Photo: Jim snaps a selfie with his daughter, Clarity, and his wife, Betty.
Yuba Water's clerk of the board/management analyst, Jim Mitrisin, ensures that agendas for board of directors meetings, and those of their standing committees, are published properly and that the corresponding content is as thorough, transparent and accessible as possible. In addition, as a management analyst, he supports administrative project management, public records research and documentation, government code interpretation and advice and policymaking. Scroll to learn more about Jim.
What does your average day look like? Or what are some of your essential duties?
On an average day, I perform a range of tasks relative to board and committee meetings. I harvest staff reports, track agenda items and prepare and follow up on things like meeting minutes (summaries), board resolutions, etc. Most of that work is administered in the BoardDocs agenda management system. On any given day, I also dive into components of community impact grants, Form 700 (statements of economic interests required for elected official and public employees) and lobbyist filings, research public records act requests, participate in staff-level committee meetings, and generally make myself a resource to anyone who needs to talk.
Do your duties differ throughout the year? And if so, how?
Yes! Aside from state-level reporting compliance, every election year the general manager, assistant general manager and yours truly invest time preparing high-level “training” that forms the framework to inform new board members as they take office. That is not to suggest that every day, week and month are the same, it most decidedly is not.
How did you get involved in your current career path?
I began my career in local government in 2004, and over the ensuing eight years I gravitated toward the intricate processes used by staff to achieve compliance with the vast range of regulations and policies that I refer to simply as governance. In 2012, I was appointed as the clerk of the board of supervisors for the County of El Dorado. In this context, clerks serve as the board’s record-keeper, the confidant, and the constant source of neutrality and balance in government. The role is rarely front-page worthy and we like it that way.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my profound honor in service as an officer of the statewide Clerk of the Board of Supervisors Association, particularly as president in 2018. Yes, it’s wicked cool to be the president of something, but it’s sort of like fight club, we don’t talk about it with outsiders, so there.
Photo: Jim snaps a quick photo of himself during a helicopter tour in Kauai.
What do you enjoy most about working for Yuba Water Agency?
As with every employer, it’s always about the people. I tend to seek out and take up residence in the rooms where everyone else is smarter than I am. The talent here is top notch and I’m always feeling like there’s so much more I can learn from staff.
Before working here, what was the most interesting job you had?
If by interesting you mean awful, I briefly worked at a Blockbuster video store (VHS!).
Tell us an unusual story or experience you’ve had while working for Yuba Water Agency.
In my first week of employment, there was a bat flapping around in this slightly creepy alcove thing on the side of our office on F Street in Marysville.
What’s the most recent app you downloaded on your phone?
It was a COVID-related app that empowered me to bypass the lines of people who were outraged about standing in lines to see Leon Bridges. Clearly, I’m not trending as an ardent downloader of apps.
What do you like to do in your free time?
My wife and I thrive on spending 24/7 together (cue the collective eye roll). We both enjoy traveling and the list of places visited has grown a bit since the early 90s. Our home is our castle, so there is always a googol’s worth of things to get done.
I love watching professional sports, baseball being my favorite. GO GIANTS! However, a few weeks ago, I caught a few minutes of a television program depicting people playing “professional” cornhole. I left the room in disgust.
I also enjoy my wife’s cooking, water, sunlight, nature, movies, quality TV programs, listening to music and dancing to old school funk, pop and hip hop.