Grant PUD progresses with contract

EPHRATA — Grant County PUD commissioners agreed in a 4-1 vote to move ahead with exploring an employment contract with Tim Culbertson, the utility’s current general manager, on Monday.

If a contract is approved, Culbertson would be the only district employee with one. The utility’s former attorney, Ray Foianini, worked under an employment contract until it wasn’t renewed earlier this year.

Culbertson told the Columbia Basin Herald he asked for the contract because he has received other job offers, but wants to work for the district.

He wants to provide a sense of security for his family and himself, he explained.

An approved employment contract means Culbertson would “basically remain an at-will employee” and receive a severance package if terminated without cause, he confirmed.

A severance package figure is still being negotiated and no ranges have been discussed, he said.

But if he was let go with cause, for offenses such as fraud or bad conduct, he wouldn’t receive a severance package, he said.

Also, he wouldn’t receive a severance package if the contract wasn’t extended after its term, Culbertson says.

Culbertson estimated his annual salary as either $267,000 or $269,000. A Wenatchee World article from January reported his annual salary is $267,800.

The draft contract being discussed was provided by the district’s outside human resources counsel, who is an attorney who doesn’t work for Culbertson, he explained.

Culbertson said he asked for the contract earlier this year during his performance review.

He had been thinking about the contract already and nothing happened to trigger his request during the review, he said.

When asked by Commissioner Randy Allred during Monday’s commission meeeting, Culbertson told commissioners he would like at least a three-year contract.

He would consider a five-year contract if he thought there was interest, he said.

Culbertson claimed he had been threatened by commissioners and former commissioners and spoke of going through uncomfortableness.

“It’s not unreasonable for me to be requesting what I’m requesting now,” he commented.

After suggesting the commission vote on the matter, Commissioner Greg Hansen cast the opposing vote.

“I’m against an employment agreement,” Hansen said.

In general, all employees should be treated the same and if the salary isn’t what an employee wants, they should find another job, Hansen sad.

The idea of a public utility is to hold the cost down as much as possible, Hansen commented.

Commissioner Tom Flint asked how many other employees will the district offer a contract to.

Flint said he was okay with offering a contract to key people, but doesn’t want to go there with a lot of others.

Commissioner Bob Bernd said it’s up to the commission to decide if an employment contract should be used for another person.

Bernd also said a contract limits the district’s damage in case of a termination and it would have been nice for the district to have in other situations.

Commissioner Terry Brewer said it can be difficult to treat all employees the same, as salaried employees are treated differently because they don’t have a bargaining unit.