Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Aztec workshop flags shortfall of certified water and wastewater operators
Summary
City staff told commissioners the utility division will lose a dual‑certified operator in January and needs two Level‑3 hires (or one dual hire) to avoid sustained overtime and potential enforcement by NMED or EPA.
At a city commission workshop, Ruben, a water/wastewater division official, told commissioners the city is at risk of being understaffed for operations at its water and wastewater plants if it does not hire certified operators before January.
Ruben said the water plant currently has three Level‑3 operators (two of them dual‑certified), and the wastewater plant has two Level‑3 operators. “We have three Level‑3 operators,” he said. “Well, come January, we’re losing a double.” He explained that losing a dual‑certified operator would drop staffing and increase overtime pressure across shifts.
The most immediate options are to recruit a new dual‑certified operator — which Ruben said are rare — or hire two single‑certified operators (one for water and one for wastewater) to restore adequate coverage. Ruben told the commission that the city’s organizational chart and recent hires (including Holly Goulette, who returned with dual certification) inform the staffing plan and that the city is advertising for supervisory roles to create flexibility.
Commissioners and staff discussed budget limits. Staff said the operating budget is currently maxed and that adding staff would require a budget adjustment. The group also discussed recruitment strategies: using a headhunter (estimated fee about 25% of the new hire’s first‑year salary) versus targeted outreach to graduates and alumni of the School of Energy to find candidates who could be credited for state certification requirements.
Ruben warned of regulatory risk if inspectors ask about certified staffing during an NMED or EPA inspection. “If they ask how many Level‑3 operators we have, they could cite us,” he said, noting the city was fortunate on its last inspection. Staff said they will continue advertising for supervisors and consider internal promotions to free up operator slots, while following up with the School of Energy to identify former students who might return.
Next steps: staff will continue recruitment, advertise supervisory openings, follow up with the School of Energy, and return with updates to the commission. No formal hiring authorization or budget amendment was approved at the workshop.
