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Tom Wurtz |
1.14.02 M.U.D. boss humbled but happy As the new general manager of the Metropolitan Utilities District, Tom Wurtz says he is "humbled but happy" about his appointment last month. "I'm privileged to lead a company with a good reputation," said Wurtz, a 20-year M.U.D. veteran. "I'm happy to have this opportunity to be a decision-maker." On December 1, Wurtz succeeded Jerry Radek, who retired after 36 years with M.U.D. Wurtz, the former general counsel and legislative liaison for the utility, was selected from among six internal candidates. Former M.U.D. Chairman John McCollister said Wurtz, 52, was selected for the top spot because of his knowledge of the political and regulatory climate for public utilities and for his commitment to the district. "I'm a strong supporter of publicly owned utilities," Wurtz said. "My goal is to make sure this utility survives and continues to be efficient and competitive." To achieve this, Wurtz said, M.U.D. has to keep providing good value to its customers. Wurtz said he pledged to the board and the employees to treat the customers' money as if it were his own. "When you analyze every dime as if it were your own, you can't help but deliver an efficient product," Wurtz said. At the same time, Wurtz said, M.U.D. also must motivate its employees to work as productively and efficiently as possible by paying decent salaries and benefits. While the district has some of the lowest rates in the Midwest, it has also streamlined its staff. Wurtz said the utility has 816 employees. The customer base of 186,000 has grown by about 3,000 each year. "We have to spend money wisely so that employees have the good tools to do their job," Wurtz said. Since his appointment last month, Wurtz has been busy. He reviewed the district's $285 million 2002 budget, trimming $1.5 million. Under the new budget, unanimously approved by the board, customers will pay an extra $12 a year in service charges. However, the base natural gas and water rates stay the same for next year. The fee will be used to replace a 37-year-old customer information system. Wurtz also appointed the agency's first director of safety and security who will assess M.U.D.'s security program. Awareness and concern about security around utilities have increased since the September 11 terrorist attacks. "The world has changed since September 11," Wurtz said. "M.U.D. has always had good security, but in light of what has happened, we should review our program." Another challenge for Wurtz is the approval of a new water-treatment facility along the Platte River in west Omaha. Wurtz said he anticipates obtaining the federal permit by the end of 2002. It should then take five to six years to build the facility. The facility would be used for the whole community, forming a triad of water treatment plants at Platte South and Florence in north Omaha. "In light of the terrorism and security issues and in the worst-case scenario, it's good to have multiple sources of water," Wurtz said. The Omaha native received a bachelor of arts degree in political science and Latin American studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1971. He earned his law degree at the University of Nebraska School of Law three years later. Wurtz was in private practice briefly handling real estate and small-business cases before joining M.U.D. as an attorney in 1980. He served as assistant general counsel and general counsel. He has also taught real estate and business law at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Wurtz is a single parent to three teenagers, Cara, 15; Ben, 19; and Nate, 18. |
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