Staff to Be Reduced at Mesa Water District

A plan to reduce the management staff of the Mesa Consolidated Water District won approval Thursday from the agency’s board of trustees.

But the staff reduction, to four managers from seven, did not go far enough, some residents and board members said.

“That was not streamlining or downsizing, to my way of thinking,” said board President Trudy Ohlig, who voted against the plan. Ohlig added that she does not think the job descriptions for the remaining management positions were adequately written.

But General Manager Karl Kemp said the goal of the reorganization was not to downsize but to reflect the change in the water agency’s focus from construction to water resource management.

Because two managers left Mesa Consolidated in December and have not been replaced, only one position remains to be cut. The last position will be eliminated by combining the public affairs and administration departments under one manager.