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The Right Person to Lead "Your Seattle City Light"
Why I recommend the Reconfirmation of Superintendent Jorge Carrasco
By Bruce Harrell
As Chair of the Seattle City Council’s Energy and Technology Committee, it is my job to make recommendations on policy and legislative matters regarding your largest public utility – Seattle City Light. My role includes reviewing its finances, rates, conservation policies and strategic plan. However, every four years I assume the role of "Board Chair" to examine whether the leader should keep his or her job or, in the alternative, whether new leadership is needed. That was the case four years ago when City Light Superintendent Gary Zarker was not confirmed.
How do you evaluate a CEO? Rate payers care about competitive and predictable rates. Customers care about customer service. Employees care about morale, trust and fairness in their workplace. Union members care about jobs for their members. Citizen advisors are concerned about the stability, predictability and condition of the utility’s aging network. Conservationists are concerned about City Light’s efforts to use new and renewable forms of energy and commitment toward sustainability. A strong evaluation considers all of these factors.
Personally, I was not looking for acceptable leadership or simple "competence." I want remarkable leadership that understands what it takes to steer City Light back to its rightful place as one of the top public utilities in the nation. I believe that Superintendent Carrasco has set the wheels in motion to achieve that. The rates have remained competitive and stable, customer service has vastly improved, and progress is being made on an accelerated conservation plan that will account for 36% of new resources by 2020. Despite these achievements, City Light has issues that still require attention.
There are a small number of employees who oppose reconfirmation based on their personal experiences with Superintendent Carrasco and who criticize him for his style of management and lack of an effective internal communication plan. City Light is a department that employs over 1,700 people, with some employees suffering from poor morale. Superintendent Carrasco assumed leadership of City Light during a tumultuous period and hit the ground running by implementing organizational change and hiring a new management team primarily from outside City Light. This perpetuated a morale problem because the intent of the change may not have been effectively communicated to employees.
I want to see morale boosted. I want to see passion in the workplace. Passion is created when people are empowered to take ownership of their positions by making decisions based on their area of expertise. Passion is created when people believe that their institutional knowledge gives them the power to make decisions and produce solutions. Passion is created when lines of communication are clear. Morale is an attitude that can be achieved and it has a direct impact on the external activities of the utility. I have already stated that customer service has improved, but I believe that it will improve even more as the morale of employees improves.
The City Light employee poll of 2007, and a poll conducted by my office showed that morale and poor internal communications are indeed an issue. I will not turn my back on the people that make this utility great. I have heard their voices and I am suggesting that City Light conduct an employee poll in July of 2009 that measures morale and internal communications. If by that time the morale and communication problem is not resolved, I will work with City Light leadership to develop a plan that addresses the issue.
Nevertheless, Superintendent Carrasco should be commended for remarkable leadership. The utility's finances are solid, its conservation plan is being effectively developed, its risk management plan is close to finalization, and an Integrated Resource Plan using accelerated conservation, wind and geothermal resources will be complete and comply with state code by September.
We will have strong leadership, the citizens of Seattle and the employees of City Light deserve nothing less.
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