Critics of SRBA operations often point to former Texarkana, Texas, Mayor John Jarvis as a tool of Dallas' efforts to secure future water sources in Northeast Texas for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
Because Jarvis is SRBA's only paid consultant, these critics are suspicious of his motives and where his loyalties lie, and they have said so in no uncertain terms. However, the Sunset Staff review of SRBA did not address Jarvis by name, nor did it address his effectiveness. What this legislatively required report did do was note SRBA's lack of control of the consultant, its inability to measure his performance and the board's own lack of understanding of relevant issues.
As background, the report notes that the SRBA has "only" one staff member and thus the board is "largely responsible for managing SRBA's day-to-day operations. SRBA also contracts with a consultant to manage its feasibility study contracts."
According to the report, SRBA has failed to structure the organization effectively. Lack of an executive director is seen as problematic.
"The SRBA board has chosen not to employ an executive director, which is needed to ensure effective operation of the river authority. The absence of an executive director and part-time nature of the board leads stakeholders to question SRBA's competence and capacity to manage complex and controversial projects to fulfill its mission," the Sunset staff reports. "Without an executive director, the board has taken on some operational duties, but has not acted to ensure other responsibilities are performed or performed well."
In 2014, the board considered hiring an executive director but could not agree on who it should be.
There has also been disagreement on the scope of the consultant's role, according to the Sunset review. "Board members disagree on whether the consultant's duties are limited to the feasibility study as the contract states or whether the consultant is, for all intents and purposes, SRBA's executive director."
The review says the board's contract with Jarvis does not adequately protect SRBA's self-interest, provides limited oversight, does not clearly ensure accountability and may include provisions that are unfavorable to the organization.
The scope of the consultant's work is not clearly defined, thus making accountability to the board difficult. Broad goals are in place, but details are lacking, "preventing the board from effectively overseeing the consultant's performance. This unclear scope of work creates a substantial risk that the consultant could under-deliver on needed services without any consequences."
To be clear, the report does not say Jarvis underdelivered, only that standards were not in place to measure his performance.
The consultant's lump-sum funding arrangement increases the risk that SRBA may pay for more than it gets, the report says. "SRBA lacks any means of determining whether the consultant's services require 10 or 60 hours per week, and it does not track how much time the consultant actually works. Therefore, the board cannot assign an appropriate value to this unknown scope of services."
The report calls the SRBA's arrangement with Jarvis "significant," "not typical" and "not in SRBA's best interest." (Details of the contract were published in an earlier article when the Sunset report was first released.)
Apart from its arrangement with the consultant, SRBA has other weaknesses, according to the Sunset findings.
"Board members do not demonstrate adequate comprehension of SRBA's complex and technical operations and responsibilities. While other part-time boards have staff to help supplement their knowledge and ensure an appropriate level of understanding for decision-making purposes, SRBA's lack of staff creates both increased risk and responsibility for the board to fully understand SRBA's operations."
Until recently, board members were often unprepared and did not receive important briefings before meetings. The review also cited lack of a strategic plan as a board weakness.
In short, leadership was lacking.
None of this inspired confidence at the east end of the basin. It undoubtedly was a factor in Sunset's recommendation to replace all board members next year.
However, the report doesn't substantiate in any way the distrust with which Jarvis is viewed by some of his critics in this corner of Texas. It does recommend his position be eliminated and an executive director be hired using the money currently spent on the services Jarvis is providing.
The executive director would oversee the budget, personnel and the general administrative oversight of SRBA, actively manage SRBA's contracts, serve as SRBA's spokesperson and engage in long-term strategic planning.
Sounds like a plan.