At tonight's Council meeting, an ordinance was approved creating a new Utility Advisory Board. The process of reviewing the standing UAB and the Council's Utility Services Committee started July 17, 2007, when Mayor Ron Jones appointed a special ad hoc committee and asked me to chair it.
 
I suggested in that July post: "…that the number of UAB members be something other than nine, so that the whole Council could consider the appointments. *** I suggested that we identify the skills that would be most beneficial and make appointments based on those needs." I'm pleased that the Council has agreed with those ideas.
 
If the UAB's history could be plotted, it might resemble a roller coaster — high flights and low valleys. I understand that it was originally nine members but when I first became aware of the UAB, it was five members. In the late nineties, it was again increased to nine, with each Council member essentially picking one member. Contracting and expanding aren't so thrilling. The real ride was when the board considered suing the Council and several members talked to the District Attorney. In a very badly handled situation, two members were removed and the Board was neutered. I relate some of that history in the July post.
 
In the ensuing years, the Board never recovered its strong role of involvement with the citizen's biggest asset: GP&L. When Mayor Bob Day was elected, a Council committee was created to increase the Council's involvement with utility matters, the Utility Services Committee. The UAB reported to the USC that reported to the Council.
 
Such a structure was no longer going to work. As the electric power industry has evolved and as power will soon be sold on the wholesale market in five-minute increments, so too did Garland need a more nimble utility. The new UAB has been created to give the flexibility and expertise the citizens deserve as we move forward and it will report directly to the Council, as Mayor Jones has abolished the USC.
 
The new ordinance provides for a seven-member Board, each to be approved by the whole Council. One member will be a residential electric customer, one a commercial customer, three business professionals, and two will have electric utility experience. Each will serve for three years, longer than any other city boards. Although initially some will serve shorter periods so that all terms are staggered, providing some expiring terms each year, the longer terms should help remove politics from the Board. All appointees will have gained their position through approval by the entire Council and each will serve a longer term than anyone on the Council. It should provide a chance for Board members to gain extended expertise and to remain independent of changing Councils.
 
For a process that has been ongoing for a number of months, the conclusion tonight was somewhat dramatic. Because this ordinance has been discussed ad nauseam during committee meetings and work sessions, it seemed a consensus had finally been reached on all issues and the ordinance was to be on the Consent Agenda, noncontroversial items that are approved in one motion without debate. However, it was noticed that there was no provision callling for regular meetings and I noticed late today that the staggered term language had not been updated with other changes. To make the necessary changes, two amendments were needed.
 
A motion was made to approve the ordinance with the meeting schedule mentioned. The meeting issues were resolved. I then attempted to introduce my amendment on the staggered terms. I believe there was confusion on the wording of the original motion. My amendment was totally proper at that point but, if government is like sausage making, several pounds were made before I actually got to make the motion.
 
The final point is that we have provided for a new UAB, members yet to be decided, and I am fully confident the citizens will have new eyes and ears into the process of managing their $250 million electric utility company and the Council will gain a recommending Board with expertise and professionalism for many, many years to come.