline change or does it stay the same and we just skip that second set of meetings? Um >> if you go back to your time frame, you'll see it says it says if needed >> as needed on 2730. >> We could try to move it forward. Uh my

54:51 thought was that we would um if uh the board felt strong that they had the identified candidate that we could uh um give Laney a heads up, the executive recruiter to start thinking about the process. But it's only a few weeks until >> I'm I'm thinking about encumbering some people here have to block that time out. There's two days and and blocking that timeout is is easier for some than it is others. I'm just wondering if and not trying to, you know, pressure the system. I'm just trying just to understand it so that there is that option if we have a candidate that stands out after 12 and 13. >> Yeah. >> We we not going to have to worry about 27 and 30, but we're going to still stick to February 3rd.

55:36 Um, yes, we can ignore 27th through 30th. That was my plan. Okay. Um, to uh be respectful of commissioners personal schedules. >> Thank you. Any John? >> Yeah. The only thing that I would hope for, and this just goes from our last executive meeting when we were uh struggling with some of the legal challenges that were presented to us as far as what we could and could not discuss or read or see or that. It would be helpful to me if we could have because Dedra was kind of trying to to uh convey what the what the legal staff had told her. It would be helpful for me

56:21 maybe at that first morning meeting if the legal staff could be there for the first hour or so that if we have questions that you know we're hey they say we can do this they say we can't do that we've got somebody there that can explain that to us because I was confused at at our executive our last executive meeting as to what we could or could not do. Dedra did a great job of trying to convey it, but she's not an attorney. She was trying to convey what the attorney said. So, it was kind of a game of telephone. It was like, well, why is that? She's like, well, that's because that's what the attorney told me. Um, and so for me, if that's something that is possible, I don't think they need to be there all day, but if for the initial part, that would help

57:07 me. I don't know about other commissioners. other >> um for me I think it would be more when we have discussion because I think the the first part of the day I mean the the days are outlined with other things you know for the the part where that that two hours at the end when we're I don't know I just like I said I was confused >> during our last executive committee meeting about the legal reifications. >> Okay. Um moving on now. So do you you want direction from us? So, you want direction of whether or not the process is acceptable to the board. >> Yes. >> And I'll go around and I'll I'll look for head nods. Is it okay? Mindy? Yes. Tim? Yes. Sonia? >> Yes. John? Yes. That's five.

57:52 >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um this is just forformational purposes. There's no decision required on this. Um just to recap, eventually um when a final candidate selected and a compensation package has been agreed to um that will need to be discussed and agreed to in a public session. I provided a sample move uh motion that you the board can use if they want to at the time that that decision is ready. >> Thank you. >> Great. No other questions. I will seed my seat to the next topic. But be before you go, there was there was one item I think you brought up which was if the board after the 13th interviews on the 13th,

58:40 there's a clear candidate leader, >> right? >> Um could the board have a public session immediately after that or there's I I actually lean into Ann a little bit too potentially on public notice. I mean, if the if there's or does the board have to wait till February 3rd? >> No. >> Or could they have a public session immediately following that? And if so, what would be the requirements of that? >> I don't know if that is that where you were leaning to at one point that's even good to expedite the process because I mean these things can drag out and you know like I say we're if we did we could not notice a meeting. It takes 24 48 hours public notice to have the meeting

59:26 and we could just convene a meeting and say we've ex we recommended to negotiate with candidate A and I don't I I guess that's where we identify the candidate and then we talk about it and just hold you know we have a meeting over where we're going to have these meetings next Monday and Tuesday >> or we could have it here. It doesn't matter but it just and just move it on. Um if that but you know we have no idea if that's what's going to happen. >> Yeah. I'm not. So that's not impossible. Just so I think we you approach the topic and then you'd have to pull the board and see if that's what they want to do. >> We would know after the 13th whether or not that would then that would give us plenty of time between that >> and uh to move it forward. >> Okay.

1:00:12 >> I'm not trying to rush you. >> Oh, no. You got one foot out the door. I mean, >> no. Just >> we're good. No, I I I thank you for that clarification. Any other comments or questions? If not, we'll move on to the next agenda item rights. Commissioner Baroski. Thank you, President B. Um, this is an issue that has made the ballot. So, it's again, it's a little bit of a a complicated thing with being a public body. We as commissioners can make a uh stand for or against or neutral uh on this particular ballot measure. Staff cannot uh weigh in or or give us uh advice is

1:00:58 what I guess is what what it boils down to. Um, we did receive a memo uh which we asked for at last month as to what the what the implications of this ballot measure if it passed could be on the organization um with that and some other research that I've been doing um with partners throughout the community with partners uh involved in the watershed like I said I'm on the wershed council so I' I've spoken with uh members of that council to get there. They haven't weighed in yet. They probably will at their meeting coming this month or next. Um, but for me, this seems like

1:01:44 as an organization and as a commissioner who's been uh an ardent supporter of clean water in our in our community and EWB has been was founded on on bringing clean water to to Eugene. That's what it was founded by. it was the Eugene Water Board because there was so much illness happening in in the city of Eugene from from bad water that I think it's clear that our our mission and our goal is to protect the watershed and make sure that our community has clean and healthy water. I don't believe this is my personal belief. I don't believe that this ballot measure would advance the this utilities's

1:02:31 mission. I think it would impede a lot of the things that we try are trying to do to maintain and protect our wershed and our our clean drinking water. So with that said, I have crafted a resolution that I would like to have some input from the rest of the commission on the the direction that I think I would like to go with it is look at it, read it, see if there's things that you agree, disagree, and then if it's a direction that seems correct, we could, from what I understand, we could take this resolution, have it vetted not by staff, but by the board's council to uh bring it back to us for a resolution

1:03:17 next month to adopt. So with that, I sent this out earlier today and I also gave printed copies to everybody here. Uh it goes through some of the poignant sections that I I have personally found that might impact this entity e webb not not the community as a whole just our body and that's where I'm at. So, I would love to have other discussion on it and I will pass it back to the chair. Okay, I'll open it up for comments and Sonia. >> Um, I completely agree. I appreciate you bringing this to us. Uh, the only thing is that I I loved the uh intro that you just gave and talking about our history and the ardent support and and all of

1:04:02 the work that we have done in the watershed and maybe a little bit more of that could beef up the the beginning part. So it's it's really clear that it's not that we're just committed to it in the future, but we have a long history of operating and caring for the watershed and we want to be able to continue doing that and this may actually become a hindrance to us continuing to per perform that. So if there was just a little bit stronger language such that you you know had demonstrated in your lovely speech. Thank you again. >> Anybody else question or comment? Tim. >> Yeah, thank you chair. Yeah, I have an opportunity to talk with members in our community and also certified smart people about this particular measure. Um, and I uh the intent of it is very

1:04:49 clear and one that I support of holding polluters accountable and giving that power to the community to be able to do that work. Um, and then also the way that this measure was written is extremely broad and and and can be challenging especially for a public utility like eb. Um, and so I agree with with uh, Commissioner Carlson that um, being able to add that language in of what EWB is able and capable to do and how this measure would affect that I think would be extremely important. Um, and I think it is I mean the like I said the intent is something that I I strongly understand and and agree with, but I I think that this um, this could use a little bit more work in the community side. Um the only thing that I would want to scriers um or words smmith

1:05:36 and I know we all love words smmithing live and on the floor. It's our favorite thing. Um is just on the first therefore um that says strongly oppose and it's just the atypical of putting in like language that is is strongly opposes or or um to remove the word strongly. Uh that's that's really just my recommendation. Um, it's not the most typical uh from my perspective, but uh that's that's all I uh want to contribute. Thanks. >> And any comments? >> You good? >> I have a question of Frank. Um, so um we're allowed to have representation in the legislature before bills that are being voted on by public bodies. Why can't Jason help us with this?

