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Board ratifies acting CUC chief’s appointment
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board of directors ratified the appointment of Power Division manager Gary Camacho as acting executive director yesterday morning.
Before the board motion was approved, legal counsel James Sirok noted that Camacho’s appointment will stand for 60 days or until CUC can hire a permanent executive director whose qualifications meet the requirements under the stipulated court orders needed for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency compliance.
Camacho’s appointment continues where chief engineer John Riegel left off when Riegel took over the helm after executive director Alan Fletcher’s resignation and eventual contract expiration in July.
Riegel, whose appointment would’ve ended on Dec. 13, was on leave when he was relieved of his acting executive director duties. Camacho’s appointment commenced on Dec. 6 through board chair Adelina Roberto’s recommendation.
The board made the belated motion to approve Camacho’s appointment starting on Dec. 6 to allow for any decisions made during that time and onward as valid and unchallengeable.
As part of stipulated orders No. 1, EPA requires CUC to have a complete management structure.
Camacho gave the board an overview of the ongoing projects needed to fulfill stipulated orders.
He said the deputy executive director position has yet to be filled but that the division manager for water and wastewater has a “pending selection” and that CUC is currently updating their organizational chart to reflect the current personnel.
Legal counsel Sirok noted that the need to hire a division manager for water and wastewater is crucial, citing that water and wastewater “is the impetus of [CUC] violations.”
Sirok pointed out that, although the board chooses who the executive director will be, qualifications are still determined by the stipulated orders, thereby reinforcing the need to vet and screen the backgrounds of every applicant, which has been a lengthy factor in the hiring process.
Board member David Sablan stated that there is an applicant for the executive director post but he is not aware if an offer has been made already.
