- Notes from leadership
- Ethical brain teaser
- ICYMI - New venue for EWEB Board meetings
- Travel assistance, allowing EWEB employees to travel with confidence
- Leaburg Canal update
- ICYMI - Interested in learning about the foundations of Continuous Improvement at EWEB?
- Interview panel training
- Thank you Thursday!
- MissionSquare Retirement offers free financial webinars
- Current recruitments
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Notes from leadership
Executive Team
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Now that COVID building-use restrictions have been relaxed, it’s been great to see faces and smiles again. If you see us around, take a minute to say “hello” and get reacquainted, especially if we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting, or meeting in person, yet. |
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Ethical brain teaser
Matthew Conley, Enterprise Risk
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Have you ever been confronted by a seemingly impossible task? One that loomed large in front of you with no hope in sight? Sometimes we are presented with challenges we cannot hope to overcome alone. It is then, in our darkest hour, we must reach out for help. By forming a Fellowship with others of like-mind and working toward a shared purpose, we may yet overcome even the most difficult of challenges. Now put this into the context of our lives as public officials. What happens when you’ve done the impossible, the crisis has been averted and you are offered a reward for all of your hard work?
In the following case study, based on an actual EWEB ethics question ERM received, we will examine whether or not a public official can benefit from the kindness shown by others.
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It has been nearly 1.5 years since wildfire tore through the Willamette National Forest reducing much of it to ash. In the aftermath, EWEB has taken a leadership role in the area’s restoration efforts. Partnering alongside watershed researchers, forest management agencies and local nonprofits, these groups have formed a true Fellowship who work to prioritize watershed restoration activities and help with long-term community recovery.
Amongst the hardest hit were residents of the upriver community, including local business magnate, Bilbo Baggins. Mr. Baggins is the founder and managing partner of the Prancing Pony Restaurant & Inn, located adjacent to the McKenzie River. Unfortunately for Mr. Baggins, the Prancing Pony and much of the neighboring area was destroyed during the fire. In the time since, the Fellowship has been able to restore much of the area, allowing Mr. Baggins to rebuild the Prancing Pony.
To reward the Fellowship for their hard work, he invited all members and their families to a charity luncheon to show his appreciation. Surely the Fellowship can attend with no strings attached, right?
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Some people cannot help themselves and find they are seduced by the potential for power. We wants it, we needs it, must have the precious…. Of course, in this case by ‘power’ I mean the thrill of attending a charity luncheon, all the while ignoring any potential ethical implications…but hold fast! Do not allow yourself to fall to this temptation. Keep your wits about you and seek out the wisdom of the EWEB Ethics Policy for guidance. It says each individual public official is limited in the types of gifts they are allowed to accept. A public official, their relatives and their household members are limited to accepting no more than $50 per calendar year in gifts IF the source of the gift had a financial interest distinct from that of the general public in matters subject to the official's decisions.
Most members of the Fellowship aren’t making mealtime decisions on behalf of their respective organizations and can accept a gift from the Prancing Pony without restriction, including this meal. For those few employees who have the power to decide where their organizations choose to cater from, they are limited to $50 in a calendar year from the same source. One caveat to point out is that if other members of the Fellowship are NOT public entities, they will not find themselves bound by the same ethical restrictions as we do.
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A further consideration is the consumption of alcohol. Whether this is done on paid time or an employee’s personal time is important and ERM recommends following up with your friendly Human Resources representative for further guidance. Remember, while it does come in pints, sometimes one pint is one too many!
If you find yourself upon the precipice, remember, “A day may come when the courage of EWEBers may fail… but it is not THIS day.” Please reach out to your ERM partner or the Oregon Government Ethics Commission regarding any ethical concerns you may have.
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ICYMI - New venue for EWEB Board meetings
Anne Kah, General Manager's Office
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Commissioners are making a cautious return to the Board Room and are now holding in-person public meetings with a livestream option. During the pandemic, we have discovered that hybrid meetings are very popular and that many people prefer to tune in to Board meetings from the comfort of their home. We owe it to our remote participants to give them the best meeting experience possible.