1:06:32 it's a bit different in that this was um a ballot measure and Jason can weigh in this but a local ballot measure which gets to this point um by getting signatures getting it on the ballot our ability as staff to influence the outcome of that election because it's not done by legislators it is done by election. I think that's the distinguishing feature. >> Okay, you got a thumbs up there. So, I'm I'm in fully support of of opposing this. The way it's written is too broad because this could stop Finrock Reach and it could stop Courts Creek >> and just, you know, just get some waters or somebody I don't like it and they can sue and they tie it up for years and this thing would be just a latigious forever. And I think it needs, you know,

1:07:17 I'm probably the strongest proponent to protect the waterways. I've been after going after governmental agencies who are allowing illegal camping on their land for decades and you know so I'm very strong on trying to to protect it but uh it need this not with this not not with a a shotgun it has to be pre precise so I'm in support of your effort and I'll support it in any way I can so next steps >> um well for me I I have no problem with taking strongly out the board opposes that I Again, that was just a a word that came up. Um, and as in the beginning on the whereas, um, I think I could uh I could elaborate a little further on that first first paragraph of

1:08:02 whereas and and bring some of the the e webb history about our long-standing commitment to the to the watershed and uh just a little bit more history into that first whereas comment section. uh revise it, send it back out to the board with those with those adjustments and then have that vetted by our legal council. Do you think that would be the the correct way to go forward? >> Greg. >> Yeah. Just just for clarification, um this this is a really good example of where the board has its own appointed consultant in this case, which is legal counsel. um staff will not be weighing in with that legal counsel in this matter. Um I would suggest that um

1:08:50 uh Commissioner, you're careful about gathering inputs and edits outside of public session. It can be considered a serial meeting. And so if you want to gather input here and then take it to um legal counsel, have them put it into resolution format and come back to public session for either vote or amendment using Robert's rules of orders. That would be appropriate. Um but I would avoid um gathering the collection of inputs in the in the process outside of public session. That's my only piece of advice there. So, could I propose a process that um Commissioner Barroski meet with whatever

1:09:35 council it is, bring back to us a proposed ordinance for our February meeting and we I know our agenda's got five minutes left, but we'll find time and and bring it back and then we can discuss it and if we want to word smith it there, we can do that in public session, but get this refined down to a resolution. Is everybody in agreement with that process? John, you good? >> Yeah. And yeah, and I'll work on on the top half and then you can put me in contact whoever needs to go through and vet it. That was kind of that was kind of what I was hoping would happen here tonight. Um, I think that expounding on on our history is a is a great idea. I didn't want to editorialize too much. That's why I kept it short and and sweet, but I think that's an easy

1:10:21 there's a whole book that I can pull a couple quotes out of. uh the history of e webb on the mckenzie is is the book and if you haven't read it you should read it Tim um it's it's it's fascinating so I will do that it'll come back to us next month uh as a discussion item and so if you see other things in here that you think you might want to change next month highlight them and we can do it in public session. >> Okay. Well, thank you very much and thanks John for bringing that to my attention. That's what participation in these committees and assignments does. He would not have known about that, you know, probably without being on the watershed council. So, good move. Thank you. Um, next agenda item number 12, uh,

1:11:07 Leeberg decommissioning LDAP plan from Lisa. >> Good evening, commissioners. I'm Lisa Crren, generation manager. Joining me tonight is Mark Zker, our generation engineering supervisor, and Jeremy Simoji, engineering planner and our project manager for Libertcommissioning. We're here to provide updates on the Lee decommissioning uh program and all the parallel processes that are associated with it.

1:11:52 Mark and Jeremy are going to do most of the talking this evening. Uh here's a brief look at our agenda. Mark will first share information on our progress on near-term risk reduction measures at Leeberg. He'll then provide an update on Walterville, including the status of the project and the upcoming strategic evaluation. And then finally, Jeremy will provide um an update and overview on where we're at with Liber decommissioning planning. And with that, I'll pass it over to Mark. >> Yeah, thank you, Lisa, and good evening, commissioners. Um, when we talk about near-term risk at Liber Canal, we're talking about the tributary creeks and the challenges that they pose. Uh, along the FiveM Canal, we have a number of named and unnamed tributaries, some of which, like Johnson and Cogwell are

1:12:38 quite big. Um, in an extreme wet weather event, they are capable of putting more water into the canal than we would ever have during normal operations. And even a fairly normal wet weather event, uh, can fill the canal to high levels. So although the canal may normally be running very low these days, when a storm refills it, all of our problematic seepage areas do come back to life and our dam safety hazards uh for internal erosion which could lead to a canal breach become real again. Uh the summertime drying of the embankment soils, uh vegetation growth on the interior embankment slopes, burrowing animals, etc. are issues that we're carefully monitoring or actively addressing

1:13:24 because they can lead to increased seepage and increased risk of internal erosion during a storm. Uh here on the left is a photo of Cogwell Creek and that's how it normally looks these days. Essentially a dry creek bed. Um and on the right you see it transformed into white water uh during a pretty normal wintertime storm. Uh this photo on the left uh shows normal conditions at Johnson Creek uh gentle flow through a meadow and on the right you see the overbank condition that happens each winter during a bigger storm event. uh e webb and our regulators recognized these risks uh during the first wet weather season after we went out of service and we quickly received letters from FK uh dam safety directing us to

1:14:10 find ways to decrease water levels and provide additional lowflow outlet capacity. We have just two low-level outlets for the canal shown by the red stars on this map. Uh the largest outlet is near the upstream end of the canal. It's at the wasteway gate. Unfortunately, that one's located upstream of where most of the creeks uh including the largest creeks enter the canal. And then we have a small lowlevel outlet at the downstream end of the canal at the forbay. Though much smaller than the wasteway gate, it's very important due to its downstream location. Uh so here you can see the forbay at the downstream end of the canal. uh that small the red arrows pointed to the small 36-in uh slle gate

1:14:55 uh was initially the only low-level outlet that we had. It had a capacity of less than 100 cfs cubic feet per second and uh we keep it open at all times. So here you when you drive on by the for bay on highway 126 you will see white water flow from this small outlet uh passing through the chute under the highway and back to the river. Uh the additional chutes to the left uh siph seven siphon spillway shoots those require water to completely fill the forbay before they activate. Uh which means that wa water also completely fills the canal. Um so not a good condition to be in when we're worried about seepage internal erosion. Uh so in

1:15:40 advance of decommissioning we are trying to implement additional measures uh to keep the canal water levels low uh wherever feasible uh we'll try to keep these near-term risk reduction measures well aligned with ultimate decommissioned condition. Uh the first uh risk reduction measure that we implemented shortly after the decommissioning decision was the removal of the turbine runner from unit one at the Leeberg power plant. Uh Jeremy led this project which increased our low-level outlet capacity by a factor of 10 uh to 10,000 cfs. Uh we carefully monitored the low-level outlet during the 2425 weather season uh which led to the discovery of some structural problems

1:16:25 with the trash rack needed to keep debris out of the system. Um following authorization of emergency repairs in November. Uh the repairs were performed in December and are nearly complete now. Our next targets for risk reduction efforts are the two biggest creeks, Johnson and Cogwell, locations shown by the blue arrows on this map. Our consultants at McMillan have worked hard in 25 to determine and design options we can implement most rapidly for these creeks and we expect to be bringing those proposals to FK uh dam safety and dehack in the first quarter of uh 2026. Uh in preparation for detailed design of these risk reduction measures, we are

1:17:11 currently uh doing subsurface explorations along the canal. Uh FK approved that drilling plan in September of this year or of 25 and drilling started in November and we will continue into this new year. Uh explorations will inform also our planning for the longerterm decommissioning work. In um in this slide we talk about opportunistic property purchases. Those are also related to our near-term risk reduction. Uh e webb did acquire one more property in 2025. It's a vulnerable property right at the confluence with Cogwell Creek and the canal. Uh this property will also be valuable during upcoming near-term risk reduction construction as well as the final decommissioning construction work. Uh

1:17:58 note that you have already had purchased the adjacent property in 2022. Okay, so moving down to uh Walterville. Uh a few updates there. Uh we're nearing completion of the Forbay liner design uh and expect to be submitting it to FK in the quart quarter 1 of 2026 with a hope to be able to construct in Q3. Uh we also recently uh submitted updated flood analyses to FK and we'll be submitting updated seismic stability analyses later this month. Uh with these studies completed, we're now in a good position to perform a strategic al strategic evaluation of the Walterville development to support decision-making on whether EWEB should position for

1:18:44 rellicensing at Walterville in 2040 or prepare for decommissioning there as well. And here's just a quick depiction of the planned liner improvements for the Walterville Forbay. On the left is a photo of the existing condition from a few years ago when we were doing some superficial liner repairs. And on the right is the planned lining of the interior embankment and canal bottom with a a waterproof geommembrane. At this point, EW has only authorized the design phase of work. Uh we will await confirmation of adequacy from FIRK and final construction cost updates from the design builder uh so that we can confirm the business case before authorizing the construction phase of work.

