Council reviews utilities staffing, technician classifications and payroll records

Victoria presented a staffing summary at the Oct. 21 workshop showing filled and vacant positions across water and wastewater. She reported the assistant utility director position is vacant but being recruited; that role would absorb the administrative assistant and compliance technician duties, allowing staff to eliminate those two positions from the roster if the assistant director assumes their responsibilities.

Staff noted one strong internal applicant for the assistant utility director role and identified that candidate’s regulatory experience: “She worked for 15 years for a TCEQ,” a staff member said during the presentation. Councilors urged urgency in filling the role and keeping salary funds available in the budget in case the new hire needs additional help or the department needs to rehire specialized positions later.

Councilors pressed staff about many employees still listed as Utility Technician I. Michael (utilities lead) and Victoria said payroll and HR classification records may be out of date; Victoria said she had requested payroll data and would verify job classifications and merit or step increases. She told the council she would “review their classification and place them where they should be.”

Why it matters: Several council members argued that technicians with years of service should be advanced to Technician II or III to reflect skills and reduce supervisory workload. Staff committed to reconciling personnel records, confirming credentials and updating payroll before the final budget adoption.

Next steps: Victoria will reconcile payroll/HR data, confirm certifications/licensing for named staff, and report back; the council left salary lines in place to enable reassignment or hiring if needed.