The governor’s office has appointed Okanogan County PUD Environmental Coordinator Matthew Stevie as the new Public Works Board member representing PUDs.

Stevie has been with the PUD since 2018. He has worked in public utilities for over 20 years, starting his career as a water and stormwater laborer, then working as a civil design intern and special inspector at DOWL engineers, then as a project manager after completing his Master’s degree in project management. He is also a member of the Washington State Disaster Resiliency Workgroup.

Stevie is one of four appointments announced by the governor’s office, in addition to one re-appointment. The Public Works Board consists of thirteen board members appointed by the governor to serve four-year terms. Three represent counties, three represent cities, three represent special purpose districts, and four are representatives from the public.

In other business at an Aug. 23 meeting, the PUD board:

• Heard that the PUD will be giving away 8,231 four-packs of LED bulbs to customers with its Bonneville Power Administration funding for energy efficiency. Residential customers who get mail delivered to a physical address will receive the bulbs directly, but the company could not mail to post office boxes, so those customers can get extras during Public Power Week, starting Sept. 27. More details are coming soon for Public Power Week festivities.
• Heard from new NoaNet CEO Craig Nelson, who took on the new position this past June after 10 years with the company. Nelson introduced himself and shared that NoaNet is working with PUDs around the state for qualifying for broadband grants and seeking public-private company partnerships to make fiber deployment more successful. Nelson also shared that the E911 system, which NoaNet hosts, recently took its 16 millionth call.
• Set a budget season calendar (board meeting times are 3 p.m.):
  • Sept. 13 board meeting: Present 2022 draft budget.
  • Sept. 27 board meeting: Open 2022 budget hearing; evening workshop 6 p.m.
  • Oct. 11 board meeting: Continue 2022 budget hearing; evening workshop 6 p.m.
  • Oct. 25 board meeting: Close 2022 budget hearing and adopt 2022 budget.
• Held the first reading of Resolution 1739, which would set the general manager’s compensation at $231,985, based on a survey of PUD manager salaries. The salary was last adjusted in May 2019. The board will revisit the resolution again at their Sept. 13 meeting.