MID board appoints Jimi Netniss to general manager’s post

Jimi Netniss will be the next general manager at the Modesto Irrigation District, where he has worked for 22 years.

The district board voted unanimously in closed session Tuesday to have him succeed the retiring Ed Franciosa as of Friday.

Netniss has played a key role in setting water and electricity rates. Each of them rose in 2023 after several flat years.

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He has been assistant GM for finance since March 2022. He joined MID in 2001 as a programmer in its information technology department. He later was budget and rates administrator and then risk and pricing administrator.

“Jimi’s knowledge of MID’s operations and strong commitment to truly understanding our customers’ needs will help us successfully continue to provide the highest level of service to our community,” board President Larry Byrd said in a news release.

The new GM’s salary has not been determined. The board will consider a contract at its June 13 meeting.

MID delivers Tuolumne River water to about 58,000 farmland acres. It also has a river treatment plant that supplements wells for Modesto and a few smaller towns.

The district supplies power to about 131,000 customers. They are in Modesto, Empire, Salida, Waterford and Mountain House and in parts of Escalon, Oakdale, Ripon and Riverbank.

MID long has faced complaints that electricity income subsidizes the water operations. The new rates are based on a study that aimed to assign the proper costs.

A typical residential power bill rose 6.9% on Jan. 1 and will go up an additional 2.7% on the first day of 2024. The board in April increased farm water costs by $9 an acre.

Wet year follows drought

MID has plenty of water this year thanks to the wet winter and is urging farmers to do an extra flood irrigation to recharge groundwater. The recent drought meant about 80% of accustomed water in 2021 and 60% last year.

The district also is dealing with the state’s long-term effort to aid lower-river fish with higher releases from Don Pedro Reservoir. Last year, MID and other Tuolumne users reached a tentative compromise with the state.

MID also faces mandates in the coming years to increase solar, wind and other climate-friendly power sources. And it is planning for a future that has many more electric vehicles than now.

‘Humbled and honored’

Franciosa is retiring after 26 years with the district, the past 14 months as general manager. He is an electrical engineer and had been an assistant GM since 2014.

Netniss attended Stanislaus State University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems and a master’s in business administration with a concentration in finance.

“I’m humbled and honored by the confidence the board has in me,” he said. “I look forward to continuing MID’s legacy and I’m excited to lead our talented and great employees.”