BOWC rolls out merit based raises; launches DPSCD pilot program to encourage high schoolers to apply for DWSD jobs.
Hey #Detroit! Today at 01:00 PM, I’ll live-tweet the Board of Water Commissioners Committee Meetings for #DETdocumenters. 🧵
Partners: @DetDocumenters, @media_outlier, @BridgeDet313, @chalkbeatDET, @CitizenDetroit, @Detour_Detroit, @freep, @metrotimes, @PlanetDetroit, @wdet.
10:20 AM Jun 1, 2022 CDT
Join the BOWC online, by phone, or in-person at 735 Randolph Street, 5th Floor: https://detroitmi.gov/events/board-water-commissioners-june-2022-committee-meetings
There’ll be four committee meetings back-to-back. They tend to stray from schedule, watch out for that:
01:00 PM: Finance
01:45 PM: Capital Improvement Program & Operations
02:00 PM: Customer Service
02:30 PM: Human Resources/Organizational Development
📎 Follow along with today’s agendas! I’ll refer to each agenda item by their number.…
Finance Committee: https://dwsd.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=930310&GUID=65DA8F74-9912-4272-B243-B03C73D7B5B6&Search=
Capital Improvement Program & Operations Committee (CIPO): https://dwsd.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=930311&GUID=3174F195-2549-4AAF-9F3B-5F027DEBAE07&Search=
Customer Service Committee: https://dwsd.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=951395&GUID=45D7A6A5-2BEC-4CF7-BD18-D9FF8EE540C8&Search=
Human Resources & Organizational Development Committee: https://dwsd.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=951396&GUID=C28F4BFF-AC4D-4230-919E-26977D6BEF9C&Search= https://t.co/cr4iuOjsk4
🏃 Need to catch up on the BOWC? See @williams_ashsue’s tweets from last month’s meeting. https://twitter.com/williams_ashsue/status/1521923699179458560
See our past BOWC reporting: https://detroit.documenters.org/meetings/?agency=19&alt=true
We will have notes, recordings, and archived materials for this meeting: https://detroit.documenters.org/assignments/bowc-all-committees-3954/
🗞 In recent news… The Detroit Land Bank sold homes without water, leaving many unaware buyers to pay thousands in reconnection fees. How?
@AaronMondry and @SFtotheD found a lack of data and coordination among city agencies: https://outliermedia.org/if-youre-sold-a-detroit-land-bank-house-without-water-whos-responsible/
Last summer’s rainstorms flooded many Detroit homes. If you need to prepare your home against flooding this season, @j_e_n_a_b rounded up several resources: https://www.bridgedetroit.com/rainy-season-is-coming-heres-what-you-can-do-to-prepare/
Trees can reduce flooding, and Detroit tenants and homeowners can ask the city to plant a free tree outside their home. The city says they have about 5,000 trees left to give away. @BriRiceWrites for @MichiganRadio: https://www.michiganradio.org/environment-climate-change/2022-04-28/detroit-is-halfway-to-its-goal-of-10-000-new-trees-heres-how-you-can-get-one-in-front-of-your-house
❓ The Board of Water Commissioners (BOWC) decides what customers pay to @DetroitWaterDep (DWSD) for water, drainage, and sewage. The board votes on proposals, created by their committees which meet monthly.
BOWC’s website: https://detroitmi.gov/government/boards/board-water-commissioners
Your water commissioners:
• Michael Einheuser (@einheuser), chair
• Mary Blackmon, vice chair
• Lane Coleman
• John Henry Davis
• Linda Forte
• Jane Garcia
• Jonathan Kinloch (@jkin5022)
Learn about your water commissioners: https://detroitmi.gov/government/boards/board-water-commissioners
Find something inaccurate? Email documenters@outliermedia.org, subject “Correction Request”. I’ll add corrections at the end of the thread.
Need image descriptions? Reply – I’ll describe images for you.
Those are my pre-meet notes, hope they’re helpful. See y’all at 01:00 PM!
Speaking of flooding, those stormclouds over Detroit right now look menacing. Hope y’all stay dry.
