Personnel committee recommends hiring DPW director with foreman; finance to set wages

The City of Mayville’s personnel committee recommended that the city proceed with a Department of Public Works (DPW) structure that includes a director and a designated foreman/lead position. Committee members said a single department head with a foreman as the second-in-command best fits the city’s operational needs.

The recommendation will be forwarded to the full council for approval of the organizational structure. Committee members emphasized that the director should have authority to make staffing decisions and oversee parks and public works functions; the foreman would act as on-the-ground lead during peak seasonal operations.

Separately, the finance committee discussed pay and classification for the DPW director position at length but did not set a final wage. Finance members reviewed the city’s outdated pay scales, compared neighboring communities and discussed a proposed range intended to attract qualified candidates. The finance committee tabled the wage decision and directed additional work to determine a competitive, defensible pay range before posting the position publicly. Meanwhile, staff indicated internal applicants will be considered under whatever range the council later approves.

Next steps: personnel will forward the recommended organizational structure to council; finance will return with wage-range recommendations for council approval before final hiring action.