Ex-employee candidate criticizes Grant PUD

Retiring employee sent accusations in e-mail

EPHRATA - Just minutes before Grant PUD employee Sam Johnson recently went home for the day, he fired off an e-mail to employees blasting his bosses and commissioners

The e-mail was retracted by the PUD and only about 20 to 25 employees opened the message, said PUD General Manager Tim Culbertson on Tuesday.

But that doesn't mean others didn't see or later hear about what Johnson wrote.

Now he is focusing his energies on running for PUD Commissioner Tom Flint's position.

Johnson, 56, is a project specialist who said he formerly worked as a training supervisor for dam operators about a year ago.

He said he created the supervisor position, applied for it when it was advertised, but wasn't granted an interview. He claims a less qualified applicant was deliberately hired to make a point.

Although his pay wasn't cut, Johnson said he viewed his new title as a demotion.

Johnson stated his concerns centered around the training program for dam operators and the PUD's apprenticeship program.

He claims to have previously brought safety related issues before commissioners including six or eight alleged dam operator errors over six months.

The safety issues included a piping system that reportedly failed from an operator error and an overspeed on a turbine allegedly left to go for 45 minutes instead of being taken off in a few minutes, he said.

He claimed apprentices were inappropriately used for errands and gate guard duty "when they should have been learning," his letter states.

He also alleged some work on training programs for the PUD's dam operators was stopped.

Up until he left the district, he was ordered to work on standard operating procedures instead of building training modules, he said.

"Since I can no longer contribute, providing you the employees with the training tools you need to do your jobs, and I refuse to become a paycheck collector, then I must retire so that I am no longer stifled by management closed doors, intimidation and retaliatory tactics," he wrote.

Culbertson said when he asked Johnson how to rank the PUD's training program, he ranked it as one of the best in the region.

The PUD's apprenticeship program is popular and a group is turned out every two or three years, Culbertson said. New people enter the apprenticeship program annually, he added.

Johnson said the statement about the training program was true, but added some of the work stopped and the training hasn't been used over the past six months.

"There's no commitment to training

materials and no one's using the materials," Johnson said.

In his e-mail, he stated he battled Hydro Director Dawn Woodward and Operations Manager Bryan Bird to keep the training program alive.

Woodward was on vacation this week and unavailable for comment.

Bird didn't return a phone call seeking comment and didn't indicate to the PUD's public affairs staff that he wanted to be interviewed, said PUD spokesperson Sarah Morford.

Culbertson said there were inaccuracies in Johnson's e-mail and declined to elaborate because of a possible lawsuit between Johnson and the utility.

Johnson wrote how a lawsuit was an option, but stated he would have only dealt with his personal issues and not PUD management issues, according to information he provided to the Columbia Basin Herald.

"The one thing I would say is he claims none of his issues were addressed by management, myself or the commission," Culbertson said. "It has been looked at by his supervisors, myself and the commission. All of us have looked into Sam's concerns."

Flint said it would be inappropriate for him to comment because Johnson is his election opponent, but added that sending the letter was a misuse of the district's e-mail system.

PUD Commissioner Randy Allred said he will continue to check with employees he personally knows at the hydro division.

PUD Commissioner Bob Bernd said the commission felt they adequately investigated Johnson's comments.

Bernd said others have told him during casual conversations that Johnson's comments were mostly unwarranted or unsubstantiated.

PUD Commissioner Terry Brewer was on vacation this week and communicated that he hadn't seen Johnson's e-mail.

PUD Commissioner Greg Hansen said it's up to the utility's staff to determine safety issues and deemed the issue to be internal.

"Sam made some comments that I don't feel qualified to comment on," Hansen said in part, referring to a safety program Johnson wants. "I'm not in a position to say whether he's right or wrong."