In what might be the city’s most important hire since he named a police chief, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed tapped Jo Ann J. Macrina to be the new commissioner of watershed management, entrusting her with fixing a troubled system within the next nine months.
City officials are banking on stability from Macrina, a former DeKalb County deputy water commissioner who it is hoped will bring stability to a system that offers the highest rates in the nation. Macrina, whose salary will be $155,000 per year, will be asked to restore faith in the department and continue the city’s efforts to adhere to a federal consent decree by updating the sewer system.
“I will focus on delivering excellent customer service, protecting and improving our water resources through effective solutions, complying with federal and state laws and regulations, [and] promoting teamwork and accountability within the department,” Macrina said.
Macrina, who admittedly was nervous at her introductory news conference and offered few other details, inherits a department facing one of its biggest challenges: Thousands of water customers have complained about unreasonably high water bills that no one has been able to fully explain to anyone’s satisfaction.
Macrina’s first two tasks will be to restore public confidence in the department, particularly in lieu of ratepayers dealing with those high water bills, and meeting the tough requirements of the federal consent decree, said Atlanta city COO Peter Aman.
After the resignation of former commissioner Rob Hunter and the interim leadership of Dexter White, who seemed effective in dealing with the problems at hand, Reed and Aman have targeted the end of the year for Macrina to fix the department. Part of the plan is already in place.
Earlier this year, the city surveyed 9,000 water meters and determined most offered accurate readings. Yet the report acknowledged that some of the meters did not work and that some of the instruments used to read the meters were improperly installed.
White, who will return to public works, ordered the department to check every meter in the city, a process that will be completed by the end of the year and now will be overseen by Macrina.
“We have completed the study, identified the problems that exist and we now have a plan,” said city COO Peter Aman said. “I would be a lot more concerned if we were still in the discovery phase.”
Councilman Howard Shook hopes Macrina’s hiring signals more than just simple change.
“I don’t think the department has ever enjoyed a particularly long stretch of stability,” Shook said of a city division that is barely 10 years old and grew out of the city’s decision to no longer privatize water service.
The perception remains that United Water, the previous water service unit, was ill-equipped to run the city service.
“There is a question as to the value that customers say they are getting for the money that they pay for service,” Macrina said. “Not being a part of this organization, I do have a bit of learning curve. But I have a strong technical background. I have been working in water resources for 25 years.”
Macrina was the deputy director of transportation for the city of Roswell before moving to DeKalb County. She is the current president of the American Society of Civil Engineers for Georgia.
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