§ 4.80.020. Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility Board of Directors.

A.

There is established an Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility Board of Directors with the powers and duties described herein.

B.

The Board shall consist of seven directors. All directors shall be citizens of the United States, and residents of and registered voters in the Municipality of Anchorage. At least four of the directors shall be customers of the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility, and one director shall be an employee of the municipality. Directors shall be qualified as follows:

1.

One director shall be a member in good standing of the Alaska Bar with experience in utility matters;

2.

One director shall be a registered professional engineer in Alaska with experience in utility matters;

3.

One director shall have experience in finance, accounting, or business administration with experience in utility matters;

4.

One director shall be a public health professional;

5.

One director shall be a utility municipal employee from a utility bargaining unit;

6.

Two directors shall be at large.

C.

The general manager of the utility shall be the executive secretary and technical advisor to the Board, and the utility shall provide the administrative support for the Board.

D.

In proposing Directors for appointment to the Board, the Municipality shall give due consideration to technical qualifications.

1.

When transmitting to the Assembly for confirmation the name of appointees to the Board, the Mayor shall cause a notice of a ten (10) day comment period inviting public comment on the qualifications of such appointees to be published. The notice shall state that comments must be in writing, and must be filed with the municipal clerk.

2.

Upon receipt of such comments, the municipal clerk shall forward the comments to the Mayor and the Assembly.

3.

The Assembly shall take no action on confirmation of an appointee until after the close of the public comment period.

E.

The Board shall exercise the following powers:

1.

Plan the utility's capital improvement program and maintenance strategy and operations and make recommendations to the Mayor;

2.

Plan the utility's operating budget and make recommendations to the Mayor;

3.

Oversee creation of the utility's strategic plan, and make recommendations to the Mayor;

4.

Oversee creation of the utility's long term fiscal plan, and make recommendations to the Mayor;

5.

Recommend tariff rates and fees for products and services provided by the utility to the Mayor, for approval by the assembly;

6.

Recommend appropriate and reasonable tariff rules for the utility to the Mayor. The existing tariff rules, approved by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska as of the effective date of this section, shall continue in force until changed by the assembly;

7.

Establish procedures for review of formal and informal complaints from customers, and for appeals of decisions on such complaints, within the parameters in section H. below; and

8.

Recommend to the assembly revisions to the code the board deems necessary or desirable for the efficient operation of the utility or for the benefit of its customers.

F.

General Manager.

1.

The mayor shall appoint the general manager of the utility, subject to confirmation by the assembly. The general manager shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor.

2.

A majority of the board may recommend dismissal of the general manager to the mayor.

3.

When a vacancy in the position of general manager occurs, the board shall recommend to the mayor not less than three qualified candidates for the position. The mayor shall appoint the general manager from those candidates recommended by the board.

G.

It is not a conflict of interest for a municipal utility employee or a utility rate-payer to participate as a director on the Board.

H.

Customer complaints and appeals.

1.

A decision by the utility on a formal complaint may be appealed to the board within thirty (30) days after notice of the decision is mailed to the parties.

2.

Decisions of the board on a formal complaint may be appealed to the ombudsman within thirty (30) days after notice of the board's decision is mailed to the parties.

3.

Appeals of utility decisions not received by the board or the ombudsman, as appropriate, within the time set forth herein, shall be dismissed.

I.

Except as inconsistent with this section, all provisions of the code, including titles 3, 4, 6, 7 and 25 regarding employee relations, personnel, payroll, purchasing, finance, information technology & enterprise solution, and legal services, apply to the utility.

J.

The sunset provisions in section 4.05.150 shall not apply to this board.

(AO No. 2005-107, § 4, 9-13-05; AO No. 2011-24(S), § 10, 5-24-11; AO No. 2011-64(S-1), § 7, 6-28-11)