By Dan Dickinson
Newly elected commissioner
Town of Waterford Sanitary District No. 1
I would like to thank Waterford Post editor Pat Bogumil for her fair, unbiased reporting of the recall and issues with the Sanitary District. Hopefully the articles opened eyes into problems at WSD that need to be corrected.
I can’t go without expressing my appreciation to friends and neighbors who helped spread the word. But now the real work begins.
Regarding my short terms plans, there are several high priority things we must accomplish. They are so important and time critical they need to be completed on a parallel path, and quickly.
To start, restore dignity at WSD, bring an end to negativism, open meetings for public input, and turn monthly meetings into “working meetings,” and perform in the eye of the people.
In addition, I plan to hold periodic “listening sessions,” invite customers to an informal setting to discuss needs and issues without time constraints. I will then bring those ideas to the full board for further action.
We must work quickly to repair WSD’s internal cost structure. Wages and benefits consume an inordinate amount of the budget. Our organizational structure is top heavy; we need to get our labor costs in line with local private sector jobs.
We need to investigate what operational tasks are best suited for outsourcing and what should remain in-house. For example, at an average loaded labor cost of $52/hour we shouldn’t be cutting grass or licking stamps. An operational matrix structure will help lower cost, and will be more responsive to workload and resources.
It’s the time of year for budgets and we need to do a much better job. We can’t just apply across the board increases; we need to utilize modern zero based budgeting methods, establish an annual performance agenda, and be precise with our cost estimates.
Then, we must install appropriate cost controls and operate within our budget. Then, stop draining the “reserve fund” as has been done in the past, we must build it back up to an appropriate level.
We need to get past issues associated with the Town Hall lease, and bring an end to the dark cloud of litigation.
I plan to work with the town in a productive manner until every single issue associated with the lease is resolved to each party’s mutually beneficial. Lease agreements can work well; there isn’t any reason ours isn’t.
Those are my short-term goals. Once those are completed, we’ll work on the next tier of issues.
I had not met Rick McNeiley prior to his appointment this month to the WSD board, but I did spend about an hour with him afterwards. I am impressed with his grasp of the issues and I look forward to working with him, and the board.
Once again, a sincere thanks to all who supported me and I promise to work for all WSD customers.
Dan Dickinson won election to the WSD Board in an Aug. 14 recall election. Dickinson can be emailed at
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