Online meeting is live! Someone says that commissioner Kinloch and another commissioner are not here, so they can’t vote on anything. #DETdocumenters https://t.co/Pxw5zuCet7
📣 They proceed straight to public comments!
Philip says no amount of lead in the water supply is safe. They demand that a service line on Patton, south of Grand River, needs to be replaced.
A commissioner says service line replacements are a priority, but is cut off by an awful noise.
The commissioner says they’re experiencing a technical difficulty and it’s fixed.
They say that they’re replacing private service lines, that they have a map of ongoing projects, and that they notify residents through an outreach program. The commissioner asks Philip to put their contact info in the online meeting chat.
That was the only public comment.
Another commissioner says although they don’t have the quorum to vote on any items, they’ll walk-on these items to the next meeting.
The board proceeds to a March 2022 financial review presentation. Istakur Rahman joins remotely to give the presentation. He more-or-less sticks to what’s written to the slides. https://t.co/gCcoTNXBVL
Rahman says DWSD is exceeding their overall budget expectations.
Commissioner Einheuser asks about the allowance for bad debt, which increased by $93.6 million or 65.5 percent. Rahman says to mitigate this, they’re seeking to improve collections efforts. https://t.co/12S4hQDKOk
Einheuser says that they simply cannot shut off customers’ water to solve the debt.
Debra Pospiech assures the board that there is a plan and attributes the low collection rate to the moratorium on water shutoffs. https://t.co/6l7PIc52KL
Rahman says they need more customers who need it to sign onto their water affordability program, although it only has a finite amount of funding.
Hardly any of the meeting body members are being identified by name, so it’s hard to say who says what. They did get their audio issues in check though.
Rahman proceeds with his presentation. Again, he recites what’s written on the slides. https://t.co/ZeOHzmnWhi
Rahman points out that the street sweeping budget was implemented as the city wanted to share the cost of street sweeping, but DWSD hasn’t used much of that money.
Rahman says they wait for the city to bill DWSD for street sweeping and other expenses that they want to share.
Rahman says, “The month of March was a very positive month for us in terms of collections.” He attributes this to folks getting tax refunds. https://t.co/6ZL0DyiDLV
He says that increased residential collections are mainly responsible for their upward revenue trends. https://t.co/46LfO4AAOl
Rahman now takes questions.
A commissioner remarks that numbers outside of accounts receivable also look improved. Rahman concurs, despite some lag in residential collections.
The board briefly flashes a planning calendar on the screen. I wasn’t able to find this online.
Monica Daniels joins remotely to present the 2023-2027 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and 2023 capital budget. https://t.co/zOSWpOq0ip
Ope, Daniels just disconnected from the online meeting… And she’s back.
Pospiech says at some point, they’ll have to interrupt her presentation to adjourn then call the next meeting to order. https://t.co/WyBFOXmx72
Referring to the “Next Steps” slide, Daniels says the lighter-shaded items are completed. That’s it for her presentation. Commissioners have no questions. https://t.co/EJavAhzp9E
The board now recesses. Acting chair commissioner Einheuser calls the role. Commissioner Coleman is absent, but they now have quorum.
Although that meeting is quickly adjourned.
⌚️ At 01:47 PM, the meeting for the Capital Improvement Program & Operations Committee (CIPO) starts.
The committee approves this meeting’s agenda and their minutes from last month’s meeting.
📣 At 01:47 PM, CIPO proceeds to hear public comments!
Philip from the last public comment hearing is here again, reiterating that no amount of lead is safe in drinking water. They say no-one has followed up with them after making comment in the past few hearings.
DWSD staffmember Sam Smalley joins remotely to respond. He says that their was an area in their neighborhood where they didn’t do oversight, they intend to replace Philip’s service line, and they have a draft letter.
Beulah comments that they’re glad that residential collections are improving, and approves of the non-profit Hydrate Detroit for assisting with bill payments. … https://t.co/Qw1NJpszud
They refer to an increase water main breaks, and thanks commissioner Kinloch (not present) for solving the issues with the Land Bank.
✉️ At 01:52 PM, CIPO proceeds to communications. The committee has four Receipts of Correspondence. They approve all of them without discussion.
💼 At 01:53 PM, CIPO proceeds to new business. There are two items.
