Paradise Irrigation District
District Manager
Link To Brochure: https://koffassociates.com/koff2020//wp-content/uploads/2017/11/PID-District-Manager-Brochure.pdf
The District
Located in central Butte County, California, the Paradise Irrigation District was established in 1916 to supply water to an area of approximately 11,250 acres. The District was established as a special district under Division 11 of the California Water Code and currently serves treated water to approximately 26,000 persons within the Town of Paradise, including residential, commercial, and some agricultural water users. The District currently relies predominately on surface water sourced from the Little Butte Creek watershed, a minor stream in the Sacramento Valley drainage that rises in the northwestern foothills of the Sierra Nevada and lies wholly in Butte County. Little Butte Creek conveys surface water and storm runoff into the Paradise Reservoir and Magalia Reservoir. PID has three water rights permits allowing diversion of water from Little Butte Creek: two storage permits and a direct diversion right. The average runoff for the watershed is approximately 15,960 acre-feet (AF) per year.
Two reservoirs provide storage impounded by the Paradise and Magalia Dams, which hold a combined capacity of 12,293 AF of water. The District also has a well that produces an estimated annual output of 200 AF to augment supply in drought or emergency situations.
The District operates a water filtration treatment plant, which can process 22.8 million gallons per day (MGD). A gravity fed system pipes the water to the community, which has approximately 10,500 connections.
Additional District services include managing the recreational uses and related facilities of the District’s reservoirs, water conservation and related consumer educational programs, and related security measures.
The District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, elected at large from within the District’s service area to four-year terms. The Board hosts regularly scheduled meetings on the third Wednesday of each calendar month at 6:30 p.m.
The Community
Incorporated in 1979, the Town of Paradise has a current population of approximately 26,000. It is located in the scenic foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Butte County, approximately 90 miles north of Sacramento, and 10 miles east of Chico. Paradise residents enjoy the smell of pine trees and the mild climate found at elevations ranging from 1,080 feet in the southwest corner to 2,320 feet in the northeast. Growing at a slow to moderate pace, the Butte County Long-Term Regional Growth Forecast anticipates a population of 27,000 by the year 2020. The community offers a variety of attractive housing opportunities and an overall cost of living moderately lower than those found in other regions of California.
Paradise is one of five incorporated regions in Butte County, with the others being Chico, Gridley, Biggs, and Oroville, which serves as the county seat. The area has a variety of opportunities for cultural enrichment and relaxation in a non-congested, rural environment. Bidwell Park, in nearby Chico, is one of the largest municipal parks in the world extending nearly 11 miles along Big Chico Creek. Educational and cultural activities are available through California State University, Chico and nearby Butte College, as well as Paradise’s Theater on the Ridge and Performing Arts Center.
Other recreational opportunities are abundant in the area. Nearby Lake Oroville provides a wide array of activities. Water sports of all types are available on the crystal lakes that dot the Sierra Nevada landscape. Either whitewater rafting or canoeing is an excellent choice in the canyons of many local rivers; fishing opportunities for game fish like salmon, trout, and bass are abundant; mountain biking and equestrian trails run for hundreds of miles, and backpacking is available in many square miles of wilderness.
Challenges and Opportunities
Leading a dedicated team of 40 employees, the District Manager will have an opportunity to be a part of an established, resourceful, and service-oriented public water agency located in a scenic foothill setting that offers an affordable California cost of living.
The District Manager directs the work of all functional areas within the District including administration, operations, and finance to ensure that processes and services comply with the policies and strategic direction set forth by the Board of Directors.
Because the District enjoys the benefits of a dedicated and well-trained staff with little turnover and in-house advancement, respecting and utilizing this tremendous resource is a primary objective of the Board and expectation of the District Manager.
Challenges include:
- Securing and exercising existing water rights while ensuring water supplies for drought protection and future demand, in addition to seeking additional water entitlements.
- Replenishing cash reserves used during mandatory conservation with recent drought. Balancing between good stewardship of the District’s resources and maintaining stable revenues.
