Update #2:  I’m told that Castle actually will not be acting as Operations Manager.  That position will not be filled.  Castle will act as a “technical advisor”.  Interesting.

Update:  Received image of newspaper article.  Link to image is provided.

I scanned over the Free Press this morning – a weekly habit.  There were two items of interest.

Adams out as sewer plant manager.  Let me start by saying that Adams was not the “sewer plant manager”.  He was the Operations Manager.  He didn’t just run the sewer plant.  He also ran the collection system, and all the technical support activities needed to keep it all running smoothly, including asset management, maintenance, etc.  And also coordinating administrative support activities involving operations – financial, purchasing, personnel, customer service, etc.

It looks like the sewer board is replacing Adams with long-time consulting engineer, Weiler Engineering.  That is a smart move.  Ed Castle will be the individual from Weiler stepping into that role.  Castle was involved in the design and construction of the plant and the collection system.  He knows exactly how it’s supposed to work.  He knows what to look for when it comes to emerging problems.  He’s not only a licensed Professional Engineer, he is also a licensed wastewater treatment plant operator.  

With Ed Castle in this role the District will have the broad technical knowledge, experience and expertise needed to make sure that the operations side of things runs properly.

The article preempted any concerns over the “brain drain“.  I weighed in on the departure of key technically competent personnel* a while back (including licensed operators), and it became a bit of a soap opera**.  So I won’t say much about that other than placing Castle in a regular day-to-day management role addresses that problem.  Regular oversight, monitoring and reporting make all the difference.

*One of those employees, by the way, had a good handle on the asset management system.  When he left, he was never replaced.  My understanding is that Adams was hired partially because of his asset management experience.  Lack of progress in that area seems to be one factor in his departure.

**The link I provided to the newspaper article in the post is dead.  I contacted the Free Press asking where I might be able to get a copy of it.  I’ll fix as soon as I am able.  Fixed.

Village approves Aquilar move.  I’m saddened by this.  I think Aguilar is very qualified, very capable and above-all a straight-shooter. But as Councilman Jim Mooney said, there is a lot the public doesn’t see.  Not sure exactly what happened, of course, but I’m glad that Aquilar decided to stay on in another capacity.  She’s an asset to Islamorada and to the Keys.

Here’s a follow-up from KeysNet.