Lebanon City approves short-term water operator contract amid staffing concerns

Lebanon City council approved a short-term certified water and wastewater operator services agreement with Albers Water Services LLC after members and residents debated whether the contract and current staffing would cover emergency response.

The vote to approve the agreement was taken by voice and recorded as a 5–0 affirmative result; the roll call that followed listed Paul, Marcinkowski, Smith, Velke and Farrell as voting yes. Council members were handed copies of the contract at the meeting.

Why it matters: multiple residents and a long-serving water and sewer employee told the council the department will be down to two staff on June 1, raising the risk that the city could be unable to respond quickly to major rain events, pump station needs or overnight alarms. That concern was a central theme of the public comment that preceded the vote.

Concerns and claims raised at the meeting included questions about who will take alarm calls and whether the proposed contractor’s hours and on-call terms provide adequate coverage. A plant operator who spoke said alarm calls sometimes occur overnight and that he tracks them on his time card to show the workload. "There are some weeks that there's 1, and there are some weeks that there's 101," the operator said, describing variability in call volume.

A long-time water and sewer employee who identified themself as having 30 years of experience warned: "Come June 1, we're gonna be down to 2 employees in the water and sewer department." The employee added that Penny's departure will remove important operational knowledge: "The knowledge that this town has lost." Those comments were delivered during the public-comment period.

Contract terms and differing characterizations of cost were discussed in the meeting. One council member stated in the meeting, "$222 an hour," when describing the contract rate. Residents and others cited different monthly and hourly figures in their remarks: one attendee said they believed the contractor would be paid about $6,500 a month for 32 hours per month, and an operator cited $100 per hour for taking certain calls "according to that" contract language. The council did not amend the contract terms in the meeting; the transcript records those figures as remarks by participants, not as an updated contract summary from staff.

Council response and process notes: the chair said the contract is a limited-term arrangement and that copies had been distributed for review. A council member described a previously discussed finance-committee proposal as likely to be a once-per-month effort and noted that an unexpected staff resignation occurred since that discussion. The council also invited residents to submit ideas about reuse of the old city hall for future agenda consideration.

Outcome and next steps: the resolution authorizing execution of certified water operator services agreements with Albers Water Services LLC was approved by voice vote and confirmed by roll call. The meeting adjourned immediately afterward. The contract itself and any operational assignments for alarm-call coverage were not further detailed in the meeting record; follow-up with city staff would be required for definitive timing, billing and on-call assignment information.

Quote highlights: "Come June 1, we're gonna be down to 2 employees in the water and sewer department," the long-serving water and sewer employee said. A plant operator described the volume of alarm calls: "They come in at 01:00 in the morning... They still come in." A council member described the contract as "straightforward" and called it a limited-term arrangement.

The council did not record additional amendments or directions about reassigning alarm calls during the meeting; participants repeatedly requested clarity about who will be responsible for overnight and emergency responses once staff changes take effect.