New hires at WM Utility receive on the job training

New hires at WM Utility receive on the job training

Engineering positions fullystaffed, ‘ which we have not had in a long time,’ says assistant manager

news@theeveningtimes.com

West Memphis Utility Department assistant manager Ward Wimbish brought a first-ever monthly recap of engineers activity to the Utilities Commission.

Wimbish heads the engineers and announced all the positions fully staffed for the first time in more than a year. The city utility company filled three slots, with new college graduates from Mississippi State and UTMartin set to begin their careers. Wimbish detailed the fast paced first month which included training and service in the field for engineers Madeline Stokes, Kristin Carpenter and A.J.

Elhaj.

“We have a fully staffed engineering department which we have not had in a long time,” said Wimbish.

“So, how did we get along in the past without the full staff and what are we doing now? I want to highlight what we did in the last month.”

The new electrical engi- neer Madeline Stokes had taken off-site training and was tasked with compiling data used to attract new business and industry to the city.

“Madeline is working on electric reliability indices,” said Wimbish. “It is really important for economic development. When a manufacturer comes in and has a lot of equipment they don’t want it shutting down even for a few minutes. They consider reliability. We know we are reliable because the lights are always on but we need to quantify it.”

Hotel business is booming along the service road from the new La Quinta next to Cracker Barrel, to the new Holiday In Express across 7th Street, down to a new Hilton Tru Hotel breaking ground next to Barton Power Sports. The boon increases and shifts demand for utility services. The new cadre of engineers is staying ahead of the new construction according to Wimbish.

“Planning for the future we need to know substation load and if its being overloaded,” said Wimbish.

“We have one substation where a lot of development is going on. They need to know that we may need to put in new equipment or do some shifting. We need to be proactive instead of reactive.”

Why important economic development.

A.J. Elhaj worked on the Tru Hotel site last month, mapping new utility runs with ups accuracy and making sure every water valve is proper. He and Kristin Carpenter answer customers and sometimes plumbers pinpoint problems. Some of the underground utility mapping in the city remained incomplete and the new engineers work daily to hunt lines down and add it to the map archives.

“They are out every day with the GPS looking for valves and manholes,” said Wimbish. “They’ve been working with customers and plumbers to solve issues with service lines. If we solve problems in customers yards it helps with a lot of our Inflow and Infiltration issues.”

Bottom line according to Wimbish, having a full engineering staff improved service for the city customers, the owners of the utilities, and helps meet required standards.

Commissioner Jerry Burns expressed positive feedback to the first ever engineers recap. Burns runs an ice making business needing reliable water and electrical service for the ice machine and freezers.

“I like the word proactive and the attention to increased reliability,” said Burns. “If businesses come in and ask for reliability and you have nothing to show them, then its like I’m not going there.”

“That’s why we are happy to be fully staffed,” said Wimbish.

Utilities Manager Todd Pedersen amplified electrical reliability analysis. The information will be sorted down to neighborhood level.

“That’s key,” replied Pedersen. “We’ll be able to look at our SCADA (system control computers) and I’ll know loads and the reliability per breaker. For instance the breaker that feeds the industrial park verses the reliability that feeds a neighborhood with lot of exposure (to the elements).”

By John Rech