Because our remaining time at the riverfront Headquarters site is short, we are reluctant to spend a lot of money on technology upgrades there to improve hybrid meeting quality. Since the Board will eventually need to transition to a new location, they’ve decided to make the change sooner rather than later. Given that the ROC Training Room is specially equipped with built-in technology to manage hybrid meetings, Commissioners will begin meeting at the ROC on a trial basis, starting with the March 31 executive session. The first public meeting, including a public hearing, will be held on April 5.
Here are a few things to know about this change:
- Public access will be limited to the Training Room and restrooms.
- EWEB Security Officers will closely monitor the meeting room and hallway to ensure members of the public do not stray into restricted areas. If the ROC is chosen as the permanent Board meeting location, physical barriers (temporary gates) may also be used during after-hours Board meetings.
- Because we know COVID-19 is highly contagious, and distancing is the best risk mitigation, we would like to limit in-person EWEB attendance to only staff whose in-person presence is essential to the meeting. We respectfully request that other EWEB employees participate virtually to reduce the meeting room capacity. In the future, we may be able to accommodate more EWEB personnel.
Now that visitors are returning to the ROC, it is more important than ever that we reserve the designated parking spaces for them. Read more about parking at EWEB in last week's article titled “Friendly reminder on vehicle parking area use”.
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Travel assistance, allowing EWEB Employees to travel with confidence
Jessica Auxier, Workforce Services
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What do you do when you're traveling and you lose your credit card, or worst it gets stolen? Ever had unforeseen events or circumstances derail your travel plans? Or have medical problems surface at the most inconvenient times?
The Standard and PacificSource can help you navigate these issues and more at any time of the day or night.
Travel Assistance is available when you travel more than 100 miles from home or internationally for up to 180 days for business or pleasure. It offers aid before and during your trip, including:
- Emergency ticket, credit card and passport replacement
- Lost or missing baggage
- Help replacing prescription medication
- Connection to medical care providers and services
- Logistical arrangements for ground transportation, housing and/or evacuation in the event of a natural disaster
Want to know more? Click HERE!
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Leaburg Canal update
Adam Spencer, Communications Team
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EWEB dewatered the Leaburg Canal in October 2018 after observations of increased seepage and internal erosion of the canal banks. In late 2019, EWEB started a comprehensive assessment of the canal to better understand the level of investment that would be required to ensure long-term safe and reliable operation. We are currently working with consultants to conduct a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) assessment to analyze the financial, environmental, and social impacts of multiple repair alternatives for the canal – a process that will be ongoing throughout 2022.
Guided by complex evaluations of multiple potential solutions to address these structural issues with the canal, the Leaburg Canal Strategic Evaluation Team has identified four alternatives to study in further detail.
Each alternative places the safety of EWEB employees and the community as its highest priority.
The alternatives will help EWEB Commissioners decide the ultimate fate of the Leaburg Project, whether it is “returned-to-service” or decommissioned and used solely for “stormwater conveyance.”
Of the four alternatives, two are on opposite ends of the “stormwater conveyance” vs. “return-to-service” spectrum. Alternative 1 represents the full removal of all facilities to pre-project conditions – as if the Leaburg Project were never built. Alternative 2 entails a full renovation of all facilities back to peak performance configuration. These bookended scenarios would be the most expensive due to the extensive construction and repairs required throughout the entire project and facilities.
Alternative 3 includes a mix of a “return-to-service” and “stormwater conveyance” strategies. This alternative proposes adding a new power generation facility higher up the canal, with repairs and alterations to the canal downstream of the new powerhouse to transition it to a stormwater conveyance facility. This alternative compares the costs of repairs and alterations to the potential power and revenue generation that EWEB would be able to recoup. It also preserves EWEB water rights for power generation.
