TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF OCTOBER 16, 2014
COMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Authorization for payment to the Water and Wastewater Leadership Center for tuition fees for three (3) senior managers to attend an 11-day Residential Leadership Development program in an amount not to exceed $25,500.00, Account 101-25000-601170
Body
Dear Sir:
Authorization is requested to issue a direct voucher payment to the Water and Wastewater Leadership Center for three (3) senior managers to attend an 11-day Residential Leadership Development program in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in an amount not to exceed $25,500.00 for two (2) registrants. The District is receiving a full credit of $12,750.00 for the third registrant because the individual was registered for the 2014 program, but could not attend.
The 2015 Leadership Center's program will be held from March 8 - 19, 2015. An application fee of $1,000.00 is required with each program application, and will be applied to the tuition cost of $12,750.00 per applicant upon acceptance into the program. The total tuition, including application fees is $25,500.00 for two (2) registrants. This includes 11 full days of instruction, all course materials, residential accommodations, most meals, and access to a comprehensive online resource center that may be accessed at any time during or after the program.
Leadership has become a topic of great interest for water and wastewater utility management. To address this issue, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), the American Water Works Association (AWWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) and the American Public Works Association (APWA) developed a joint-venture Water and Wastewater Leadership Center for utility leaders.
Established in 2000, the goals of the Leadership Center are to prepare and develop leaders and management executives at water and wastewater utilities throughout the United States, so these organizations can meet the public's current and future demands for the highest level of service, quality and efficiency. Leadership Center participants will learn a wide variety of leadership and management skills throughout this intensive professional training program. Participants will: learn to think and act like a leader; enhance their ability to make decisions and lead confidently; develop strategic thinking skills; learn to provide leadership in challenging situations; understand the changing global economic environment; enlarge their perspective of what is possible for their utility; increase the focus on results, productivity and higher levels of achievement; and broaden their understanding of the evolving wastewater utility industry and its changing business environment.
Inasmuch as the Water and Wastewater Leadership Center is the sole source for this training program and is not available through any other means, it is requested that attendance and payment be approved without competitive bidding in accordance with Section 11.4 of the Purchasing Act.
In view of the foregoing, it is recommended that the Board of Commissioners authorize payment, by direct voucher, to the Water and Wastewater Leadership Center in an amount not to exceed $2,000.00 for the deposit. Funds are available in Account 101-25000-601170 for the deposit. Funds will be available in Account 101-25000-601170 in an amount of $23,500.00 for the balance of the tuition in 2015 and are contingent on the Board of Commissioners' approval of the District's budget for 2015.
Requested, Denice E. Korcal, Director of Human Resources, DEK:SOM
Recommended, Darlene A. LoCascio, Director of Procurement and Materials Management
Respectfully Submitted, Barbara J. McGowan, Chairman Committee on Procurement
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for October 16, 2014