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Willard council reviews sewer operations, hiring challenges and budget shortfall; pre-treatment and cameras proposed
Summary
Council and staff said Willard is searching for a licensed sewer operator, facing hiring setbacks and budget pressure. Staff proposed requiring pre-treatment at high-strength dischargers and installing cameras to reduce inflows; council approved proceeding with budget contingent on enforcement measures.
City staff and councilors discussed operational challenges at the regional sewer plant that serves Willard and neighboring cities, saying the city has struggled to hire a certified operator and that operational gaps are straining the plant and the budget.
Staff reported that recent candidates withdrew and that the city is readvertising the operator position and interviewing a new slate of applicants. In the interim, the city is relying on backup personnel and support from neighboring jurisdictions; council members asked staff to secure temporary backup from nearby plants if needed.
Council members and staff also discussed frequent spikes in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) at the plant, which staff said often trace to food-service dischargers. Staff said they and partner jurisdictions have requested pre-treatment (grease traps and other pretreatment) at large dischargers and proposed installing cameras at key inflow points so operators can spot problems faster.
From a budget perspective, staff said the sewer fund would require additional resources: the council noted the tentative allocation of $250,000 for Perry-related sewer expenses and said the board's current request left the city about $6,354 short of the requested amount. Councilors said approval of some budget items should be contingent on the other jurisdictions or dischargers taking corrective action, such as installing pre-treatment systems.
On hiring, staff said a small pool of licensed operators nationwide is making recruitment difficult. Council members asked staff to continue interviews and requested a clearer, itemized budget spreadsheet so they can assess whether new operator costs, a second ambulance or other service changes should be phased in next year.
Council members also discussed updating the municipal code for the sewer lateral responsibility; staff said they plan to draft an amendment to clarify that property owners must own and maintain the lateral to the main line and that the city will pursue the municipal-code change through a public hearing and planning commission review.
