Don Zudeba has been General Manager of the Indian Wells Valley Water District since 2012 and had planned to step down on December 31, 2022.
The Water District Board of Directors held a special meeting on December 21, 2022 to approve action to recruit Zdeba as Interim General Manager for a period of up to nine months pending the finding of a new permanent General Manager.
However, this temporary solution depends on several factors. Zdeba is waiting for the green light from his CalPERS, the California Civil Service Retirement Plan.
“It’s very important to me that CalPERS sign this agreement before I sign it because my pension is at stake if anything goes wrong,” Zdeba said.
Water District General Counsel Jim Worth explained that CalPERS has a requirement that retirees cannot begin working for CalPERS affiliates within 180 days of termination. The Water District is seeking a waiver of this rule in view of the loss of the general manager, despite its role in hiring Zdeba’s replacement.
Worth said he has been in contact with CalPERS and that it may be willing to accept Zdeba’s interim employment if the conditions are right. Zdeba only allows him to work 960 hours in a fiscal year and this provisional employment allows him only once. Zdeba has agreed to terms of up to nine months.
Also, compensation cannot exceed the salary for the position. The resolution agreed by the board of directors will result in Zdeba paying $22,916.17 per month. Zudeba reminded the board that the interim general manager position will be paid monthly. However, if he transitions to a consulting role after this interim period, his compensation will be based on hourly wages.
As it previously took about six months to find a replacement general manager, Zudeba’s nine-month appointment as interim general manager should give him enough time to find a new replacement. He said Zdeba’s interim position would end if he hired a replacement before his nine months were up.
“I hope this doesn’t last nine months,” Zudeba said.
The Water District Board of Directors unanimously agreed to the resolution. Before the vote, directors Chuck Griffin and Ron Kishinski confirmed with Worth to confirm that the resolution would not lock Zudeva into an agreement that could damage his pension, and agreed to the resolution. I checked with Zudeva to make sure he was happy to do so.
The Board of Directors indicates its readiness to enter into a contract by agreeing to a resolution. They are now waiting for Zudeva to sign it, and Zudeva is waiting for CalPERS to confirm that doing so will not hurt his retirement.
