Levelland — The Levelland City Council voted Jan. 6 to approve a set of organizational changes the city manager said are intended to help staff recruit, retain and train employees as Levelland moves into a year of heavy capital projects.

City Manager James Fisher told the council the city faces about $29 million in projects that are slated to begin this year, including a $19 million wastewater treatment plant, a $5.8 million water meter replacement, a $2.2 million airport lighting project, and other items funded in part through ARPA. Fisher said staffing shortages — particularly in the police department — have left positions vacant for extended periods and limited the city’s ability to complete planned work.

Why it matters: City leaders said filling vacancies and creating career pathways will reduce overtime pressure, improve service reliability and ensure staff have the licenses and training required for water, wastewater and public‑works operations.

Key changes approved: Fisher and staff described a three‑part approach:
- Expand the police pay scale to allow greater pay progression, improve lateral recruitment and reduce the municipal cost of vacancies over time. Fisher estimated the immediate budget impact at roughly $130,000, which the city can absorb this year because of current vacancies.
- Restructure public works to create two superintendent positions overseeing (a) water and wastewater and (b) streets, sanitation and the shop. The goal is to build redundancy and accelerate cross‑training so the city is not dependent on single incumbents for essential licenses and functions.
- Launch a formal training program (proposed “training Fridays”) to support licensing and mentoring for water/wastewater class D and other certifications and to broaden staff cross‑training across departments.

Fisher said staff are targeting more mentoring and internal promotion opportunities so employees can step into higher responsibilities and the city can reduce reliance on external hires. Assistant City Manager Joe Cavazos, who Fisher said would focus more on capital‑project management, joined the presentation.

Budget and next steps: Fisher said roughly $130,000 of recurring cost will be visible in future budgets and that the city will manage much of the near‑term impact through current vacancies. Council approved the organizational changes on a motion and second; staff will return with implementing job descriptions, updated budget language and a timeline for training and license support.

Quotable: “We’ve gotta make sure we have employees available to step up and to be able to do other people’s jobs,” City Manager James Fisher said. Fisher also listed the projects planned for 2025 and added, “If somebody is out due to illness…we can continue to provide the exceptional services that our community deserves.”