Best Management Practices & Freedom of Access for Maine Water Utilities

Class Description:

This class provides utility leaders and staff a wide-ranging view of best management practices at a water utility. Topics covered will include ethics, conflicts of interest, customer service, and board relations. We will have discussions about lessons learned from real world examples and how to identify issues before they become large problems. There will be a deeper dive into Maine’s Freedom of Access Act and related public records and open meetings requirements. Participants will learn how FOAA applies to daily utility operations, including records creation and retention, responding to public requests, and conducting meetings in compliance with the law.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this class, participants will be able to:

1. Understand ethical boundaries for employees of a public entity
2. Understand various resources for continued growth.
3. Explain the core requirements of Maine’s Freedom of Access Act, including what constitutes a public record and a public proceeding for water and wastewater utilities.
4. Apply FOAA requirements to real-world utility scenarios, such as handling records requests, email and text communications, executive sessions, and board or committee meetings.
5. Identify best practices to ensure compliance and reduce liability, including proper documentation, timelines for response, exemptions, and internal roles and responsibilities.

Class Fee: FREE

State Agency Approval:

Maine BLWSO: 2.0 TCHs for Water Operators

Speaker:

Brad Sawyer, Deputy Executive Director, Maine Rural Water Association

Brad started at MRWA as the Director of Government Affairs and was made Deputy Director in the spring of 2022. He primarily focuses on lobbying, communications, board training, and special projects, but can be found helping with any number of tasks throughout the day. He holds a BS from the University of Oregon in political science and has worked in the political sphere for roughly a decade. As the Assistant Secretary of the Senate in the 128th Legislature and the Business Manager for the Maine Bicentennial Commission Brad has effectively worked with members of both parties to accomplish their goals and improve the lives of Mainers. When he is not on the clock you can find him at the golf course or ski hill, depending on the season, or volunteering in the greater Augusta community with a handful of organizations.”