1:19:30 So there I'm going to pass it along to Jeremy for Thank you Mark. Appreciate that. Sure. >> Yeah. The Liber decommissioning program is in motion and uh some of the work we accomplished last year led by our consultant team McMillan uh we developed a program management plan which is an overarching plan that includes organizational structure roles and responsibilities file management guidelines communication protocols schedule and budget management planning and some strategic objectives. Uh we also uh concluded our baseline hydraulic and hydraologic models which are analyses to better understand the impacts of water that flows into and out of the the canal. Uh some of the dynamics uh that Mark was discussing

1:20:16 earlier with the near-term risk reduction. So super important work. Uh we kicked off our conceptual design phase which is also going to feed into some of the budget refinement uh shown in the blue bullet. And a lot of this work was accomplished through routine meetings, workshops, and field visits with our consultant team. And some of the key work that we have planned for this coming year, uh some in informal regulatory engagement. Uh most importantly, uh we're planning on a Q1 meeting with FK uh later this winter. Uh we're going to develop and assess alternatives for the future disposition of key elements of the Liber development, which also feeds into some of the budget refinement. And uh with that budget refinement uh we plan to learn more over the coming year and that'll help with refining our negative

1:21:01 30 to the pos uh to the plus 50% cost range that we initially developed during the Leeberg strategic evaluation. So we have a pretty wide uh cost range there that we're looking to to refine uh this coming year as we approve some assumptions and and learn more with our design development. Next slide please. uh the triple bottom line uh transportation analysis. Uh this is a critical path and interdependent process that EW Webb worked with the Lane County uh public works team uh to develop uh transportation alternatives and river crossing alternatives for the impacts of removing the Leeird Dam which does also have a river crossing on that dam. Uh this work was completed about a month ago and we initially developed six

1:21:47 alternatives. Uh but we carried forward through a full triple bottom line analysis where we evaluated the economic, the social and the environmental tradeoffs of of those of those four alternatives. Uh we plan to share this work uh and this analysis with the with the e webb board uh in the coming month and we plan to keep working with Lane County uh on on uh what the next steps are with that. It's also important to note that we did provide uh updates and design uh review uh documents to ODOT during the analysis as well as we also met with ODOT and Lane County this past September prior to concluding this study. We talked about some of the highlights in 2025 and 2026. Uh but this schedule

1:22:34 provides a high level look ahead at the three p primary interdependent components of the decommissioning process. Uh Mark touched greatly on the near-term risk reduction and we're currently you know doing our subsurface drilling to better understand site conditions to help us with our future near-term risk and long-term uh decommissioning planning. Uh we also plan to accelerate our decommissioning planning in 2026 and we also plan to complete the Walterville strategic analysis that Mark touched on as well. Some key milestones and board direction points are noted therein uh with some of the legend uh items there at the bottom of the schedule, but Lisa is going to touch on those in more detail uh shortly. Next slide, please. uh e webb, you know, with the support of our uh communications team led by Adam Spencer, uh participated in 17 public

1:23:21 outreach efforts and events throughout 2025. includes meetings, direct mailers, a press, many press releases, a listening session, and an open air exhibit, which was a series of posters that were installed at Lloyd Knox Park at the pavilion to to display some of the decommissioning and transportation uh interdependencies being evaluated and uh worked on in coming years. And the meetings included the up river customer appreciation event, uh a meeting at the VA community center, and that listening session that was primarily intended to be for the transportation analysis. However, we, you know, touched on many decommissioning and just general upriver topics with many of the participants. With that, I'm going to pass it on to Lisa for the the next slide and some conclusions. >> Thanks, Jeremy, and thanks, Mark. It's a

1:24:07 lot of work um to try to describe and what 12 minutes in at this point. Um this is our final formal slide. Uh we recognize the board has a vested interest in all the topics that we discussed this evening. Uh we will plan to keep the board apprised of our progress both at regular board meetings like tonight and also through um other updates and other forums like our quarterly board report. And then in addition at a minimum we will also ensure that uh we seek board uh input at key decision points. There's some of them are shown on the slide here. You've seen this slide before but wanted to show it as a as a reminder. Um they include things like the proposed plan for decommissioning. So, in other words, what does decommissioning actually look like on the ground and the recommended

1:24:52 plan for Walterville at the end of this current license term, which expires in 2040. And then we'll also return to the board um if there are changes in our assumptions or any unexpected events that that impact the planning process. That's it for our formal uh presentation. Like to open it up for discussion and questions. Well, thank you very much and I will ask if there are questions or comments from the board. Tony, you want to start us? Thank you. Yes. >> I I just had a couple of quick clarifying questions. You mentioned that on the lower level where we have the opportunity there was the the big red star on the the second one down below. There was only the one channel that can be opened up. Is there is there a reason

1:25:37 or maybe you already did this and that was this is why I'm partially clarifying that the other three channels that only get triggered when it's full can just be opened. Could we take that other mechanism out and leave them open to leave some of that? >> Yeah. No, that's a it's a great question. It is it is an option that we um considered. um the easier, faster, low-level outlet development opportunity we had was with that generating unit through the very large existing pen stock that feeds unit one. >> Um and so we um basically accomplished what's ava uh available to us um with that particular project at the forbay. The the incredible thing about those um

1:26:23 siphon spillways >> is that they have a tremendous capacity compared to a low-level outlet. Um >> okay. >> And so they are uh like a very important backup. Uh so modifi modifying that portion of the structure while it would help us for the smaller storms that we might encounter, it would actually hamper us with respect to the discharge capacity >> for the um for bay. So it's not simply a door that opens. It's something that actually kind of holds >> basically be overpowered in smaller forms. >> Exactly. A tremendous discharge capacity for a small footprint that we just can't achieve otherwise. >> If we knew that there was something coming down the pipeline and it just wasn't there yet. Is there do staff have

1:27:10 the ability to kind of override and open it and bring it on so that it it releases some of the you know hey let's turn it on now to prevent it from getting full even if >> yeah that and that's how we will operate you know the available outlets is we maximize the the flow through them and and it's a it's a that thousand CFS that Jeremy was able to accomplish with the pet stock um improvement by removing the runner that does help us in the vast majority of storms. Um, >> okay. >> It's uh so that was a a huge uh improvement. The problem is that uh we still have to convey all that water that thousand CFS that's going out the

1:27:56 low-level outlet at the forbay through three four miles of canal that right just the depth of water to convey it through that canal is enough to activate those seepage areas. That's why we really want to go upstream to the the real source those big creeks >> get it out quicker. >> Right. Okay. Um thank you for helping me understand that a little bit more. Great question. >> Um um we were Can you dig in a little bit more when we're drilling into this? It seems counterintuitive to put another hole in something we're worried about having holes in. We're getting just information about how its structure is is forming and what's happening down below. Is that correct? >> That's a that's a great question. And

1:28:41 you know in that drilling program plan that we provided to FK in May of 23 and it took quite a while till September of 25 to actually get approval on that. Uh one of one of the reasons it takes so long is for you know FK and their engineers and their teams and their specialists to review the complexities of actually punching holes into a water retaining structure. So there's a lot of guidelines and there's a lot of guidance that that has to be followed to put those plants together. very complex and so there's a lot of time to review that. So, it's definitely something that's looked at very closely and you know, I'm on site most of the time during this as this is happening and and we also have our consultant engineers and we're in very close coordination with Laura, our chief exemp safety engineer during any

