Fenton aldermen amend CDL rule, approve multiple hiring steps to fill public‑works vacancies

The Fenton Board of Aldermen at a special meeting amended the Maintenance Worker 1 job description to require a commercial driver’s license within six months after an employee’s probationary period ends and approved a package of hiring measures to address recent public‑works vacancies. The board voted to advertise maintenance positions as depending on qualifications, to try paid job‑posting services for one month, and to pursue a temporary staffing agreement to place workers quickly.

The changes come after officials said three public‑works employees recently resigned, leaving multiple vacancies and prompting staff to recommend short‑term fixes while longer staffing and pay issues are reviewed. “We need to ease the restrictions, lessen them, make the city a fit and more appealable to applicants,” Alderman Hill said during the discussion.

Board members and staff described the scope of the staffing shortage: the public‑works department has 12 approved maintenance‑worker positions in total. As of the meeting staff reported that four of six Maintenance Worker 1 positions are vacant, all three Maintenance Worker 2 positions are vacant, and two of three Maintenance Worker 3 positions are vacant. To increase applicant interest, staff proposed advertising the Maintenance Worker 2 and 3 openings as “dependent on qualifications” and to omit fixed starting pay in recruitment materials except where legally required or later approved by the board.

Staff member Nikki briefed the board on the specific change to the Maintenance Worker 1 (MW‑1) job description. Under the amendment, new MW‑1 hires would be required to obtain a CDL within no more than six months after their probationary period ends—effectively giving them up to a year from hire to secure the license. Nikki said the proposed amendment retains the requirement that a CDL must be obtained but shifts the compliance window so probationary performance is not tied to the CDL deadline. A motion to approve the amendment passed (motion by Alderman Hules; second by Alderman Lang; motion carries).

Board members asked how much it costs to obtain a CDL. Jane, a city staff member, said she had not verified a current exact price that day but recalled the last estimate was “close to 1,800 to $2,000 to obtain the CDL.” Staff described the city’s current practice for testing expenses: the city pays for the first test and allows one retest; if the applicant does not pass after those attempts the employee is responsible for further testing costs.

Officials also raised safety questions about new hires driving heavy equipment in traffic and during snow operations. Dan (public‑works staff) said that “typically during snow operations, we do put the most experienced drivers we have on staff. We don't just put a new employee in there.” Aldermen discussed options for keeping strong non‑driving performers: Jane and other staff said the city could consider assigning such workers to non‑driving tasks if they consistently fail a CDL test, subject to later board discussion.

Pay scales and recruitment strategy were central to the hiring discussion. The board had previously (2023) approved a $19.08 starting salary for MW‑1 and an additional $1.00 hourly adjustment if an applicant already holds a CDL (bringing that starting rate to $20.08 for qualified hires). Staff noted an inconsistency: the published pay midpoint for MW‑1 in the pay scale reads $18.59 while the board‑approved starting salary was $19.08; the posted starting rate for MW‑2 was $16.74, which some aldermen said could deter applicants given comparable municipal offers. Alderman Mazarin compared neighboring Sunset Hills’ entry‑level maintenance pay (cited from online job postings) at roughly $41,008 annually and said Fenton’s advertised wages were lower by about $1 per hour.

To widen the candidate pool, the board approved two hiring tactics: a one‑month trial of paid job‑posting services (e.g., paid listings on Indeed or ZipRecruiter) to increase exposure, and authorizing staff to pursue a temporary staffing/placement agency contract to bring candidates quickly onto the payroll. Jane and Nikki said the city receives many applicants via the free Indeed platform and hoped paid postings could yield more qualified candidates. The board voted to try paid postings for one month (motion by Alderman Lang; second by Alderman Jokers; motion carries) and to pursue temporary staffing services (motion by Alderman Ewell; second by Alderman Lang; motion carries).

Separately, the board approved resuming or creating seasonal maintenance positions to cover workload peaks. Staff requested permission to amend job descriptions and number of seasonal positions and to set a temporary seasonal starting rate of $18.80 per hour. Nikki said the state of Missouri’s mandatory minimum wage is $13.75 and the city must comply; the proposed $18.80 was a temporary recruitment measure. Alderman Hills said the city already uses that $18.80 rate for athletic‑field seasonal workers and has been able to fill those jobs. A motion to hire seasonal workers at $18.80 passed (motion by Alderman Hills; second by Alderman Wiesbrock; motion carries).

Discussion points that did not produce formal policy changes included a request to review the overall pay scale so entry and midpoint values align and a suggestion from several aldermen to revisit benefits and total compensation in future meetings. Alderman Mazarin and others urged more comprehensive pay comparisons with neighboring municipalities.

What the board decided

- Approved amending the MW‑1 job description to require a CDL within six months after the probationary period ends (approved). - Authorized advertising MW‑1, MW‑2 and MW‑3 openings with “depending on qualifications” language (approved). - Approved a one‑month trial of paid job‑posting services (approved). - Authorized staff to pursue a temporary staffing placement agreement (approved). - Approved hiring seasonal workers at $18.80 per hour (approved).

Discussion only or next steps

Staff will implement the CDL‑timing change in the MW‑1 job description and advertise openings under the board’s direction. The board directed staff to bring contract terms and any pay‑scale corrections back for further review. Staff also said they would return with details on temporary‑staffing contract terms for attorney review before final execution.

Speakers quoted in this article came from the meeting record and included aldermen and city staff who presented the proposals; direct quotes are attributed to the speakers listed below.