- Maintaining public trust and transparency following a protracted Proposition 218 rate increase. Helping to create policy that results in increased public involvement and trust, preparation, input, and acceptance.
Key Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Utilize proactive leadership, integrity, vision and communication skills to lead the District and its staff in maintaining a high-performance, team-based organization.
- Work confidently and collaboratively with the Board of Directors, making strong and educated recommendations and carrying out the Board’s direction.
- Develop strong interpersonal relationships with all levels of staff within the District, as well as the District’s customers and the community at large.
- Create an organizational culture of respect among staff and with the Board; develop a culture that values
- openness, personal and professional growth, honesty, independent action and teamwork, and encourages self-motivation; create an open and transparent culture.
- Create a strong performance ethic and set strong ethical standards by assisting staff to accomplish their goals while helping them remain accountable for their work product.
- Encourage initiative, risk-taking, creative problem solving, innovative goal setting and out-of-the-box thinking; assist staff to manage change and conflict.
- Utilize strong knowledge of applicable laws and regulations in consistently implementing policy directives and instructions from the Board of Directors.
- Utilize excellent judgement to evaluate and understand situations and make timely and effective decisions.
- Exercise effective, clear and honest communication by listening and understanding the interests of all stakeholders and the goals of the District.
- Monitor the District’s finances and recommend adjustments to the rate structure as necessary. Manage communications, notifications and public hearings regarding proposed increases incorporated in Proposition 218.
- Manage the development of operating and capital improvement budgets for review and adoption by the Board; direct and monitor the implementation of adopted annual budgets.
- Effectively represent and direct communications with local, state, and federal agencies, consultants, political bodies, community organizations, committees, and the public.
- Review legislation and related information, and prepare summary analysis for the Board.
- Manage the District’s labor and employee/ employer relations, policies, and procedures, and keep the Board informed on related issues.
The Ideal Candidate Profile
- An experienced water manager or high-level assistant in a full-service water utility with strong fiscal and management abilities, as well as significant knowledge of water resources and operations.
- Committed to the betterment of the District and the greater community for the long-term.
- Lead the creation and implementation of the District’s strategic work-plan and establish measurements for the achievement of goals, objectives, and priorities.
- Ability to represent the District professionally in a variety of meetings and negotiations including with customers, community groups, support organizations, and other governmental agencies to ensure open and transparent relationships.
- Serve as a mentor, coach counselor, facilitator, team player, and set performance examples that can be reinforced across the District.
- An effective listener and a team builder who is open to new ideas and
- Experience with a publicly elected Board of Directors, and laws and regulations governing the conduct of public meetings, such as the Brown Act and Rosenberg’s Rules of Order.
- Personable and innovative leader who will maintain positive Board-Manager relations, as well as excellent public and intergovernmental relations. A consensus builder with a track record of professional accomplishment.
Experience and Qualifications:
- Ten (10) years of increasingly responsible experience in the administration, operation and or financial management of a public water utility, including at least five (5) years of relevant organizational leadership and upper-level management experience in a public sector (preferably with a California water district).
- Professional experience with engineering and construction, applicable to the planning, design, and construction of District facilities.
- Basic water treatment and distribution principles and practices.
- Knowledge of laws, rules, ordinances and legislative processes controlling potable water district functions, programs, and operations.
- Principles of budget development and expenditure control, including capital improvement budgets.
- A valid California Driver’s license.
- A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Science, Finance, Engineering, Business or Public Administration, or a related field.
- Registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of California is desirable.
Compensation and Benefits
The starting salary shall be $135,000 subject to negotiation based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.
The District offers an excellent benefits package, found at www.koffassociates.com/jobs in the job announcement for this position.
Important Application Information
To apply for this opportunity, please visit the Koff & Associates website at www.koffassociates.com/jobs and complete an online application, or download a copy of our employment application and mail with a cover letter and resume to Koff & Associates, 2835 Seventh Street, Berkeley, CA 94710.
Deadline to apply is January 16, 2018.
The information contained herein does not constitute either an expressed or implied employment contract, and these provisions are subject to change.