The following are my personal comments in response to Terry Garlock’s column of April 26, 2017, and in no way represent any policy or position of the Peachtree City Water and Sewerage Authority (PCWASA) or its board.
I was selected the alternate to the PCWASA board in January 2014 and appointed to the board in July 2014, after Garlock quit, and reappointed in February 2016.
I was present at the February 2014 PCWASA board meeting when Garlock was elected chairman. A board member nominated him; he accepted the nomination and the board voted. Member service on the board at that time was one member had over four years. Garlock and another member had one year each. One member had been the alternate in 2013 and was now an appointed member. The other member was newly appointed; he and the other one-year member quit shortly after Garlock quit.
Garlock thinks I’m stupid for my answer about longevity still being in the policy manual. First, longevity is a benefit and not compensation. As to his claim he tried to kill it, the PCWASA board approved the FY 2014 budget at their September 2013 meeting by a unanimous vote, at which Garlock was present. The only adjustments to the budget were increasing cost of living from 0 percent to 1.5 percent and cutting merit from 3 percent to 1.5 percent. The longevity line item was unchanged.
The PCWASA board discussed the longevity benefit at their November 2013 meeting, at which Garlock was present. This is the excerpt from the minutes. “A motion was made by Terry Garlock and reiterated by Mark Harman to make a budget adjustment to fund the longevity line item at 50 percent of the current calculation structure with the intent that it will not be funded in 2015. The motion carried 4-1. Mahler opposed.”
Garlock quit before the FY 2015 budget discussions. As Garlock points out, “one board cannot bind another.” The three remaining board members fully funded the longevity benefit line item. The thinking was PCWASA employees work in and around sewage most every day. They deserve it.
Garlock’s proposed longevity benefit change was done through the budget process by making an amendment to the approved FY 2014 budget. I’m sure a lot of readers work for companies with a personnel policy manual outlining the compensation and benefits offered. I don’t think many workers would be happy if money they were expecting to receive were reduced or eliminated by a budget amendment; and I don’t think they would accept a permanent change being made by a budget amendment. PTC went through a policy manual update a couple years ago. They had employee discussions; drafted an update for the employees to review; edited the draft based on employee input; then presented the draft to PTC Council for their approval.
As chairman, Garlock had the ability to place any item he desired on the agenda, to include removing the longevity benefit from the policy manual. He also could have directed staff to begin a policy manual review.
I initiated a staff review and update of the policy manual in 2016. It’s currently with human resource consultants for review.
Garlock says he had a distasteful incident involving the GM, Stephen Hogan. The policy manual states, “Employment is terminable at the will of either the employee or the AUTHORITY at any time and for any reason, with or without cause or advance notices.” As chairman, Garlock could have consulted with the PCWASA attorney about the procedures for firing Hogan.
Garlock talked about rates. The PCWASA board discussed rates at their November 2013 meeting, which Garlock was present. The excerpt from those minutes, “All board members were in agreement that the rates should not be adjusted at the present time. All members also agreed that any decision to adjust rates should not be done until a majority of RedZone data has been analyzed and the long-term capital needs have been identified.” As chairman, Garlock could have directed a review of rates.
Tyrone approached PCWASA a few years ago about sewer. I was present for meetings in early 2015 with PTC council members, Tyrone representatives and PCWASA. All five council members, including Eric Imker, were in favor of Tyrone connecting to PCWASA sewer system. A couple even said it should have been done before then.
The issue was placed on hold because municipal elections were that year. Tyrone petitioned PTC council in early 2016, but council had changed their minds. PTC held a workshop in March 2016 and agreed to move forward with an intergovernmental agreement involving PTC, Tyrone and PCWASA.
In the draft agreement, PTC wanted PCWASA to acquire Tyrone’s sewer system. A main point of disagreement with the draft by Tyrone was PTC’s insistence that Tyrone give PTC half the property taxes from properties within Tyrone that were part of a proposed commercial development Fayette County Development Authority was working.
The PCWASA bonds, and there are two of them, were refinanced in 2013. The city agreed to guarantee payment on those bonds. Included as part of the bond document official statement is the contract between the city and PCWASA.
Garlock said he’d read the bond document. I have as well. I think what he wrote concerning the city guarantee is incorrect; “In exchange for that city guarantee, the city required that its approval would be necessary before WASA could offer sewer services outside the city.”
This statement is from the contract, “Operation of the System – The Authority agreed during the term of the Contract to operate the System as a public sewer system, making the facilities and the services of the System available to public and private consumers and users located in the City and its environs, all for the benefit of the citizens of the City.”
The restriction Garlock refers to is in the contract and states, “The Authority agreed not to extend the System or enter into any contract or commitment to extend the System outside the corporate limits of the City, unless such extension, contract, or commitment is approved by resolution of the Council of Peachtree City.”
The definition of the system referred to in the contract and agreed to by the city is, “The sewer of the Authority, as it now exists and as it may be hereafter added to, extended, improved, and equipped, either from proceeds of the bonds or from any other sources at any time hereafter, including, without limitation, all pumping stations, sanitary sewers, all wastewater disposal and treatment plants, and all equipment used in connection thereafter, all facilities for the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage and wastewater, including industrial wastes, and all other facilities of any nature or description, real or personal, now and hereafter owned or used by the Authority in the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage.”
John Dufresne
PCWASA Board Member
Peachtree City, Ga.
