Victoria staff outline staffing, technology and pay changes after boil-water notices

City Manager Garza told the Victoria City Council at a specially called meeting on Sept. 9 that staff have moved from diagnosing causes of recent boil-water notices to implementing an array of operational fixes focused on people, process, equipment and technology.

Garza said the immediate organizational change shifts the surface water treatment plant manager to report directly to the new assistant director in Public Works to remove a layer of supervision and improve day-to-day oversight. “We think this really improves the lines of oversight and communication,” Garza said. He also said an internal promotion and cross-training with the utilities division will help fill critical gaps while some positions remain vacant.

Why it matters: Council members were briefed on specific steps designed to reduce the chance of future water-quality events and to stabilize staffing at the plant. Several of the steps require one-time spending or capital improvements and changes to how sampling and monitoring are done.

Key measures described by staff include: - Staffing and pay: Garza said the surface water treatment…