Members of the Lewis County Public Utility District Board of Commissioners are confident they’re getting their money’s worth in new general manager Chris Roden, which makes sense given what it cost them to lure him away from the Cowlitz County PUD.
The contract ratified by the Lewis County PUD board during its regular meeting Tuesday pays Roden an annual base salary of $200,000. Former manager Dan Kay, who was fired by the board last month, topped out at just shy of $180,000 in base pay.
Roden, who was out of the area and unavailable for comment, will also receive $1,541 in deferred compensation and a $500 vehicle stipend each month. Additionally, he will begin his second stint with Lewis County PUD — he left for Cowlitz County in late 2016 after he was a finalist for the manager position that ultimately went to Kay — with a rebooted personal leave bank of 477 hours.
Lewis County PUD Commissioner Ben Kostick cited current market forces, including recent manager-level turnover at Seattle City Light and Tacoma Power, as reason for the enhanced compensation package.
“We’re at a point now where there have been some retirements at the general manager level,” Kostick said. “I would say the pool of available and qualified people is shrinking compared to the number of openings. You could say that yes, in the current marketplace, that is what we felt we had to offer.”
Kay’s contract did not stipulate any of the ancillary benefits other than “employer-provided benefits in accordance with the District’s existing programs, policies and procedures,” the same language is included in Roden’s contract.
He will receive a maximum of nearly $90,000 in severance pay over a six-month period. Lewis County PUD will not owe Kay the entirety of his severance if he finds another job before then. Kay also signed away his right to pursue legal action, including tort claims, against the PUD as a condition of the severance agreement.
Former Lewis County PUD engineer Steve Grega spoke in defense of Kay and voiced his concerns about Roden’s contract at Tuesday’s meeting. Grega implored the commissioners to ensure they don’t overspend on personnel and in other areas at the expense of customers.
Kostick later said Roden was more than deserving of what he’ll be paid.
“It’s a very important job,” Kostick said. “Just look at how many people in the county the PUD touches, how his decisions and our decisions as a board actually touch. It’s an important spot and something we take very seriously.”
