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Council discusses recreation coordinator hiring and utility billing delays
Summary
Council heard a staffing update that two applicants applied for a recreation coordinator post, one declined and the city extended an offer to a second applicant pending her decision; staff noted the position had been posted at a budgeted minimum of $15.75/hr but offered a short-term $17/hr arrangement contingent on a probationary bump and a future budget amendment. The city also reported ongoing utility billing delays related to a software transition and will waive late fees for affected cycles.
Councilmembers pressed staff for clarity about the recreational coordinator position and pay after the parks department reported two applicants applied, one declined, and the city extended an offer to a second applicant who was considering another position.
Adri (Public Works administration) said the position had been posted at a budgeted minimum of $15.75 per hour due to the way the position was budgeted, and staff later offered $17 per hour for an initial period tied to a probationary review and a prospective budget amendment.
"Both applicants weren't very happy with the amount that was offered... so we did offer $17 based on her experience," Adri reported, explaining finance constraints and an intention to follow up with a budget amendment if needed.
Councilmembers urged the city manager and finance staff to identify funds or negotiation room to attract more qualified applicants, with one member suggesting starting budget lines higher so future negotiations are simpler. Staff said they would calculate available funds and the potential need for a budget amendment.
Separately, the city manager reported the new utility billing software implementation has caused data migration and routing problems that delayed the billing cycle. Staff described address-formatting issues and meter-route mapping errors that required temporary use of legacy reading routes and estimated readings for some accounts. To mitigate customer harm, the city waived late fees for the prior and current billing cycles and plans to deploy a mobile meter-reading application after route corrections are complete.
The council urged staff to communicate proactively to customers, especially those with automatic electronic payments, as delays could create confusion.
