Council approves temporary contract with Statewide Electrical Services after sudden Class 4 operator resignation

The New Iberia City Council authorized a temporary agreement with Statewide Electrical Services LLC to provide licensed Class 4 operator services and inspection coverage at the city’s wastewater treatment plant after the municipality lost its only Class 4 operator to immediate retirement.

City staff explained the contract is intended as an interim measure to keep the plant in regulatory compliance while the city pursues a longer-term staffing solution. The city’s sewer director and staff said they are pursuing promotion and certification paths for internal staff, but obtaining an operator Class 4 license is a multi-step process that can take a year or more depending on exam schedules, experience points and continuing-education requirements. In the meantime, the contracted operator will provide inspections and be available as needed; staff indicated the operator would not be a full-time employee of the city but would be on-call and perform monthly inspections and coverage required by state law.

Council members discussed recruitment challenges, industry-wide shortage of licensed operators, and the relative expense of contracting for these services. Staff noted they had contacted neighboring municipalities and vendors and that the contracted arrangement was a practical stopgap to preserve compliance and operations. Council also noted that Statewide already performs contracted services for other local plants, and the firm offered cooperative pricing.

Ending: Council approved the agreement and asked staff to continue active recruitment and internal certification efforts for a permanent Class 4 operator while using the contracted service to maintain legal compliance and daily operations.