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CBU customer-relations representative learning Spanish to assist Spanish-speaking customers
Summary
A customer-relations representative told the Bloomington Utilities board she is taking weekly online Spanish classes to better assist Spanish-speaking customers; staff said training charges are going through the department's training budget.
During the public petitions and communications portion of the Sept. 26 meeting, Selena Powell, a customer relations representative with City of Bloomington Utilities, told the board she is taking weekly online Spanish classes to improve verbal communication with Spanish-speaking customers.
Powell said the classes — 30 minutes once a week with a teacher based in Guatemala via Homeschool Spanish Academy — began in May and are scheduled to conclude on March 4, 2026. She said she translated paper contracts into Spanish after joining the customer relations team and then chose formal language training to improve service.
"By taking classes to learn Spanish, I am working towards better assisting all of our Spanish speaking customers no matter their concerns or questions," Powell said.
Board members and staff praised the initiative and asked practical questions about cost and broader language access. A board member asked whether the city would reimburse the class fees; Powell said the charge is being processed through the department training budget and appeared in March records. Another board member suggested the utility consider translated written materials or resources for other languages with larger local populations.
Staff did not propose any formal policy change at the meeting; the remarks were presented as a staff update during the petitions and communications portion of the agenda.
