The City of Ottawa, Kansas is recruiting a Utilities Director. The Utilities Director oversees the operations of the electrical generation and distribution, water treatment and distribution, wastewater treatment, and utility warehouse divisions. Work involves planning, directing, and coordinating the activities of different departments with department supervisors and superintendents.
Education and Experience: (Combination of education, training, and experience will be considered.) Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business, or related field preferred Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with relevant work experience will be considered. Minimum of five years of utility management and operation experience. Previous experience as a City Manager or plant operator preferred if not an engineer. Must maintain a valid driver’s license.
A mayor-council system governed Ottawa until 1913 when the City
became a commission-focused government. In 1970, voters established
the commission-manager form of government with a five-member City
Commission that annually selects a mayor from its ranks. The citizens
of Ottawa elect commissioners at large; three seats on the commission
are open every odd-numbered year, with two commissioners elected to
four-year terms and one to a two-year term.
The commission-manager form of government combines the political
leadership of elected officials with the strong managerial experience of
a professional city manager. In this form of government, commissioners
are leaders and policy makers elected to represent the citizens and
concentrate on policy issues that are responsive to citizens’ needs and
wishes, while the manager, hired by the City Commission, carries out
policies and ensures that the entire community is being served.
Ottawa is a full-service city offering a wide range of services, including
fire and police protection, planning and zoning, parks and recreation,
cemetery management, street construction and maintenance, water and
wastewater infrastructure, treatment ...and distribution/collection, electric
generation and distribution, finance and utility billing, municipal court,
a municipal airport, and more. It operates with 168 full-time-equivalent
positions and an annual budget of just under $54.48 million. Significant
projects recently completed or underway include the Cottonwood Lift
Station, South East Water Tower, Power Plant Cooling Tower, Legacy
Square development, and Flint Hills Trail expansion.