1:29:27 issues or any hiccups or any foreseen issues that happen and also we're in direct communication with FUR because those are very uh you know big concerns that we have with creating new fracking or hydraulic you know you know pressures that can possibly create some challenges for us. So, that is definitely a good question and and a lot of what we do up in the oversight of the actual fieldwork is to try to help mitigate some of those challenges and some of the potential risk of of subsurface drilling and you know back filling those holes uh you know or drilled. >> So, we did that work already because I saw pictures progress actually and that is a two-phase uh process. So, our drilling plan is a is a two-phase approach with

1:30:14 we have approximately 59 holes planned and we have 29 of them in progress and we expect to finish phase one which is the first 29 holes uh in by midFebruary and if all goes well we'll be back out and complete the remaining uh subsurface explorations this summer and fall. >> Okay. And then we'll get another update once the once all of that is complete, what the findings were and how the structure is holding up and all of that. >> That's correct. >> Okay. Um and then I had one other question on that and then I want to make sure that we're hitting the other the pla the liner um is that plastic or is it rubber or is it some other Yeah. material? >> It's a composite but fundamentally the waterproof component of it is a PVC

1:31:01 material. Okay. >> Yep. >> Okay. I I don't think I gave you what you needed in this, but I appreciate you giving me what I needed to understand what you said. So, thank you, >> Bobby. >> Thank you. Um, and thanks for the update. One of my questions is when when we when we gave direction to move forward with storm water conveyance as our as our priority strategy for uh moving forward with getting into compliance with FK on on this canal. Um, you know, the plan is we put a D basically block the thing downstream of Cogwell, reverse the flow

1:31:48 and take it out the wastegate. At that time, there was also talk about returning Cogwell and Johnson Creek directly to the to the main stem. and and when I made the vote to go for forward with storm water conveyance, I wanted that option still to be in the mix as far as looking at it financially, economically, and environmentally. Um, and so I want to know at what point that that drops off because for me in the long run if we do storm water conveyance and run it out through the wastegate, we're still on on the hook liabilitywise with FK and with the community in

1:32:35 perpetual for for this canal. If we can get these streams free flowing back to the main stem, that liability goes away. So that to me, that's part of the equation that goes in there. You say, yes, there's farms down below. There's properties that we would need to do. There's a a highway that we would need to to look at of how we get these creeks under, but there's many highways that have creeks under them. and a 100redyear commitment to funding this this liability has to be part of that. So what my question is are we still looking at that and when will this board have the ability to say finally say no that is not a viable option or

1:33:22 yes that is a viable option. Uh so Jeremy has uh McMillan working on the alternatives analysis for um those creeks right now and we are looking at it from two two perspectives. The near-term because of the priority of addressing the uh risks that we're carrying right now um and then the long term the decommissioning uh on on a longer time scale. So, um, the Auxwell Creek, Johnson Creek, both of those are are we're developing alternatives that consider both, uh, continued use of the canal versus, uh, routing directly without with no long-term continued use of the canal. It does look like, you know, in the in the

1:34:07 short term, we've got constraints about what we can um accomplish for near-term risk reduction, but uh the the long-term we we we are very interested in understanding the potential for non-canal conveyance of these larger creeks in particular back to the river. So, those remain on the table. We do expect that study to wrap up in 2026 and we'll be able to share results with you. >> So, so my second question on that one is in 2033 when the dam comes out, the dam's coming out one way or another is my is my recollection. Um, at that point is the

1:34:54 panel conveyance subject to the the FK regulations because we're not using it as FK anymore, the million-year flood on Cogwell Creek, that some of the things that we're being forced to build it to if we wanted to recommission it once the dam goes away. Do the FK regulations go away and is it just plain regular uh state regulations that we have to deal with at that point? >> Either of us. >> Yeah, either of us. So, um once FK issues their order, license order, we've completed the work, we have a period of monitoring post uh DM removal. Uh we would presume that the remaining portions of the project would then move to state jurisdiction. That said, the

1:35:41 decommissioning planning needs to abide by current, you know, FIRK standards. So, anything that we're planning around is is around those current FIRK dam safety standards. >> Thank you, Minnie. >> Oh, Frank, you want Mindy? >> I just want to clarify with with Lisa. A number of the the options that that you mentioned, those would need to be clarified prior to our application to FK for for decommissioning. Is that correct? >> Yes, that's correct. So, in other words, I think what you're getting at, um, Mr. Lawson, is that the repatriation of Johnson and Cogwell Creek, we need to make a decision on that in order to prepare our license surrender application. >> So, we will be coming back to the board with our full plan of what we propose

1:36:27 decommissioning looks like um, prior to submitting that application to FK. >> Yeah, that that's kind of that that's going to be our drop dead once once we submit to FK. That's that's our plan. But I wanted to when when we voted this last time, I wanted to make sure that we had that opportunity before we submitted that to look at that opportunity. Thank you. >> And then I I would just add one more thing. You know, we I think it was the board's guidance and it's also, you know, staff's um preference to uh return to um pre-RO conditions where feasible. So, we certainly are exploring any and all options for that to be incorporated into our decommissioning um planning.

1:37:12 >> Mindy, >> yeah, I have a couple questions. Um so, one is about the Walterville strategic evaluation and you mentioned that it should be done by the end of 2026 and so are you thinking that this board will vote on a direction by then or the report will just be done by then? What's the plan for that? >> So, um, General Manor Lawson and I have not convened on this, so I'll take a stab at it. I think in the memo I said deliberate and, um, but I would defer to, um, Mr. Lawson around whether you would expect the process to be similar to that um, of Fleeberg. The evaluation will be similar to what we did for Leeberg.

1:38:00 >> Yeah, Commissioner Claussburg. Um, I I think if you recall when we looked at at Leeberg, uh, when we went through the TBL process, the TBL process creates a lot of of opportunities to look for areas of mitigation for making sure we're considering all the proper decision criteria. Um, however, in that process, we realize that a TBL by itself is not necessarily enough, and we had to go through a number of months with the board of deliberating different pieces of it. So, while I think a lot of the information will be there by the end of 2026, um there will probably be some ongoing discussions into 2027 related to where do we take this at the end of its license period. Some of that hinges too on um we're doing some near-term risk mitigation. uh we know

1:38:46 that that if the cost uh comes in where we think and if FK approves it we think through um it's it's production through its existing license has great payback but that can also inform that process as well to give us some insight into what future license requirements might be. So, um, I would expect that we have more information at the end of 2026, but I don't think it would be fair to ask for a decision by the end of 2026, unfortunately. You can weigh in all you want throughout 2026, but I don't think it'll be quite ready for that. >> Great. Um, and my other question is about FK. So, I know that FK works very slowly. Um, and I'm just curious. I know

1:39:32 a lot of the federal workforce has been decimated and so are you finding that things are extra slow with Ferg. Is it business as usual and how do you think that will affect kind of our our waiting for them because so much of what we do hinges upon their approval or not? >> I I'll take a shot at this and Mark please correct me. Uh so FK as a as an agency that provides you know critical public safety services essentially particularly through the dam safety program. Um they did uh lose somebody to due to a planned retirement but otherwise we did not see any cuts to the staff that we work with directly at FK. Uh I don't believe we've seen any change

1:40:17 in their review times nor would we expect to. >> Thank you. Yeah, thank you chair. Um, most of my questions have been asked already. So, I uh just want to use this opportunity to say thank you to you and your team. I think um you have all done a really great job to take an extremely complicated issue that our community is facing and boil it down into layman's terms and make it very easy and understood. Um, I just want to share I had a constituent who wanted to ask questions about um what is going on and what what is happening and through past presentations were just able to educate themselves before they met with me. And so um I fully planned to go into that meeting

1:41:02 with your email intel and say just email Lisa, she's got it. but um that that the there is clear um uh it is a a very complicated topic but there's there's also clear presentations that are being put forward. So um just thank you to to to you in continuing in with this. It's it's hard but it's very necessary. >> Thank you. appreciate that and the credit really does go to the to the team including um Adam Spencer who is um sitting in the back of the room who's done tremendous work on translating complex information for the public. >> Couple questions. Um yeah, you asked all the good ones. Um salmon hatchery, is it gone?

