By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews
The Southwest Lincoln County Water People’s Utility District is looking for a new manager.
Tui Anderson, who has been district manager for nearly three years, is moving with his family to New Zealand, where he will work for a company that manages the water system for the city of Whangarei. His resignation is effective Oct. 20.
The Southwest Lincoln district has a staff of seven and is overseen by a five-member elected board. It serves 1,400 mostly residential customers within 1½ miles of the ocean from the north edge of Yachats into parts of the city of Waldport. It operates two treatment plants and three reservoirs drawing on four water sources.
Although the district is now 78 years old, Anderson was its first general manager when he arrived in January 2021, combining oversight of office and field staff. He had been involved in water utilities and support organizations for 20 years, working in Hawaii, Idaho and Oregon.
The district board held a special meeting Wednesday to discuss how it will recruit Anderson’s replacement and operate in the interim.
“He’s done an outstanding job bringing this district from near shambles to a very good position,” said longtime board member and former chair Donald Tucker.
The board decided to update the job recruitment posting it used to attract Anderson and send it by the end of next week to water organizations throughout the West Coast.
The demand and competition for qualified water managers is high, the board acknowledged, and finding housing on the coast is always an issue. Anderson is still commuting from his home in Silverton.
“It’s going to be difficult to find someone,” said Tucker, pointing out that job postings on the Oregon Association of Water Utilities website have mushroomed from just two or three to now dozens. “We know how difficult it was the last time.”
The board also discussed how to handle administrative chores on an interim basis until it hires a new manager.
It discussed – but reach no conclusions — about using two current staffers to handle day-to-day operations, having engineers from Civil West oversee a big water line replacement project, and seeing if city of Yachats water supervisor Rick McClung could help in an advisory role. McClung works four days a week in Yachats and is available Fridays as needed in Southwest Lincoln.
The board scheduled another special meeting Oct. 11 to check on its progress with the goal to have everything worked out by its regular monthly meeting Oct. 18.
The district is in the middle of a $550,000 project to replace failing bolts on valves on a 30-year-old water line and is working with Civil West on a $6 million water-line replacement project. Both are being paid for with state and federal grants and a 1 percent loan. It is also negotiating contracts with the city of Yachats to supply it water during emergencies and summertime low-water periods.
Mr. Anderson is going to enjoy his new location. A lifetime ago (2005) I was sent by my company to make wine and observe their winemaking practices. (I’m a retired winemaker). It’s a beautiful area and not far from Auckland, one of the world’s most beautiful cities.