2006 Annual Report
Bonita Springs Utilities

THE COMMITMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEES

Getting water to nearly 38,000 homes and businesses and providing sewer service every day is a challenge. It’s a complex process that starts with thoughtful planning and tough decisions from your board of directors. It takes progressive thinking and diligence from utility managers. Most of all, it requires competent employees, willing to do their best day after day, to guarantee that water arrives at your faucet and wastewater drains efficiently.

In the following pages, we introduce you to a few longtime BSU employees. By providing a glimpse of how they spend their days, we salute all our employees and the fine work they do for you.

The utility’s staff now numbers more than 100. Recruiting and retaining good employees is one of the most important things we do, and we’re lucky to have a strong base of loyal, experienced workers. In fact, the 20 employees who have been with BSU the longest have a combined 300 years with the utility, providing a valuable bank of institutional knowledge.

Here are some other impressive numbers. During 2006, our customer service representatives handled 84,000 phone calls, solving problems, answering questions and providing service. Our operations department inspected 13 miles of sewer lines – from the inside, using remote-controlled television cameras that allow us to detect potential problems and preserve our infrastructure. Our water production efforts allowed us to sell more than 395 million gallons of surplus water to Lee County Utilities, providing revenue for BSU.

Although it’s challenging, our goal is to provide service that is so reliable and consistent that you never give it a second thought.

Fred Partin
Executive Director

Fred Partin, Executive Director
Mike Liggins, Director of Engineering
Debra Bautista, Director of Finance
Mel Fisher, Director of Operations
Evelyn Ferguson, Member Services Manager
Cynthia McHenry, Information Systems Manager

Spends his workdays: Works in the field with developers and BSU contractors to ensure potable water, force main and gravity sewer construction projects meet specifications. He aims to be as consistent as possible and always go by the spec book.

Proud moments: Inspected all utility construction at Coconut Point: “I look back at what I’ve seen come out of the ground and know I had my hand in it.” Seeing BSU construction specs used as a model for other utilities.

Loves his job: Enjoys being outdoors and in a different place every day; has had fantastic bosses.

Spends his workdays: Working with 15 employees to maintain more than 310 lift stations, which send wastewater to the treatment facility. Supervises routine maintenance and emergency repairs.

Proud moments: Fred Partin had the department design its own maintenance system. Lift stations were organized into six routes for preventative maintenance, saving the utility money and providing reliable service to customers.

Loves his job: Works with a great bunch of guys, every day is different, and BSU is on the leading edge of technology: “Nothing catches us off guard.”

Spends his workdays: Oversees new water and sewer construction, reviewing plans, writing field orders and working directly with contractors in the field.

Proud moments: “Had no clue what they were fixing to build” when he joined BSU at a time they “could feed the company with four pizzas.” Has a lot of pride in what’s been built: “It’s been built for the long haul.”

Loves his job: He’s been involved in the design of the BSU system and has helped build it to be as maintenance-free as possible. Every day is different: “Those lines look good on paper, but you have no idea what you’re going to find when you start work.”

Plans: Will retire in late summer and travel with his wife.

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