Item 22-0832, quarterly review of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP): Daniels returns to present this.
Daniels says this slide is meant to be titled “Quarter 3”. She goes over what’s written on the slides. https://t.co/YVWv0DZmLQ
Daniels says the $6 million for lead water line replacements was not fully spent yet. https://t.co/uHwFOCTo4h
Pospiech thanks Daniels and points that Daniels is taking another job outside DWSD. Einheuser congratulates her and remarks that she won’t be able to spent as much money as she does here. https://t.co/3oYDvGl2S3
Item 18-0004: No comments regarding this planning calendar.
⏱ At 02:00 PM, Capital Improvement Program & Operations Committee adjourns. Stay tuned for the Customer Service Committee meeting.
⌚️ At 02:00 PM, the Customer Service Committee (CS) meeting starts. They call roll and have a quorum. The committee approves this meeting’s agenda and their minutes from last month’s meeting.
📣 At 02:01 PM, CS proceeds to public comments! No-one has requested to speak.
✉️ At 02:02 PM, CS proceeds to communications. They have one Receipt of Communication and three Receipts of Correspondence. The committee quickly approves all of them.
They’re going fast!
Someone asks what happens after receiving these pieces of correspondence. Pospiech says many of the issues in these letters have already been resolved. The board now looks through some of the letters.
Phew, this camera in the meeting chamber is making me dizzy!
Commissioners discuss one of the billing issues referred to in communications.
Someone clears up the communications process: The customer’s request is resolved before their correspondence is filed and brought to the board.
💼 At 02:09 PM, CS proceeds to new business. There are two items.
Item 22-0831, a presentation: Matthew Philips joins remotely to give this one.
Phillips’s presentation highlights some customer service statistics from May. He says they’re running above their key performance targets. https://t.co/CM9mJZmKVY
A commissioner says these targets are too broad and that the average speed of response for emails (10 days) is still too long. Philips says he’d like it to be 24 hours but needs more staff.
CORRECTION: Their average speed of response to emails is 14 hours as of May. Their key performance target is 10 days, which the commissioner said is too broad.
A commissioner asks for some of the rows on this table be colored differently, depending on whether they’re meeting the key performance target or not.
Phillips shows off DWSD new online customer service portal. Upcoming features for the portal include a way to complete a real estate closing, a contact form (customers will be able to contact DWSD sub-departments), and a link to ImproveDetroit (per customer feedback). https://t.co/89YAnvTy7L
Phillips thanks Dan Raimey (Rainey?) in the Department of Innovation & Technology for the portal.… https://t.co/nC97dJR9FI
A commissioner asks if there are performance measurements for the online portal. Phillips says yes, but he needs to get more information on the number of users. He also shows a pie graph on service requests.
Philips says despite the portal, he said the call volume has increased slightly but emphasizes this portal has only been online for six months.
Phillips says he thinks, over time, more people will use the portal and the amount of customer service calls will reduce.
Another commissioner asks if there has been a spike in inquiries regarding the lead service line warranty program. Phillips says yes, and many customers are just asking whether the program is legit.
CORRECTION: The warranty program is for all service lines, not just lead service lines.
Another another commissioner asks if customers without internet access are worried about customer service quality through other means. Phillips says no and that the portal provides an improvement.
Yet another commissioner who isn’t identified asks about the service line warranty program.
Phillips says the customer inquiries about the warranty program’s legitimacy have gradually went away.
Phillips goes back to his presentation, highlighting the portal’s visual data features that show a customer’s water usage. https://t.co/brekGVCYei
Someone interjects saying they need to recess.
⌚️ At 02:31 PM, the meeting for the Human Resources & Organizational Development Committee (HR) starts. This is our last meeting today.
Phillips resumes his presentation.
Phillips highlights the ways customers can contact DWSD. He now also explains how customers can properly shut-off their water (e.g. for an emergency, vacation). He says he’s doing this as his department has gotten many calls related to this. https://t.co/3T1AwSiolk
That’s it for Phillips’s presentation. A commissioner commends Phillips and his team for the explainer.…
Another commissioner asks Phillips how DWSD can better communicate with customers. He refers to public affairs, suggests DWSD’s online presence, and says there’s signage outside the building with the same explainer.
