PUD OKs changes to staff travel

Plan will require staff to go before commission for trips outside Washington, Oregon

BEVERLY— Staff at the Grant County Public Utility District will soon need to get approval before they travel outside the Northwest on official business.

PUD commissioner Greg Hansen brought the plan before the board Tuesday and said he had questions about the PUD sending staffers to conferences in areas like New York, California and Brazil.

Hansen said that PUD staff have taken some trips that didn't see as a necessity.

"I want a little better check and balance on our travel expenses," Hansen said after the meeting.

The plan was one of many brought before the PUD commission Tuesday at a special meeting at the PUD's Hydro Engineering Department in Beverly.

PUD attorney Ray Foianini said the travel motion was similar to one that PUD used to have on the books and PUD Commission President Bill Bjork said Monday that he knew where Hansen was coming from. But Tuesday's plan did not have uniform support among PUD commissioners and management.

PUD General Manager Tim Culbertson told the commission that he often has to travel outside the state to Portland, and said he would rather the plan require approval for out-of-region travel. Culbertson said he often questions staff travel, but said he thought out-of-state travel entered into a level of micromanagement where he had some concerns.

Hansen originally proposed requiring the commission approve all travel outside Washington, but the approved plan will require approval for all travel outside of Washington and Oregon. The proposal takes effect April 1.

The plan was approved by a vote of three to one with Commissioners Hansen, Bjork and Randy Allred all voting in favor of the motion. Commissioner Vera Claussen was absent from Monday's meeting. Commissioner Tom Flint cast the sole opposing vote on the plan. Flint called the motion "extreme" micromanaging.

"I personally feel that this motion is overkill for what we're doing," Flint said.

Hansen questioned the commission as to whether the conferences were on the leading edge technology, or whether staffers were just attending another conference. Hansen said he also had questions about when two or three people attend a conference, and whether they are attending the same conferences.

Telecommunications Director Larry Jones told Hansen and the commission during Monday's meeting that when two staffers go to a conference that those people do take different classes.

Jones said that he would not authorize travel as an employee perk, and said that while employees are away, work is not getting done at the PUD.

"There has to be some sort of tangible benefit for travel," Jones told Hansen.

In all fairness to the ratepayers, Hansen said that the people have an expectation that their dollars are being spent wisely and efficiently.

"This is one of the, what I consider, one of the first steps in making our PUD more cost-effective," he said.

Tuesday, the PUD approved a $200,000 contract with Kauffman and Associates of Spokane to assist in relationship with tribes interested in the Priest Rapids Project. The commission approved the purchase of several new pickup trucks and cargo vans at a cost of $317,870.

Commissioners also approved an agreement not to exceed $50,000 for legal services from Winterbauer and Diamond with regard to pending litigation and personnel related matters.