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Commission and staff outline hiring and succession plan for multiple BPU vacancies
Summary
Commissioners and BPU staff reviewed an organizational chart showing vacancies in key utility roles and agreed to develop job descriptions, negotiate wages with the union as needed, and hold monthly personnel check‑ins while pursuing internal and external recruitment.
Commission staff and the personnel committee on July 29 briefed the full commission on staffing gaps and succession planning at Brainerd Public Utilities. Operations manager Trent reported several vacancies — including public utilities director, electric supervisor, maintenance service lead, technical service lead, hydro operator and a water service worker — and described efforts to advertise and fill roles amid low applicant volumes.
Trent said some positions will first be posted internally, some require job‑description drafting, and several will need wage negotiations with the union before hiring. Staff and commissioners agreed to work with HR to develop job descriptions, present proposed job classifications and wage scales, and hold monthly personnel‑committee updates to coordinate recruitment and succession planning.
Why it matters: the utility cited upcoming retirements and long‑standing vacancies that could affect operations and project delivery; commissioners emphasized the need for clear job descriptions and alignment with the union bargaining process.
Action steps: personnel committee and staff will create job descriptions, coordinate with HR, and return with specific proposals and a schedule for recruitment and union negotiation where applicable.