They’ve postponed the planning calendar review to the next meeting, Phillips says it’s not yet ready.
A commissioner says an absent commissioner (or staffmember?) has COVID-19, and that a staffmember is leaving for another job.
⏱ At 02:39 PM, the Customer Service Committee adjourns.
⌚️ At 02:31 PM, the meeting for the Human Resources & Organizational Development Committee (HR) starts.
The committee approves this meeting’s agenda and their minutes from last month’s meeting.
📣 At 02:40 PM, the HR Committee proceeds to hear public comments!
Demeeko Williams, Hydrate Detroit, says internet issues prevented them from commenting earlier.…
They give high praise for the online portal – “please give him [Phillips] a hand clap for this, since we’ve been asking for it since 2014”.…
Williams also refers to the water main breaks that they’ve seen in the middle of streets. Williams says that they can’t provide water for folks who had main breaks but wants DWSD to help them. …
Williams wishes for another meeting with Wayne County’s water department regarding new development.
Lastly, they promote a Hydrate Detroit event for bill assistance.
✉️ At 02:44 PM, the HR Committee proceeds to communications. They have one Receipt of Correspondence (Item 22-0801) for a staff metrics presentation from April. Patricia Thornhill joins remotely to give this presentation.
Commissioner Black asks how they engaged an outside consultant for training. Thornhill says something I missed (sorry). https://t.co/yv3j8WtWl6
There is an increase of COVID-19 cases among DWSD staff. Thornhill urges caution.
Someone asks a question – Thornhill says vaccination disclosure is voluntary for employees, and thinks they should send another vaccine reminder to staff. https://t.co/HcfBc056ca
Thornhill says they’re currently working on “merit planning”, which sounds like an employee retainment measure. https://t.co/PPaMyHb1vP
A commissioner asks if the performance evaluation is distinct from merit evaluations. Thornhill says yes.
Someone’s computer in the meeting chamber is making a bunch of noises.
Last few slides…
A commissioner asks about lump sum bonuses… Thornhill says these are given to employees who are denied raises.
Another commissioner asks about the same thing, and is concerned about referring to it as a “bonus”. https://t.co/vKdMHsT74r
Another another commissioner about lump sum bonuses and merit increases. Thornhill says supervisors are informed first. This process started in 2019.
Commissioner Garcia asks how these bonuses are budgeted. Thornhill says it comes from their “merit pot”, as approved by the budget director. Rahman says these are accounted for in their budget. Garcia says they want to see a written statement on this.
CORRECTION: We’re in New Business. That presentation was Item 22-0817.
Item 22-0804, monthly safety report: Christopher Dixon joins remotely to give this presentation.
Looks like the monthly site inspections graph is missing the data point for May, which is 69. https://t.co/OR72o2mxKL
A boardmember asks Dixon if he spoke about all five bullet points on the slide titled “Safety Vision 2022 and Beyond Update”. Dixon says he could.
Dixon says HR talks about career opportunties at high schools and training schools. …
The same commissioner tells Dixon to give more details in his presentations going forward. https://t.co/AHXlU2OJa4
⏱ At 03:07 PM, the Human Resources & Organizational Development Committee adjourns! But before we go…
Commissioner Einheuser asks if their next meeting date, July 6, should be moved. Other commissioners concur.
Then they closed the online meeting.
Detroit Documenters will offer more notes and archived materials from this meeting: https://detroit.documenters.org/assignments/bowc-all-committees-3954/
The next regular BOWC meeting, which will also include a Public Rate Hearing, will be Wednesday, June 15 at 02:00 PM: https://detroitmi.gov/events/board-water-commissioners-june-2022-meeting-public-rate-hearing
That’s my live coverage of these Committee Meetings from the Board of Water Commissioners. As always, thank you for following along!
Check out @DetDocumenters to find more about your local government and how to become a Documenter yourself: https://detroit.documenters.org/
Read these tweets on Mastodon (@civicDetroitDan@a2mi.social): https://a2mi.social/@civicDetroitDan/108402889100345967
Corrections, if any, will follow below. Thank you everyone and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!