01-29-2024 ERMU MINELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE UTILITIES COMMISSION
HELD AT THE UTILITIES CONFERENCE ROOM
January 29, 2024
Members Present: Chair John Dietz, Vice Chair Mary Stewart, and Commissioner
Matt Westgaard
Present via Zoom: Commissioner Paul Bell participated in the meeting via interactive
television as he was out of the state at the time of the meeting.
Members Not Present: Nick Zerwas
ERMU Staff Present: Mark Hanson, General Manager
Tony Mauren, Governance & Communications Manager
Megan Zachman, HR Generalist
1.0 CALL MEETING TO ORDER
The special meeting of the Utilities Commission was called to order at 8:32 a.m. by Chair
Dietz.
2.0 BUSINESS ACTION
2.1 2024 Pay Equity Report Filing
Mr. Hanson passed out a revised memo and revised report documents.
Mr. Hanson thanked the commissioners for appearing for a special meeting to approve the
Pay Equity Report Filing, which is filed every three years to help ensure that male and
female employees are fairly compensated for comparable work, within the deadline
mandated by the state. He added that Commissioner Stewart noted an error in the original
documents that made it necessary to create the revised versions. She noticed that the
communications & administrative coordinator was listed as being filled by a male but was a
female staff member. Mr. Hanson shared that this correction improved the results for
ERMU. He also noted that there was a change to show the correct number of lineworkers
(5) and lead lineworkers (4), as those numbers had previously been reversed. Mr. Hanson
stated that the revised Underpayment Ratio is 167.39 an increased and improved score. He
added that the T-test score of -0.041 was also positive and showed that ERMU is in
compliance by both metrics.
Chair Dietz asked if staff monitors the data annually or just every three years as mandated
by the state.
Ms. Zachman responded that going forward staff will test results every year to ensure
compliance. There was discussion.
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Special Meeting Minutes
January 29, 2024
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Commissioner Stewart followed up on a question she had about how the departure of the
conservation & key accounts staff member in 2023 impacted results.
Mr. Hanson explained that if a position is not intended to be filled, as staff intends to
change the role from a manager to a coordinator, it must be removed from the list by
December 31. He explained that staff had removed it on January 1, so it was included. There
was discussion.
There was discussion about how staff identifying as nonbinary were considered. Staff said
they would research the matter.
Moved by Commissioner Westgaard and seconded by Commissioner Stewart to approve
the 2024 Pay Equity Report Filing. Motion carried 4-0
3.0 ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Chair Dietz adjourned the special meeting of the Utilities
Commission at 8:40 a.m.
Minutes prepared by Tony Mauren.
J.rp'ietz, ERMU Commission Chair
Tina Allard, City Clerk
Elk River Municipal Utilities Commission Special Meeting Minutes
January 29, 2024
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