Wagoner board hires Eric Jones as public works director at $120,000 with conditions on wastewater licensing

The Wagoner Public Works Authority voted on Dec. 1 to employ Eric Jones as Public Works Director at an annual salary of $120,000, with the board waiving his probation effective Dec. 2, 2025, and specifying there will be no financial increase until the required sewer/wastewater license is obtained.

The formal motion, presented by an authority member, repeated the terms: $120,000 per year; probation waived effective 12/02/2025; and no pay adjustments until Jones secures the wastewater license. After a second, the board called the roll and recorded affirmative votes from Butler; North; Higginbotham; Hamilton; Wagoner; Wright; Wilson; and Thomas. The motion carried.

Eric Jones, who addressed the council earlier during departmental reports, said he was "looking forward to getting to work" and emphasized a focus on orderly transitions within the electric department, knowledge transfer, unity and improving communication with residents. "We'll do good things," Jones said when invited to speak.

The board did not attach a separate implementation timeline beyond the probation-waiver date and the licensing condition. The agenda listed a possible executive-session authority under Title 25 O.S. § 307(B)(1) for personnel discussion but the hiring action was taken in open session as recorded.

What happens next: the motion sets employment terms and a licensing condition; the record does not list a start date beyond the waived-probation effective date, and staff did not provide an additional timeline for when the wastewater license must be obtained.