1:41:48 >> Uh no, >> not not the lever one. the one on green, >> the one Mackenzie hatchery that um historically had pulled the majority of their water out of the canal and also Coxwell Creek. >> Uh they >> continue to incubate. >> They continue to incubate, but they are not rearing uh they're not not bringing adults in. >> Yeah. They don't have the Okay. Um you're going to give a presentation to the board of commissioners in early 26 about transportation. Um could could I be know I don't I I personally want to attend that because that's where a lot of our vocal opposition is is surrounded around transportation issues and could we obviously it's a public meeting we can attend to kind of see who's attending what questions are asked and how the commission is reacting because it's going to be their decision not ours. >> Absolutely. In fact we'd like to do a

1:42:33 fair bit of of planning prior to that. There isn't a date set for the Lane Countyy's commissioner meeting where they'll they will be deliberating on the transportation triple bottom line analysis, but we've got a little bit of time, but we're we're hoping for engagement from this board on that topic. >> Okay. And Frank, >> yeah, I was just going to mention I I believe Holly has already reached out. Have you Holly? >> Yeah, >> not yet. Never mind. I can stand corrected again. to schedule some individual time with commissioners to go through a lot of the details of the transportation plan before that meeting. Um that meeting not being scheduled. I know you have a really busy load in January. It could be January. It could be early February um that we want to do that with commissioners. I also have a meeting with the county administrator

1:43:20 just to to give um him a heads up. So there are a number of steps before that meeting that we want to make sure commissioners are aware of and then once it's it's scheduled you'll you'll be notified in advance. >> Okay. And the question about risk mitigation you know in the short term you're you're really concerned about that because until we can get a long-term solution. Have you done any exploration or inventory about the the the wershed at Cogwell and Johnson about the timber? I mean what's the age and maturity of the timber and is there any way of to compensate timberland owners not to harvest for the next couple three years to because once they harvest they clearcut it and then the water flows increased by 20 to 30% uh and the turbidity and everything. Have you done any of that research to see about what's

1:44:06 the status and the age of that timber and whether or not we have an opportunity there to maybe slow down harvesting in that particular watershed to reduce. That that's a really interesting idea. Uh we don't we haven't done any proactive uh you know communication with the land owners on the upper portions of Johnson and Coxwell Creek. But it's a very it's a very interesting idea. >> I'm just thinking if if you know they go up there and timber prices are in the tank now, but they come back and they they clearcut it. They clear cut a thousand acres up there. That's going to change what your water flow significantly. And I'm just thinking about proactively. I mean, it cost us some money, but we just say delay the harvest, we'll pay you the difference between, you know, I'm just thinking out loud about maybe um short-term risk

1:44:51 reduction. >> Yeah, >> I appreciate that. >> Any other questions or comments, John? >> Yeah. The last thing I'd like to say is is thank you to the team here um and for the the community that's watching. Um, this has been a long process that has been deliberative and very well thought out. Recently in in the local media, there was an op-ed that was put out there. Um, and it kind of made it sound like we weren't doing our due diligence. this presentation and all of the presentations that I've received and that we've received over the years has shown that we have done our due diligence and we are doing this with in a thoughtful, meaningful and uh

1:45:37 responsible manner. So, I just wanted that to be put out there because there is there is talk in the community that that we are not listening to the community and that we are not uh doing things in the correct way. And I believe we are and I think that that message needs to be stated publicly that our our team is doing a great job and that uh we're doing things as a board and as an agency to respect the all players in this arena. So, thank you for your work. >> Thank you very much for the presentation and anything else for the good of the order. >> Yeah, I was just going to make one comment. Um, appreciate your acknowledgement of staff in that um in in looking at that. Commissioner

1:46:22 Barovski, I I would also add to that commissioners have been very active in their relationships in the public on the from from meeting with individuals to having really at the dam openhouse type of scenarios. um in in in particular, a number of of you commissioners have reached out to the public to ensure that we're gathering input um as well as um communicating the results of the decisions. So, it's not just staff. I want to also acknowledge commissioners and your role that you've played in this so far. >> Okay. Thank you. Well, that I'm going to recess for 10 minutes and we'll be back here at um 10 minutes.

1:57:09 I'd like to reconvene the uh January 6, 2026 meeting of the Gene Water and Electric Board. The uh next agenda item is General Manager Lawson on the proposed 2026 strategic goals and organizational performance measures. Rick, >> President Brown, commissioners, uh, for the record, Frank Frank Lawson, once again, I wanted to really kick this off by acknowledging um, fact that these organizational goals have been really debated and worked through uh, argued over uh, for the last uh, really couple of months uh, by the executive team with some review by managers and also uh, Kelly Hail, who I see sitting in the back there who's had to do a little bit of cat hurting uh with relationship to to this subject. And so what we're going

1:57:54 to present tonight is the result of a process that that we've been through and continue to improve and evolve. Uh this is an action item uh this evening, but wanted to remind you a couple uh take a moment to really talk about a couple just process things. Uh this is required uh by a number of board policies not just the one mentioned here uh that the the board weighs into setting it expectations for the organization but also setting the expectation and the criteria to evaluate the general manager and his or her performance um as as well as the performance of the organization. So this is uh really part of a required process. Uh it is a process in the sense that

1:58:40 there's a lot of ongoing work that takes place throughout the year and not just the discussion of what the annual goals should be but what are the inputs to those goals uh both from a strategic perspective as well as we look at our operational uh performance uh through quarterly reporting through various key process indicators KPIs and and other measurements to provide input for opportunities going into uh the the upcoming year, similar to uh the process we went through that that culminated in our discussion last August, uh we've really looked at fulfilling our mission and pursuing our vision as as we've stated in in policy related to our products and

1:59:26 services and recognizing that there's really three business priorities that we have that help us uh fulfill the mission and pursue the vision. uh these are very similar u but not identical to what you've seen. You see a lot of consistency here. One is a recognition of our operational performance on an ongoing basis. The piece that we've added there is in the italics uh in the sense to recognize that we're doing that in a very volatile operating environment and you can look at that from a regulatory perspective. You can look at it from an economic perspective um as well as a customer expectation perspective. So uh that's modified a little bit u but very similar the optimize energy delivery piece uh though

2:00:11 it's changed and evolved there is that we've recognized that we are optimizing the collective supply delivery and use of energy. It's not that we're looking just at the resource side or just at the consumption side, but all those components have to work together uh to be able to fulfill our our vision going forward for the the key uh most op optical economic reliable delivery of energy. Again, very similar, just slightly modified as part of our ongoing evolution and discussions. And then very similar uh improving resiliency, our ability to operate not just in the volatile operating environment um as mentioned above but also a number uh

2:00:56 amidst a number of different types of both near-term and long-term uh threats uh to our delivery. in in looking at those business priorities really like to describe that when you look at pursuing those over time uh there are pathways to achieving those business business priorities I won't go through these word for word but you'll see a number of pieces um around the process we're using it uh itself recognizing that uh part of running a good organization over time has to do with the continuation the secession of what you're That's why we're doing this as a system uh the e-web business management system and its its evolution and the components

2:01:41 there. We also recognize that the customer piece is important that we have to use data uh in both the analysis in particularly applied to our improving our business insights on customer needs and their role in in our future and our assets. We also look at the fact that the power supply side of this is is also critically important. I think we recognize that even this last year when we made a roughly a $3 billion decision associated with the continuation of our uh access to federal power. uh and then uh customer programs and products the importance that that plays and and what e webb's role in the community is some of that uh I think uh was apparent when

2:02:26 we had the discussion in December and the role that we play in particular in energy efficiency and conservation and then also limited income programs and seeing that evolve. Uh we also know on the water side in particularly we have a a vulnerability from a single source. Uh we think that's an important part of what we're looking at uh relative to resiliency and then just resiliency in general. Uh how do we prioritize the multitude of risks and we think that's important uh when we look at the the fulfilling of our mission over time and the fact that we have to continue to do this independent of what's going on around us in some cases. Ultimately, this led to and I am certainly not going

2:03:11 to read this and in fact I would test you to read this. I know it's larger behind me. Uh the reason I'm I'm not actually going to run through this word for word or expect you to is that this was provided ahead of time. Um, you can see that one of the things that we did and and uh uh past president, can I call you past president Barovski was having trouble turning the matrix to the side. And so you'll notice here the goals are listed, but also uh the pathways or themes that those goals support are the little red circles. And so you can see that a number of these these goals for 2026 relate to different pathways that position the organization 3 to 5 years

