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Tuesday, 15 October 2024
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Written by Paul Woolverton, CityView Today
The board of the Fayetteville Public Works Commission on Wednesday unanimously elected Commissioner Chris Davis to be its new chairperson.
Davis, who had been the vice chair of the four-person board, replaces Donald Porter. Porter was the chairperson for the 2023–24 fiscal year.
The Public Works Commission is Fayetteville’s city-owned utility for water, sewer and electricity, providing these services in Fayetteville and surrounding areas. It is the 36th-largest electric utility in the country, its website says.
With an annual budget of $439 million, the PWC has about 650 employees and 122,000 customers. It operates two water treatment plants that supply drinking water to people in Fayetteville, Cumberland County and Hoke County, and two sewer treatment plants. Although it buys most of its electricity from Duke Energy to resell to its customers, it also operates a natural gas-fired electrical generation plant and a solar farm.
“We don’t always agree. But when it comes to this community, and what’s in the best interest of this company, we’ve always been together,” Porter said as he opened the vote for new officers.
Davis is a former Fayetteville city council member and was the council’s liaison to the PWC before he left office. The city council appointed him to the PWC in 2023.
“Since I’ve been liaison, since I’ve been on this board, the value of this company is not just the leadership team, but it is the sense of community that we all have,” Davis said after he was elected. “I appreciate the fact that we salute great performance, and that we address issues every time we come to these meetings. And that I’ve got partners that are committed to doing so, and a good CEO who is willing to drive this vehicle that we’re building and continuing to improve upon.”
Davis thanked the commissioners for appointing him as chairperson. “It is sincerely one of the highest honors I’ve had in my life,” he said.
The other officers elected Wednesday:
Commissioner Richard King, vice chair. He had been the treasurer.
Commissioner Ronna Rowe Garrett, was reelected secretary.
Porter, the former chairperson, is now the treasurer.
Money in the bank, but which one?
Following a presentation from the PWC staff on the utility’s cash and investments, the commissioners briefly discussed whether to seek proposals from banks to try to get better interest rates on its accounts. The PWC banks with Wells Fargo, the presenters said.
“So, Wells Fargo is a great financial institution, I understand that. But do we go to other banks and negotiate terms and rates with them? And how often do we do that?” King said.
“We should be getting the best rate here at PWC with the amount of money that you have,” he said.
On the average day, the PWC has $450 million in its accounts, said Jason Alban, PWC’s director of financial planning and capital projects.
“With $450 million, I should get a great rate,” King said.
The money is spread among different investments, said Chief Financial Officer Rhonda Haskin, and the PWC has an interest-bearing account with Wells Fargo.
“We do meet with them. We do review fees,” she said. The PWC negotiates and cites what other banks offer and charge “to make sure that we are receiving the fairest fees out there.”
And although Wells Fargo is the PWC’s primary banking institution, Haskins said the PWC takes bids from local banks, not just Wells Fargo, when it decides where to put money into certificates of deposit.
(Photo: Chris Davis, 2024-25 chairman of the Fayetteville Public Works Commission. Photo courtesy of Fayetteville Public Works
Commission)
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Tuesday, 15 October 2024
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Written by Staff Report
In response to the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, representatives from the Fayetteville Public Works Commission’s Water Resources Division are responding to a Mutual Aid request from NCWaterWARN.
WARN stands for Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network. These representatives will be joining other water and wastewater utility workers to help restore drinking water and sanitary sewer services in one of the hardest-hit areas of Western North Carolina.
Hurricane Helene caused significant damage to critical infrastructure, particularly affecting drinking water systems and wastewater management facilities in multiple counties. Many residents are experiencing disruptions in essential services, such as drinking water and wastewater management, which poses serious health and safety concerns.
To address these urgent needs, NCWaterWARN has mobilized resources, expertise, and volunteers from across the region. Teams are working to assist communities with materials and supplies, repairing damaged pipelines, clearing debris, and ensuring safe drinking water access. They are also helping restore water reclamation facilities to prevent further sanitary sewer overflows and mitigate environmental hazards.
PWC sent multiple Water Construction Crews and other subject matter experts to the Town of Black Mountain, North Carolina, which was significantly impacted by Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 9, for at least 2 to 4 weeks.
“This Mutual Aid effort is a testament to the spirit of collaboration and community amongst the North Carolina Public Utilities,” said Timothy L. Bryant, PWC CEO/General Manager. “As one of the largest public utilities in North Carolina, we understand the need to provide critical services to our community and how important it is to work together during emergencies. We are proud of our team members who volunteer to leave their families to help our neighbors in Western North Carolina regain access to clean drinking water and proper sewage services, especially during this challenging time.”
What is NCWaterWARN?
NC WaterWARN is a Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network, (WARN) of utilities committed to helping each other conduct response and recovery operations. WARN provides a system of mutual aid that may be utilized by public water/wastewater utilities requiring emergency assistance from other member utilities. NC WaterWARN provides:
• A voluntary mutual aid and assistance network to combat water-related incidents throughout the State of North Carolina
• An organized system for requesting assistance in the form of personnel, emergency equipment, materials and other required resources
What is Mutual Aid?
Mutual Aid is a collaborative effort where individuals or groups come together to support one another, particularly during times of crisis or need. Utility Mutual Aid includes sharing resources, skills, and knowledge to repair and/or rebuild critical infrastructure in response to emergencies like natural disasters.
(PWC has sent Water Construction Crews to Black Mountain, North Carolina in response to a mutual aid request from NCWaterWARN. Photo courtesy of PWC)
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