From the Desk of Teri Nigretto
President, Eastsound Water Users Association
Good afternoon EWUA members.
Today, we need to talk about elephants – every room has one, or so it seems.
Like any good elephant, this one is tough and stubborn. But Steve Smith and some of his followers have so thoroughly distorted the truth that I need to address this matter now.
In late FY 2022, our General Manager, Dan Burke, was working with our bookkeeper, Dan Vierthaler, together with a four-person service team from Utah-based enterprise software firm Caselle. Their project was to help complete our transition from QuickBooks to Caselle’s higher-capacity enterprise software.
During the payroll conversion sessions, payroll specialist Jaime White noted that Burke’s payroll record carried an accrued-but-unclaimed paid time off (PTO) liability. He said it would be best to liquidate it before the close of the integration. All three of them reviewed the Employee Handbook and concluded that Burke was entitled.
Burke accepted the group’s findings and cashed the award. All taxes were withheld.
He did not act alone, as RecallWater would like to claim. There were three people who analyzed the situation as a part of a payroll software conversion.
Key parts of the language in the current handbook are subject to interpretation. The Board, the Board’s legal counsel, and Acuity Forensics are aligned on this point.
The Board reviewed Dan Burke’s action in exhaustive detail, including open and executive sessions. Burke acknowledged that he should have sought Board approval and apologized for the oversight. The Board legally settled the matter in an agreement with Burke that is still binding.
> Click to read a confirmation letter from Dan Vierthaler
> Click to read a confirmation letter from Jamie White
Some have asked, should salaried employees like Burke even deserve such compensation?
Here is how I feel…
Eastsound’s water utility is on the job 24/7/365. We provide life-sustaining water to our community and must do so – by law – every day of the year. If our water infrastructure experiences problems, our customers need service – pronto. Christmas morning? 4th of July? No matter! Someone needs to respond. Often, that’s Dan.
If we err on the side of compensating our employees for the selfless, service-oriented work they do, so be it.
In other news, below is a message from our Vice President, Jim Nelson, reflecting on his conversations with Steve Smith about taking control of Eastsound Water.
Jim Nelson, Current Vice President
During his term as President of the EWUA, Steve Smith brought up with me his idea of taking the Association private through some sort of buyout plan.
I was immediately opposed to the idea and declined to follow up or continue the conversation. I am now aware that Steve had approached others, including members of the Board, about his scheme and that there was no support from other Board members.
I have never actually heard any denial from Steve Smith that he was busy advocating in support of the buyout plan. I am concerned for the Association that Steve’s buyout plan may still be part of the current RecallWater agenda to get control of the Board.