4.4 ERMUSR 04-08-2025Elk River
Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING
TO:
FROM:
ERMU Commission
Tony Mauren — Governance & Communications Manager
MEETING DATE:
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER:
April 8, 2025
4.4
SUBJECT:
Commission Policy Review — G.4a — Succession of Leadership
ACTION REQUESTED:
Approve recommended updates
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
This month commissioners are reviewing policy G.4a — Succession of Leadership to make
comments, ask questions, or recommend updates. With policy G.4a, the Commission intends to
ensure ERMU's continuity of leadership, both long-term and short-term.
Staff's recommended updates allow policy to address the need for an Acting General Manager
Job Description by stating it would effectively be the General Manager Job Description until the
Commission Chair can convene a special meeting to confirm the appointment of the Acting
General Manager and either confirm or modify the job description for the duration of the
appointment.
The general manager has established the operations director as the primary successor and the
administrations director as the secondary successor.
There are also slight wording changes aiming for gender neutrality.
/_A aLTel:I►vi14►k&I
• ERMU Policy — G.4a — Succession of Leadership
Page 1 of 1
140
Elk River
Municipal Utilities
COMMISSION POLICY
Section:
Governance
Category:
Delegation to Management Policies
Policy Reference:
Policy Title:
G.4a
Succession of Leadership
PURPOSE:
With this policy, the Commission intends to ensure ERMU's continuity of leadership, both long-
term and short-term. More specifically, the Commission intends to protect ERMU from the
sudden loss of services by the General Manager, other executive managers, and any employee
who performs functions that are critical to the organization. The Commission also intends to
prepare employees at all levels of the organization for increasing leadership responsibilities.
POLICY:
The General Manager shall establish, and at all times maintain current, a short-term plan for
executive leadership and critical function succession under which two or more of his/her direct
reports are designated and prepared to temporarily assume the responsibilities of Acting General
Manager on short notice.
Consistent with this general statement, the General Manager shall:
1. Keep the Commission informed about the content of theirhis/her short-term plan for
executive leadership and critical function succession. The General Manager's plan for
executive leadership succession shall include the designation of a primary and secondary
successor, both of whom are acceptable to the Commission, and will fulfill the duties of the
general manager imposition description as€er Acting General Manager
2. Keep the Commission informed about his/he-rtheir availability to perform the duties of the
General Manager.
3. Not be absent from ERMU's offices and/or otherwise unavailable for communication with
the Commission and other management employees for more than three (3) consecutive
business days without first having designated a temporary successor and informing both the
Commission and management employees of that designation.
Page 1 of 2
141
ERMU Commission Policy — G.4a Succession of Leadership
4. Not allow the General Manager and both hi�their primary and secondary designated
successors to travel together in the same vehicle or other public or commercial form of
conveyance.
The primary successor shall immediately assume the responsibilities of Acting General Manager
upon receiving information that the General Manager is unable to fulfill his/he heir
responsibilities or has been absent from corporate headquarters and/or otherwise unavailable for
more than three (3) consecutive business days without having designated a temporary
successor. In such event, the Acting General Manager shall formally notify the Commission of
his/hertheir assumption of responsibilities, after which the Commission President shall convene a
special meeting to confirm the appointment of the Acting General Manager and to either confirm
or modify the General Manager position description for ^ ting General Managerthe duration of
the appointment.
Additionally, the General Manager shall establish, and at all times maintain current, and
effectively implement a long-term plan for leadership succession that is intended to:
1. Prepare all employees to grow in their leadership capabilities and responsibilities.
2. Ensure that the loss of services from any one employee does not impair the performance of
the organization's critical functions.
3. Identify capable and willing people for future critical leadership positions and intentionally
develop them in their leadership competencies and responsibilities.
4. Identify and communicate to the Commission any critical human resource needs of the
organization that are not adequately met with available resources, along with steps that
he/she4-sthey are taking to meet those needs.
POLICY HISTORY:
Adopted June 13, 2017
Revised April 8, 2025
Page 2 of 2
142