Board tables hiring of new employees; staff narrows field-tech candidates

The County Water District board discussed expanding staff after recent workload increases and voted to table final hiring decisions while staff completes the application process.

Staff and board members described current needs: one full‑time office clerk to reduce back-office backlog and one replacement plus possibly one new field technician (two field technicians total) for meter work, leak response and unidirectional flushing. Staff reported they have narrowed outside/field technician applicants to two candidates for at least one open position and that cross‑training would follow hire.

Board members said the faster the office hire can be made, the quicker administrative backlogs (billing and reports) will be addressed. Staff noted they received several clerk applications and agreed to review them. One board member suggested extending the application deadline for the secretary/clerk role because the county office closure had limited candidates’ ability to apply; the board agreed to keep applications open through the coming Friday.

On motions, the board made and seconded a motion to table hiring while staff finalizes application reviews; that motion passed. Although some directors favored hiring two new outside technicians immediately, the board did not approve a new hire at the meeting and instead directed staff to prepare paperwork and return with recommendations.

Why it matters: board members tied hiring to operational needs — meter testing and replacement, service-order processing and backlog reduction — especially after the winter storm increased staff workloads.

Next steps: staff will finalize applicant reviews, prepare position paperwork, and return with a recommendation. The board asked staff to prioritize filling at least one office position quickly and to present recommended hires and job descriptions at a future meeting.