2:03:56 out. There's a variety of different pieces here. Some of them are continuation such as the limited income energy efficiency programs. Uh some of them uh look at the importance of um one of the ones worth noting in particular a scalable data warehouse. That's that's a pretty uh fundamental piece of doing things relative to customer programs in particular. Uh the fact that on the energy side in the near term we're really going to lean into customers and how they consume energy specifically electricity and the role that that plays in uh our ability to meet the capacity over time. kind of asking customers uh

2:04:41 to really help help us help you and to be able to evaluate and forecast the impact, the pricing. Uh we need to have um more holistic data relative not just to a customer, who you are, how much energy you use, but what kind of home do you have or premise, how are you using it? There's more to it than just uh the monthly bill. And so in order to forecast the impact of of aligning consumption with demand, we have to be able to have that ability. So as well as the participation in various programs that we have um asset management will continue to be a part of delivery. Um it's an interesting business model that e-web has in in the sense that it is so

2:05:26 assetbased. um the very first electron, the very first gallon of water takes a tremendous amount of asset investment uh to be able to do that. It's phenomenal that we have done that over the long period of time that we have. But we continue to have to be stewards of that in a way and in an environment where uh capital costs and rates and everything continue to be sensitive. uh even though we have a hundred-year history of assets that we need to to now manage going forward. Um you'll see just a couple other things um kind of continuation. One of the things that commissioners had inquired about before kind of what falls off when we go to the next year. One of the things you'll see is there's nothing about a BPA decision here other than the

2:06:13 fact that we now have a contract and we have an operating environment potentially new market structures that we need to prepare for that will hit us in 2028. And so understanding the various actions and decisions we have to make in 2026 to prepare for that as part of it. Uh and then recognizing too that um things such as peak mitigation is incredibly important in looking at uh how we size our assets. The uh our ability to procure at peak that is probably the biggest regional challenge. Uh when we talk about supply will be on the peaking side. uh and so really looking at where initially we can do some product development with large customers who have probably the biggest

2:06:58 impact for the I'll say the simplest investment not the cheapest investment but uh and then look at aggregated programs past that is pretty common methodology for utilities to do that um almost you're not really piloting but you're kind of piloting when you look at what what are and how can we work with individual customers And then uh one of the things on here leadership development and the Wamtt treatment plant and the the goal there is to work with the board to work on the we call it here the conditions of continuence. Um those are there's a number of different actions that that we know you're involved with you're you're interested in. Uh this is a really key vulnerability. Uh the number one issue

2:07:43 from those who are in our the water side of our utility has to do with the vulnerability of a single supply. Um and then one of the things that emerged um was the McKenzie Valley service terri territory transfer and I know that was on your list as well. I did see the your own self-evaluation. That's the one of the privileges I get. And so understanding what you think is important and what you think has been accomplished feeds into this process as well. Um the others I won't elaborate on too much. I didn't touch on all of these. Um, also recognize that when we go to report on the progress of these, there's probably three to five different actions

2:08:28 or deliverables or I'll call them measurements, milestones if we want to look at it, that support each one of these goals. Those are things that that once the board approves these, we'll nail those down more specifically. But those are what you would see in the quarterly reporting that these five actions relate to this this and this goal. So there's there's another layer here that we'll re be reporting on. Um with that, uh President Brown, I I'd be happy to Oh, and I have one more slide. Sorry. They'll start. Um this was an action item. Um really would would either um like to get your approval of these as recommended or with any particular modifications or amendments that you

2:09:14 think could happen tonight. or if if we're off base or there's particular areas um last year. I think you approved the goals in January, we added one in February, if there was something that was missing, uh we'd be happy to scap, but I' I'd love some feedback from the board um uh relative to these these goals and appreciate your direction on it. So, back to you, President Pratt. >> Okay. >> Reminding that this is an action item. So, we're looking for direction and an action. And so, but first, we've got questions and and direction or modifications. So, I'll open it up. Anybody in the queue? Mindy. >> Um, so you're only here for about four, five,

2:09:59 maybe six more months. Um, and we'll have a >> You're really stretching it. Yeah. >> Seven or eight. um and we'll have a new general manager who might come in with their own vision or a different vision. So what how do you see that transition happening? >> So I think part of the reason that that we have launched into this business management system is to be able to develop some secession of thought really critical thinking what's driving the organization. Um yes, a new general manager could come in and want to redirect certain things. Um but the the idea here is that these goals make sense. Um that the organization

2:10:45 understand them, understands them, the executive team managers help develop that direction. Um and so um part of the goal of taking this approach to it was to to really um align the organization um really disperse the thought process and so this is what it it led to it's it I would like to say it was simple easy and not painful but there was a lot of discussion within the executive team on does this matter does that matter so this is part of the reason we did it now also I'll recognize that there are number of different business management systems that also a new general manager could could come in and and do. They have a lot of commonality when you look

2:11:30 at strategic implementation for example recognizing that there's some sort of vision you have to develop the steps necessary to achieve that vision. So I think there's some commonality and that's part of the reason we took this approach and and have really for the last year to year and a half. Um, I really like that you've, um, listed who the key person is who's, um, in charge of it. For me, it kind of helps me like think about what bucket it falls into. Um, and I just want to say I like this new format. >> Great. My name's not on very many of them either, just which I really like.

2:12:15 >> Sorry. Um, Jim. >> Yeah, thank you, Chair. Um, I'm noticing a word that comes up frequently on the five-year themes number two and number five. Um, and also on the 2026 annual organizational goals. Number two, the word initially comes up quite a bit. Um, so initially focused on affordability and outage management. And on number five, >> uh the use of energy initially focused on can you uh walk through why initially and why that's not just a five-year theme that we are focused on or for the 2026 goals why that's not a year full goal. >> Yeah, I think in particular when you look at the five-year themes um it's truly that it's a three three to five year you're going somewhere. Um the

2:13:00 initially part is this is where we're starting down that that role. Um the the goal of the fiveyear theme or the intent of the five-year themes is that there's there's a little bit of stability to that and as you go through each sort of annual process you might be building on that. You might be adjusting. Sometimes we'll use initially because we might get customer feedback that would redirect us a little bit. uh usually it's because we recognize that whatever's after the initially word is a building block that there's something else behind it. So in 2026 if it says initially that's for 2026 there's probably more follow on in 2027 2028. So it's it's a to recognize that that's not exactly the end state

2:13:47 but it's it's a it's a pathway to the instate. So that's >> I appreciate that. Yeah. when I when I initially initially read Hey, there you go. >> Yeah. When I was reading this, it it I was approaching it from the opposite angle of hearing, you know, and I'm going to pull number two, for example, uh initially focused on affordability and outage management. The way that I read that or see that is that that's how we're going to start, but we're not going to keep focused on that in the future. Um, which I think for our customers and for our staff, not being focused on affordability or outage management is is kind of a red flag. So, I I'm I'm not necessarily advocating for words smmithing on the floor at this moment, but that one is uh um it just

2:14:33 catches my attention. It's it's you know, rubbing your fingernails on a carpet and it catches. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. The antenna was not that so you initially and drop it. The the recognition that it's a building block. It's it's fundamental. That's where we're starting. Um I think when you look at um outage management for example, some of these will remain until we're at a point where they become part of our continuous improvement aspects. The other piece of that is that um really the strategic elements of the business model is for breakthroughs or things that are significantly evolutionary. um not necessarily daily management. So

2:15:21 that's the reason you can have an initially if you reach a certain milestone you might go okay we're going to continue that but it's incremental it's not um more than that. So that's that's another reason that we we use initially not to drop it but to recognize that that's the at least initially that's the breakthrough part of it. Thank you, >> Sonia. >> Um, one quick question and then I'll give other comments. The, um, can can you remind me of the timeline in the Mackenzie Valley territory and where we're at there because this says transfer, which I hope um, but I don't know that we have gotten final word yet. So, I'm just curious if

