UPDATE 11/15/2021: I heard the lineman was made an offer by the City, and he is no longer leaving. I hope this means we’ll get the other positions filled too. I like having our own electric utility and the security that comes with it.

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I have a guest blogger! This was emailed to me last night. It’s news we all need to know so we have time to prepare.

As we head into the storm season, please know that Milton no longer has any linemen employed to repair downed power lines.  For years, the City has been trying to fill a vacant lineman position (you can find it on the City’s website).  We had two, then one… now none.

First the apprentice lineman gave his notice.  I don’t have any idea why an apprentice would give up the tutoring required to become a journeyman.  Maybe he didn’t like the working conditions.  Maybe he found a better job (as the Mayor so often explains when employees leave).  Maybe he knew that his mentor was going to leave and found another job before he lost the one in Milton.  Either way, he left.

Now, the lineman supervisor has given his notice to leave.  This is one of the highest paid employees working for the citizens of Milton.  He has been employed by Milton for 15 years.  He is too young to retire.  Again, maybe he found a better job.  Maybe he didn’t like the working conditions.  Maybe he didn’t like that the Mayor eliminated the position held by a friend last month.  Either way, he is leaving.

So, as we head into storm season, the lights may be out longer than usual as the City will need to contract with another agency or company to provide linemen.  This could prove costly as the agency or company will know we have to have the work done and will need to pay whatever the premium rate.

Let me get back to a question I posed above… Maybe the lineman supervisor left his high paying job in Milton because the Mayor eliminated the position held by a friend ~ the superintendent.  The mayor has stated in a post on October 23rd that she has only fired two people in the time she has been in charge, the finance director and the attorney in 2018.  What do you call it when you tell an employee that their position is going away and they only have two weeks left on the job?  Terminated comes to mind.  Why wouldn’t the Mayor remember terminating an employee just last month?  At the same time, why wouldn’t she remember telling the part time office assistant that her job was eliminated? What else doesn’t she remember?

What you need to remember is to stock up on firewood or a generator and candles for this winter.  If the power goes out, it may not come back on as quickly as we have enjoyed with our own employees.

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The only thing I have to add to what was written above is the question: “Why can’t we fill the positions in the electric department?” It could be that we aren’t offering industry standards, such as double time and meals, which are offered by surrounding utilities.

The City Council looked at the Mayor salaries in other cities as the basis to increase this Mayor’s salary, and it’s not like this Mayor could go apply to be Mayor somewhere else. Prospective employees can choose to work anywhere, and if we can’t compete financially we have to provide a better working environment — sometimes the “little things” make the difference. Milton appears to be currently failing in both categories.

Here’s the latest contract from Tacoma Power (link).

Here’s the latest contract in Milton (link).