At the May 19, 2026 Heceta Water PUD board meeting, the General Manager and board continued discussion of creating a new remote position, potentially splitting duties with the General Manager role and emphasizing grant work. Directors debated whether to hire only a GM or to split responsibilities and salaries, and President Rohner specifically framed the new position as paying for itself through a focus on grants. The board directed the GM to consult the district attorney on hiring internal versus external for the GM position, indicating that the structure and scope of the new role are still being shaped.This creates a planning-stage need around role design, recruitment, grant strategy, and potentially outsourced or fractional support for grant-writing and management. Vendors offering public-sector HR consulting, executive/remote staffing, or grant-writing and administration services could help the district define the role, stand up a grants program, and support short-term remote coverage while leadership transitions occur.

Director Spencer plans to resign from the board later in 2026, which may add urgency to stabilizing leadership and grant capacity.