2:16:08 >> So, um the the the plan of Lane Electric is to talk to their board about the contract um the asset sale agreement in January. >> Um the original and still the the target date for transfer is May 1st. >> Okay. So I may or may not be right under the wire or over the wire that commissioner couldn't remember when they were meeting to discuss it and if I had missed something because >> they have had more than one meeting. So they I think they've had a number of different meetings. Their board operates a little bit differently than ours. I think their next meeting is mid January. So they'll have some discussions then. >> Okay. I mean on the whole I support all

2:16:55 these items. I do appreciate the format and the uh hand over to the the crew that will take this forward. So, um it's good to know who is doing what and where um as we make this next transition of you not guiding this dashboard. Um so, you know, I appreciate I just I know where we were at last year when we had this conversation. It seems like it was yesterday. I can't believe it's already been a year. Um that we were talking about rentals and I just wanted to note that I I very much appreciate where we have landed with limited income and I appreciate that that is high in our goal set of what we are looking to do. So

2:17:40 just to give a little head nod to that. Thank you. >> You thank you. Um yeah, for me uh the person sitting in the chair that the these goals are our board's goals. And so we're directing whoever is sitting in that chair, this is the direction that we would like the organization to go forward with. And so if they feel that a change is needed, they'll bring that back to us and say, I don't see this. this is. So, we're voting on this and this is the direction we're going. Um, I looked for some of the things in here that were going to be important to me as a commissioner and important to some of the people that

2:18:25 that I feel I want to represent. And I think that I I landed okay with them on BP1 and BP2, which is maintain and improve business operations and BP2 optimize energy. Uh, I had the opportunity to go through kind of a think process with a a person or a group that may want to bring in a uh large industrial uh development and and and um economic development is something that is important to to me in this community. uh bringing in high-paying jobs and those types of things are are what I believe is something that is needed and

2:19:10 I think that anything that we can do as a as a utility to help do that is important. One of the things that was a little bit disheartening to me was that after we went through the thought process on this, it came to be that a large a large load person might take it might take up to five years to get the infrastructure and the approval from all of the regulatory bodies to to site a facility like that here. from our perspective of getting them the power that they might need. Now, I know a lot of that, you know, we it they we went through the whole worksheet and a lot of that is outside of our control, but I would want to make

2:19:56 sure that whatever is inside of our control that we can help to streamline streamline any of that uh regulatory things that are on in our control are taken care of. And I think that that is embedded in BP1 and BP2. But I just wanted to make sure that that we do whatever we can to help our community grow and and be a conduit to economic growth in our in our community, not a hindrance. So I think we've captured it in these and I'm I'm all in favor of these goals going forward. >> Great. There's to a certain extent, Commissioner Barovski, some of it is

2:20:43 captured and some of it is not. So, um, when you think about economic development, um, we know that we have an obligation to serve. So, um, but the process and and a lot of what you mentioned does depend on the size of the consumption, water or electric. Um, but to really be proactive with economic development, it requires an intentional discussion around opportunity costs, other things that you're going to give up, what risks you're willing to take. Um, I know that we had some debate around how proactive to get and at what cost. Some of those come up throughout the year. I know we're going to talk about SDC's this year, which is

2:21:28 basically who pays for some of these whether you know and and some of those types of things. So, I would point out some of and we are working on refining um I think we called it the playbook for loads coming in. I I know that um several staff members, some of which are here this evening, are starting to refine how we make that easier and more clear. And I think that's a piece of it. um and it is a bit in um business priority one, but if the board really wanted to be aggressive and proactive around economic development, there's some other intentional decisions that would have to be made, I don't know that we have everything necessary to make that today. So, some of it in is in

2:22:13 embedded, but some of it could could be discussed more uh as as we sort of progress forward. >> Great. Thank you for that. Okay. >> So, as we, you know, pause and look at this and reflect on what's happening, I also, you know, we're going to have a major change in leadership and our goals don't talk anything about that. Um, do we do we need something in there? I mean, what is what is the process of onboarding a new GM look like? Um I I think it's different depending on who we have in the that place, but I don't know. It just feels like that's a pretty significant portion of what's going to be happening this year. >> It is in number one in goal number one.

2:23:00 >> Yeah. If I if I may, Sonia, I think John B said it best that this is these are ours. >> Okay. >> For anybody to come in to change them, they're going to have to convince five of us that that's the in the best interest. And I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen. uh you're not just this is a super tanker. It's not a destroyer. We're going to be able you have to turn it slowly and uh Okay. >> And still we it would change community values and >> I don't think that's going to happen. >> Well, also Frank is assigned to number one >> which doesn't really work if you're not here sir. >> Well, you get you fire me. I don't get that. >> I just mean for for the transition phase. I mean you will help with some of that. there may be some, you know, overlap, but then there's, you know,

2:23:45 just general on boarding. I don't know. >> Anyway, >> I I think there is an opportunity there, uh, Commissioner Carlson. Um, I think there's a there's some degree of flexibility that goes along with that. Okay. I also think that one of the things that the organization needs to do sometime in the next year or so is we are almost through the existing strategic plan and we probably need to take a step back and as as a board and key staff and do a little bit of strategic development. Not as right now we're in strategic fulfillment. >> A little more strategic development. That's really a perfect opportunity for the executive team, a new executive, key

2:24:31 staff, commissioners to be able to say, "Okay, we know where we are on the path now, but what's beyond the horizon, and how does that change our business priorities? How does it change our themes? And is there an opportunity to do that?" And I and I think that's a reasonable thing to assume would happen. probably e late 2026 or sometime in 2027 it would be appropriate to do that. Um and so I think that's an opportunity to look for it. >> Okay, great. Thanks. >> So um it's an action item. I want to make sure that um we had some comment about some word smithing. Tim, are you okay with what's written or would you want to propose that we make a couple changes before we make a motion? I think uh coupled with the comment and

2:25:16 explanation um I think that was my primary concern is that if I'm a customer who's just seeing this and if I were to watch this meeting and hear what you just said then I would be comfortable with that. So I'm fine with with with not adjusting and keeping >> unless I hear objection I would probably request a motion to adopt the 20 26 organizational goals as presented. I move >> Oh, do you mind dean? Sorry, I was behind. >> I move to adopt the 2026 annual organizational goals as presented and discussed. >> Second. >> All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Passing unanimously. >> Thank you, commissioners. >> Thank you. Next agenda item is future board agendas.

2:26:12 President Brown, the the uh board agenda report uh there was one thing that was mentioned earlier in February. Uh we will likely shift the discussion um that we had um teed up for February around um resource adequacy. Uh in the back in the correspondence memo we mentioned February or March be good timing for that. We need to free up some time for this board to potentially talk about the general manager recruitment and the process there. So that's a change worth noting that that would go into February. Um and really as as much time as needed for that. I think we we have 30 to 45 minutes just in that meeting but that that could be adjusted.

2:26:57 >> Okay. Any other comments on the board agendas? I have a question if I may. Um, so opt out fees, I don't see where they're anywhere in here and I got a feeling that's going to be a pretty interesting topic to a lot of people. We may get a lot of public testimony and input on that. So, how are we planning or where are we planning to put that in the agenda? >> Those are listed. I believe those >> in our manual meter reading fee in on May 5th. It's actually bolded uh knowing that you would you would ask that that was specific specifically noted for >> Well, I just I just saw the recurring and so I just skip over recurring because it's a one time. >> We we added manual meter reading fee in there just for you. >> Okay. Well, thank you.

2:27:42 >> So May is the answer. May 5th. >> It's in May. Okay. Thank you. Any other comments about future board agendas? If not, then we'll go to board wrapup. U many >> um I believe Holly or maybe Ann sent us just an email just reminding us that we often have a um board retreat dinner and so I just want to make sure that we get that scheduled because I think it's really important. Um and then lastly, I just want to thank John Bravski for being such an excellent president over this last year and um keeping us on time in all our meetings. And I really appreciate your leadership. Yep. Nothing. >> Two things. I also wanted to echo that.

