Council to consider building-department pay adjustment, staffing shortfalls and formalizing public works

Council members discussed a proposal to raise the full‑time building commissioner’s salary to better match comparable positions in neighboring municipalities and to address budget shortfalls created when the position moved to full time after the 2025 budget was adopted.

Councilors said the Portage building-commissioner/code-enforcement salary (referenced in meeting materials) was about $67,000 and that staff would present a plan in August showing options to reallocate existing budgeted amounts — including reassigning a portion of street and sanitation payroll lines that had been split — to cover the proposed increase. The council also heard that converting the position to full time created shortfalls for PERF (pension contributions), coverage for an additional vacation day, and temporary staffing to cover absences.

Separately, council members discussed formalizing a public-works department to reflect that street and sanitation functions are being managed together by a single supervisor. Staff recommended merging job descriptions and codifying the department structure; council members asked for a written proposal showing budget impacts and any required town‑code changes.

Council members asked staff to prepare a detailed funding and ordinance-change plan for the August meeting that would include salary comparisons, PERF costs, and options to reallocate salary lines or other departmental resources. No formal compensation change was approved at the meeting; the item was continued for action at a future meeting once the council has the written proposal.