THE TALLADEGA WATER & SEWER BOARD
TALLADEGA, ALABAMA
Talladega, population 17,344, is located in the foothills of the Appalachians, just 20 miles south of Interstate 20. Its location between two major urban areas, Birmingham 50 miles to the west and Atlanta 100 miles to the east, is an ideal situation for proximity to services and entertainment. The City was established in 1834. It is proud of its historical heritage reflected in three districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Talladega College, a restored Art Deco theater that hosts an impressive number of nationally recognized touring theater and musical performances annually, and the homes on the annual tour of historic homes. The City of Talladega operates a full-service local government. The City government has recently adopted a Council/Manager plan and the City has employed its first City Manager. The Talladega Water & Sewer Board is a public corporation incorporated under the laws of State of Alabama. The Board was incorporated in 1965 to operate the City’s water works plant and distribution system and its sanitary sewer system. The Board operates the Water System and the Sewer System as a combined and consolidated system. The system is in good financial shape. The Talladega Water & Sewer Board has one main Water Treatment Plant. It is rated at 4,000,000 gallons per day, but is currently pumping half its capacity. Approximately 32 percent of water usage within the system is industrial and commercial usage with the remainder of the demand attributed to residential customers. There is a need to overhaul and upgrade the water and sewer systems for the future. The Board has a $3.5 million annual operating budget. It has 41 full-time employees. There are five members of the Water & Sewer Board. Each is appointed to a 7 year term by the City Council of the City of Talladega. Appointments are on a staggered basis. The Water & Sewer Board establishes policy for the operation of the Water & Sewer system. Policy execution is the responisbility of the General Manager. The General Manager is responsible for overall management of the water and sewer system. This individual is also responsible for supervising the purchasing, finance, administrative personnel, and data processing functions of the Water & Sewer Board. Duties also include serving as liaison on various citizen’s committees and boards, and working with the Water & Sewer Board Attorney on various legal matters, at the discretion of the Board. Work is performed under the general direction and policies of the Water & Sewer Board and is reviewed through periodic conferences and reports. This is a year to year position. Examples of work to be performed include executing policy decisions of the Water & Sewer Board; attending Water and Sewer Board meetings; assuming responsibility for the gathering of necessary documentation and data; preparing resolutions and legal documents; reviewing draft of minutes and documents for form and content, and, in the absence of the Board Secretary, taking minutes or assigning someone to take them and prepares for the records. The successful candidate for this position must have graduated from an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and have a minimum of five years experience managing a municipal water and sewer operation. The candidate must be a licensed Civil Engineer in the State of Alabama or have the ability to become licensed in the State within a reasonable period of time. It is essential that the candidate have an extensive background in water and/or wastewater system operations and also have leadership, management, organization and supervision skills necessary to be an effective key utility executive. Knowledge of budget and finance of a water and sewer system is also required. The General Manager needs experience in record keeping and must know how to plan for and prepare cost estimates for an expanded water and sewer utility. This person must have the ability to effectively report to a Board. The starting salary for the new General Manager of the Talladega Water & Sewer Board is expected to be in the range of $65,000 to $80,000, depending on experience and qualifications. A vehicle will be provided for business use. A competitive fringe benefit program will also be provided. Send confidential resumes should be sent by close of business August 13, 2004, to James L. Mercer, President, The Mercer Group, Inc., 5579B Chamblee Dunwoody Road, #511, Atlanta, GA 30338. VOICE: (770) 551-0403; FAX: (770) 399-9749; E-Mail: mercer@mindspring.com. The Talladega Water & Sewer Board is an Equal Opportunity Employer.