Interim wastewater director details staffing, maintenance shortfalls and DEQ inspection findings; council votes to discuss legal/personnel matters in closed

Mister Crocker, the interim director assigned to the Hopewell wastewater treatment facility, provided a roughly 15‑minute operational status report to City Council describing chronic staffing shortages, equipment failures and a weak preventive maintenance program that he said create short‑ and long‑term regulatory risk.

Crocker said the plant currently is “within limits” of its permit but warned that “a lack of operations maintenance and replacement will create hurdles, to future compliance and potential legal challenges down the road.” He cited recurring pump station overflows and listed multiple pieces of equipment identified as inoperable during the most recent compliance inspection.

Why it matters: Councilors pressed for immediate clarity on capital projects, spare parts, staffing and a response to a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) compliance inspection. After the discussion the council voted to move related legal and personnel matters about the wastewater system into closed session under Virginia law.

Crocker told the council the plant has 57 approved full‑time positions but several vacancies: "There are 3 management vacancies at the top of the org chart, 5 operation maintenance and lab vacancies," he said. He described operator turnover as “a chronic issue,” said routine and preventive maintenance are not being performed consistently, and said many pieces of mechanical equipment and control systems identified in DEQ’s FY‑23 compliance evaluation were not operating.

Citing the inspection report, Crocker said multiple treatment units and support systems were observed out of service or showing signs of inadequate maintenance: traveling screens, grit removal systems, clarifier flight and rail systems, mixers, centrifuges and incinerator feed pumps. He said some clarifiers showed vegetative growth on scum layers and that the chemical‑dosing (sodium hypochlorite) automated monitoring and dosing system was out of service. "Pump station overflows, continue to be a problem," he told the council.

Councilors pressed Crocker on causes and next steps. Vice Mayor Joiner recommended the interim director get involved with job postings and human resources because several vacancies lack posted salary ranges and have vague job requirements; Crocker said wage competitiveness and the national shortage of wastewater operators are recruitment challenges. Councilor Ellis and others urged reviewing pay scales, accelerating capital projects and producing a prioritized list of immediate repairs and spare parts to keep the plant running.

Crocker said the plant has about 19 pump stations and that many overflows stem from grease and rags clogging pumps, a symptom he tied to inadequate preventive maintenance and failing replacement cycles. He described the plant as a "stationary ship" that requires constant vigilance: "If your management stack at that facility is not on the same page … you got troops marching in different directions," Crocker said.

Councilors asked for several deliverables. The mayor and council requested a plan that includes (1) an inventory and restock plan for spare and repair parts, (2) security recommendations and costs for the plant access gate, (3) a status report on capital projects (design, bidding, construction status), (4) a plan to address the DEQ findings and (5) an updated preventive maintenance program and standard operating procedures.

After hearing the operational report and the council’s questions, the council voted to hold a closed meeting under Virginia Code §2.2‑3711(A)(1) and (8) to consult with legal counsel regarding specific legal matters and to discuss and consider personnel matters related to the wastewater system (motion moved by Councilor Day, seconded by Vice Mayor Joiner). Following the closed meeting the council certified by roll call that only the lawfully exempted matters had been discussed.

What remains open: Crocker said he is still compiling details on the status of capital projects; he flagged the admin building roof as an immediate capital item and said he would provide a fuller capital‑project status in the coming weeks. He also said the preventive maintenance program on file was out of date (he cited a manual with entries from 2004–2008) and that staff could not demonstrate consistent alarm testing. Councilors requested periodic follow‑up reports and a written schedule for the items they asked staff to provide.

Councilors and staff explicitly separated three types of outcomes from the discussion: operational observations and inspection findings (discussion); council direction to staff to prepare plans and cost estimates (direction); and a formal decision to consult legal counsel and human resources in closed session (decision).

Ending: Council members thanked Crocker for stepping into the interim role and asked for the written follow‑up they had requested. The council left the public meeting with instructions for staff to return with prioritized lists and cost estimates; how quickly those items will be available was not specified during the session.