TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF DECEMBER 19, 2019
COMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
Mr. Brian A. Perkovich, Executive Director
Title
Authorization for payment to the Water Wastewater Leadership Center for tuition fees for one (1) participant to attend a 10-day residential leadership development program in an amount not to exceed $13,550.00, Account 101-25000-601100 (Deferred from the December 5, 2019 Board Meeting)
Body
Dear Sir:
Authorization is requested to issue a direct voucher payment to the Water Wastewater Leadership Center for one (1) participant to attend a 10-day residential leadership development program in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in an amount not to exceed $13,550.00.
The 2020 Leadership Center’s program will take place March 8 - 20, 2020. The total tuition, including application fees is $13,550.00. This includes 10 full days of instruction, all course materials, residential accommodations, most meals, and access to a comprehensive online resources 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 in 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.
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 Wastewater Leadership Center in an amount not to exceed $13,550.00. Funds are available in Account 101-25000-601100.
Requested, Beverly K. Sanders, Director of Human Resources, BKS:tjk
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 December 19, 2019