Superintendent relieved of duties at water and gas utility

Debbie Blank and Diane Raver

The Batesville Water & Gas Utility board is looking for a new person in charge.

Mike Vonderheide was released from his duties as superintendent June 25 by the board.

Members Tim Dietz, Arnie Kirschner, Cliff Nordmeyer, Hank Pictor and Sue Siefert met in executive session following their June 25 monthly meeting and were unanimous in their decision to relieve him of his duties, according to board president Siefert.

“There had been discussions about this” prior to the meeting, Siefert noted. “The board is wanting to take things in a different direction, and it was time to part ways .... After the board made their recommendation, we talked to the mayor,” Rick Fledderman.

Fledderman called Vonderheide to his conference room for a meeting, according to the former superintendent. Vonderheide said he had no clue what was about to happen. “There is no financial reason” for being cut, he believed, noting the utility is still profitable.

Siefert and Pictor told the 20-year utility manager he was terminated. According to Vonderheide, “They asked me if I would tender a letter of resignation,” but he hasn’t decided whether he will do that.

“I’m so disappointed,” Vonderheide said at 5:45 p.m. Thursday. “I was fully committed to the city and its leaders.” With officials seeming to demand higher standards, “I was fully on board to make it happen.”

Vonderheide said he will not get any severance pay.

“They had a policeman escort me to the office to make sure I got only things that were mine” and then the officer escorted him out of the building.

“I think it was very poorly handled,” the man said of his abrupt departure. “I believe there are many different ways to handle a transition in management and it’s unfortunate this is the one they chose.”

This was Vonderheide’s third job in the field, after serving as assistant manager of a private utility in Jeffersonville, Clarksville and New Albany, then in the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s wastewater and emergency response areas.

Shortly after Vonderheide left his office, employees were notified by phone of the board’s decision. Then the full board and mayor met with workers Friday morning, “and I led that meeting,” Siefert noted.

“As of today (June 26), Scott Bauer with the gas utility and Steve Wintz with the water utility are serving as interim managers until a replacement is found.

“Everything is business as usual .... People are assigned different projects” in the office.

As for Vonderheide’s successor, Siefert stressed, “No one is under consideration at this time .... We are just beginning the job search for his replacement.”

The next step is to “advertise for this position and begin interviewing .... Our goal is to find the right candidate and not just take the first person we interview.

“We’re looking out for the best interests of the utility and the taxpayers.”

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