Alternative 4 decommissions the canal, combining “stormwater conveyance” alterations to sections of the canal with the restoration of other parts of the Leaburg Project to pre-project conditions. This alternative is a flexible option that converts short-term risk reduction measures that are under consideration into a long-term solution.
The Project Team will continue to work with our consultants and EWEB employees from multiple departments to study the financial, social and environmental impacts to the utility, our customers and the upriver community. Members of the Financial Planning and Power Planning teams joined Hydropower Operators and the Project Team on a tour of the Leaburg Project on March 17 to understand the issues and repair alternatives.
Meanwhile, the Project Team will carry on with the prioritization of near-term risk reduction alternatives. Risk reduction measures will include reversible canal configuration changes, such as isolating portions of the canal from the high flow creeks, and canal-wide efforts, such as proactive removal of unhealthy trees that could fall into the canal during a storm and obstruct water flow.
Finally, EWEB has placed offers on two properties that recently became available on the real estate market. Both properties are adjacent to the canal near to where EWEB expects to be constructing risk reduction improvements in the future. Purchasing these properties will ease construction access to work on the canal, whether that work involves canal restoration or decommissioning.
If you’re interested in learning more about the project, you can visit the new webpage, read the upcoming April 5 memo to the Board of Commissioners, attend the Project Team’s presentation at the April 19 upriver Board meeting or reach out to one of us via email.
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ICYMI - Interested in learning about the foundations of Continuous Improvement at EWEB?
Kelsey Bannon, Continuous Improvement
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Join the Continuous Improvement team in a conversation about PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) and how to change for the better.
At some point in our lives, most of us experience problems we need to solve. We might even be involved in a process that we know can be improved. It can help to increase your success in effectively solving problems and improving processes if you have a tried-and-true method to follow.
We highly recommend that you check out the Continuous Improvement foundational class where we will discuss a technique that can significantly help you in achieving your goals; Plan-Do-Check-Act or PDCA. PDCA is the foundation of the continuous improvement approach to changing for the better. In this class, not only will we explore the PDCA methodology, but we’ll also be discussing, “What’s in it for me?”
Sometimes asking the question “What’s in it for me?” may feel selfish, self-serving or uncomfortable. But think about this for a moment. When we make the biggest decisions of our lives, in any arena, whether it be work, study, relationships — we are all, to a lesser or greater extent, making those decisions out of care for what we want. How can you leverage this methodology to make a profound impact in both your personal and professional growth?
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Interview panel training
Jessica Auxier, Workforce Services
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Workforce Services will be offering interview panel training on the second Wednesday of the month to all employees. The next training will be:
Wednesday, April 13, 9 – 10:30 a.m.
Click the link below to sign up:
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From EWEB employee Lana Kindt: I would like to extend a big THANK YOU to Faith Schueller for her willingness to always help, even on short notice. It's people like her that make EWEB a great place to work.
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MissionSquare Retirement offers free financial webinars |
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MissionSquare Retirement will be hosting several financial webinars throughout 2022 to help you prepare for retirement.
April: Retirement myths and realities
Wednesday, Apr. 13, 10 a.m. Pacific Time
Wednesday, Apr. 27, 10 a.m. Pacific Time
May: Reward yourself for a job well done
Wednesday, May 11, 10 a.m. Pacific Time
Monday, May 26, 10 a.m. Pacific Time
Hosted by: Denise Dunlap
You can also reach out to your Retirement Plans Specialist, DeLana Hansen, to schedule a one-on-one appointment.
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Current recruitments
Jessica Auxier, Workforce Services
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We are pleased to announce the following opportunities are currently available here at EWEB!
To learn more, please visit your UKG account under “View Opportunities” to read the full job posting and to apply.
To stay up-to-date on all the latest job opportunities, continue to visit Employee News and UKG each week! Thank you!
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Are you interested in sharing an article through Employee News? Please submit your article to employee.news@eweb.org by Wednesday afternoon to be included in that week's article. |
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