Response Plan for Electric Distribution Operations

City Administrator Nussbaum and Public Works Director Campbell address recent events regarding the electric distribution team.

On March 24, City Administration made changes in leadership within the electric utility department.  On the same day, an apprentice lineman submitted a resignation, unrelated to these leadership changes. Following the announcement of these changes, the remaining members of the electric distribution team provided their resignations at different dates and times between March 25-27, ultimately leading to the departure of six employees. City Administration has been actively addressing the recent personnel changes within the electric distribution team and working on solutions to ensure continued service to the citizens of Falls City. A summary of the response plan is as follows: 

Discussion with CWA Leadership

On March 31, pursuant to Article 37 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), the Public Works Director, Trevor Campbell, met with Darren Donovan, President of the CWA and city employees that requested a meeting to discuss the situation. The meeting was constructive, with both the CWA and the City of Falls City in agreement that our shared priority is ensuring reliable utility services for the community while fostering a productive work environment for employees. The conversation reinforced a mutual commitment to maintaining a stable and effective workforce. While recent leadership changes and employee resignations remain in place, our focus now shifts to rebuilding the electric distribution team.

Contractor Support & Temporary Staffing Solutions

Public Works Director, Trevor Campbell, has engaged local contractors who are prepared to provide support on a contractual basis. In addition, he is working with multiple entities to establish master service agreements for on-call and scheduled electric distribution system work. These agreements will allow the City to maintain essential operations while we focus on rebuilding the electric distribution team.

Emergency Response & Mutual Aid Agreements

The City has mutual aid agreements in place with other utilities and contracting firms to provide support in the event of storm damage or other emergencies. All mutual aid partners have been made aware of our current staffing situation, and we will engage their assistance as needed to ensure continued service reliability in the event of emergency repair needs.

Recruitment Efforts & Workforce Development

The City has posted job openings for electric distribution linemen on the City website and Indeed. Applications have been received, and interviews are currently being scheduled. We are actively working to hire qualified replacements to restore our electric distribution team as quickly as possible.

Next Steps & Recommendations

• Short-Term Operations: Utilize contracted services and mutual aid agreements to maintain system reliability and respond to any emergency repairs.
• Recruitment & Workforce Development: Continue scheduling interviews and hiring new team members to rebuild the electric distribution workforce.
• Long-Term Stability: Establish master service agreements to provide supplemental support as needed in the future, ensuring workforce resiliency.