Utility District Investigating Its Former General Manager

The board president of the Combined Consumers Special Utility District (CCSUD) says an investigation has been started on the district’s former general manager.

Rick Little, who was elected to the district’s board of directors in May, said the investigation is focusing on Jackie Poteet, who resigned as general manager in September last year.

Current general manager Heath McGee confirmed an investigation was under way, but declined to comment on any allegations. Little said a forensic audit may be conducted, but did not elaborate.

McGee was hired on December 10, taking over for interim general manager Larry Olson.

In May, the district’s board of directors welcomed Little and Andy Yates as newly elected directors.

Along with Little, the other board officers are Carl Sampson, vice president, and Yates, who serves as secretary/treasurer.

Little said the district is busy with current and planned projects that should help provide better service to its customer base, which includes portions of southern Hunt County, northwest Van Zandt County and northeast Kaufman County.

"Right now, we are relaying pipe in Hawk Cove, and next will be Shawnee Shores," Little said. "We had some minor problems with the new Crestview (water) tower, but some solutions are being engineered and should be implemented in the next few months."

Little said the problems with the tower stemmed from a pressure overload in the lines.

"We think we have come up with an ingenious way of getting around that. The engineers are looking at whether it is a feasible plan, and if it is then we can utilize the tower to full capacity," he said.

Little said the district is also working hard to improve in customer relations.

"One thing we really want is customer input," he said. "If they see something that needs to be fixed, regardless of what has happened in the past, we want public input.

"If there is something that’s wrong, employees acting up, anything, we need to know. We want our customers to know they will get a warm reception," Little added.

McGee agreed that is an area of focus for the district.

"I know we have changed a lot of things in customer relations and helping customers. We’ve changed a lot from what it was, and we’ve got a lot of making up to do from the past," McGee said.

"We are doing the best we can to help customers. That’s what it is all about now, and what I’ve always been about," he added.

The CCSUD office, located at 10446 Farm-to-Market Road 751 is open from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The drive-thru service is available from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.