2:28:28 I really appreciated you leading uh leading the board the last year and you know we we often have some challenging things to deal with. So appreciate you. Uh, and then the other thing that I wanted to bring up is, um, you know, as we go into this transition and we're making this decision in the next couple of weeks, um, I wonder if there's an opportunity for us to invite staff or like there's some other mechanism by which we could invite staff to provide their feedback on vision that's maybe more um, open to us um, than just through surveys. if there was an opportunity to do that. I don't know if anybody wants to do that, but there's

2:29:13 some recent feedback that we received. It just made me wonder if staff are allowed to um I don't know, give us their thoughts on where they'd like to see the the organization go or you know, things like that. So anyway, I I wanted to bring that up and see if the board members had any thoughts on that and if there might be an opportunity to, you know, just offer that to staff because we have a lot of really wonderful staff here and I'd love to, you know, have their feedback because it's going to impact them directly and the awkward and awful nature of this entire process that we've somehow as a society worked this into makes it ever more challenging to make good decisions And so I I just want to reflect on the

2:29:58 fact that I really care a lot about the the staff that are here and and you know have their thoughts too. >> Could I respond to that? Um we got 600 employees and uh and we have to think about the logistics. You know, we're meeting Monday and Tuesday and we're going to have input post interview and and then who qualifies to give input and who doesn't. I think the logistics I mean it's a great idea but it's a little I don't I don't I don't personally see how logistically we could pull that off and be fair to everybody. Um I'm looking for other people's comments. Mindy >> and and maybe can I just clarify? I'm just for the for staff who wanted to provide you know thoughts on where they'd like to see the organization go maybe in

2:30:44 advance of it. Um maybe not the candidates themsel because they obviously won't know who the candidates are. Um but just you know thoughts on what they would like to see in a more developed manner. >> Um >> your comment. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. It just makes me think of maybe a more general thing with staff. Um I mean we're up here and making all these policy decisions and we don't know most of the staff and it's fine that we don't interact with them because that's not our role. But um it it would be nice maybe this is maybe different from what you're thinking Sonia but like even once a year if we had something where we came and it was kind of like an open time for staff to meet who are the commissioners.

2:31:29 I just think that because um when the folks came to my house to do the energy thing, one of them was extremely nervous um about meeting me um because I was a commissioner and I tried to reassure that person like we're just regular people. So, um, anyway, this is something like to think about maybe for the future, and it's not exactly what you're saying, Sonia, because I think you're looking for like feedback in general about the organization, but it would be nice if we maybe thought about in the future of having something where, I don't know, coffee with the commissioners or something like that where people could just come and and meet us. And Sonia, >> may I can and I could also say like, you know, especially the leadership team

2:32:15 that works directly. I mean, that's a much smaller list of people. Anyway, it was just a thought. I just wanted to put it out there. If staff do have thoughts or wanted to share vision or anything that they wanted to share, I mean, can they do that or are they blocked from doing that generally? Because I think we have a somewhat of a policy in place that they can't. Is that the case? >> Yeah. I mean, that's that's really all I'm offering. And I I would like staff I mean, a lot of those staff are in this room because they're part of the leadership team. But anyway, >> should I ask to follow up on your question, Sonia, because I think I think there is a policy that says we don't interact with staff directly. We copy Ann and Frank on all all communications.

2:33:00 And so, they would be included in that conversation, too. when it would be in the public and whether or not um that's appropriate because I know in the past there has been some commissioners that have tried to interact with people in the field and it didn't come out very well. Um they were the union and it was not good and so I guess it's a it's a very delicate topic but the thing is is people can pick up the phone and call you and just say you know and we contact you anonymously and and things such as that. I mean it's but it's it's a very slippery slope and I see over there saying you know this is a challenge. Is that not true? >> A challenge. Yes. >> And Frank you want to put input? >> Yeah I think that there's um there's a

2:33:45 couple of different sort of issues at play here. One um I do think there is a board policy around unity of control and communications. Some of that is it's partic for particular reasons and there's a there's a history behind it and it's something that that commissioners have been sensitive about through the years. Um there also for a little bit of context um the general manager's evaluation in oftentimes is around direction is around vision and some of these things. Um throughout my time as general manager, I did offer up staff in particular executive staff at one point to be able to talk to commissioners. I think in some cases you you had some private discussions with

2:34:32 them there. There was that the feedback I got from that process. They were very uncomfortable with it and so I believe it was Commissioner McCrae said, "Well, let's do an anonymous survey." Okay. So recently the general manager as part of that evaluation was done with managers any direct reports an executive team to provide feedback uh that was anonymous and that was used in the evaluation. So there's a couple different mechanisms. Um it's never been what I would call a protective thing. There's also by policy certain avenues that the commissioners have relative to financial fraud or relative to issues with my performance that can go through the the um the chief

2:35:18 people officer. Um so there's a there's a number of different mechanisms, but there's a little bit of tension there that just would have to be navigated if the board wanted to to change that and change it intentionally. Um, and then also there is, you know, there there's emails, there's phone calls, there's other ways for for staff to do that. I think there's there it's it's probably not an area where most people would feel comfortable with doing just because you are scary. Um, Commissioner Slober in particular. Um, it makes me nervous and I'm two people away from her. Um, so I I think that um so I under I understand the issue that there's a little bit of conflict with policy. It it's um and and

2:36:04 maybe there's an avenue through more of the formal evaluation process where that could be expanded a little bit. >> Well, I'm I'm sorry to bring a monkey wrench. I just wanted to acknowledge the fact that, you know, we care very much about staff's opinion and this process is absolutely atrocious for getting that in any formidable way apparently. So, um it's okay. We'll do the best we can with what we got. >> Tim, you had a comment. >> Yeah. Thank you, Chair. Yeah. Um, I just want to verbalize and I appreciate and and support what you're saying and um just want to say also that if anyone does reach out to us, it is typically monitored by the executive team and also that a lot of our staff and our team here are constituents as well and so um

2:36:51 that there isn't a from my perspective that there should be a an encouragement also to reach out just based on that alone as well. So um scary and uh I am terrified of Nindee. She scares me every day but uh for the most part uh they are normal people making tough decisions. So yeah, thank you. >> So getting back to board wrap up. Um I just want to thank the president for running such an efficient meeting today that we're getting out almost 50 minutes early. That's fabulous. the previous president was atrocious that um and then something else that I'll just mention to my fellow board members um you know we we uh commit a lot of

2:37:37 time and energy to this organization for as as Commissioner Brown uh points out a huge salary of zero dollars. Um, but we are entitled to uh reimbursement for our costs and I don't I hope that you all are availing yourselves of that. I I went through this last week and and did my mileage and and the way that I did it was I went through my my calendar and I looked at it and I said, "Okay, I went from my house to this meeting and back to my house and I figured out on Google Maps that that's seven miles each way." And I put that in for each meeting up river meetings. I did it when I go to McKenzie and I just used my calendar and

2:38:23 went through and did an Excel spreadsheet and sent that into Holly. And those are things that we're entitled to. Um, it's not like we're milking this system for huge amounts of money, but we give a lot to this organization and we should be uh not not uh afraid to ask for what is is our due as far as our travel expense, those types of things. So, I just wanted to put that out there that that was the way that I came up with mine. It took me about 15 minutes and it was a couple hundred dollars that I was entitled to. So, just put that out there for everybody to learn from. >> Thank you. Well, I'll close it and thank you for the election acknowledgement and all that. And I'd just like to say,

2:39:08 Mindy, you don't scare me a bit. So, I do I do want to say I I concur with your uh um approach to say we need to get a dinner on the schedule if you could do a doodle poll because I think the dinner obviously will come after we done through our initial and probably final deliberations on a new general manager. we talk about, you know, we got to be careful. We can't deliberate towards a decision or anything, but we can talk and we can have a good dinner and do do that. And I think it's fun to to to do that every once in a while and uh see what everybody orders and how many desserts you can have and all that good stuff. So, I'm I'm looking forward to uh uh to do that and and also to discuss about where we're going in the next year because, you know, we're going to have new direction and new new leadership and

2:39:53 uh if we let Frank go, but he may just stay on. So, any other questions or comments? Frank, >> I was just going to start my 50inute filibuster so that you could uh >> it's dinner. If we go over time, he has to pay. >> Sorry. >> I'm done. >> I owe him five lunches from last time. All right. With that, I will adjourn the meeting and say thank you very much.