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Lebanon City Council approves two director-level roles, contractual operator services and multiple local grants
Summary
Council added director-level finance and economic development positions, approved an operator service agreement for water/wastewater, and passed several business-district grants and hires; salary details will be determined later.
The Lebanon City Council on May 26 approved restructuring two municipal positions into director-level posts, accepted committee recommendations for local grants and seasonal hires, and authorized an operator contract to maintain water and wastewater licensing while staff turnover is addressed.
On personnel, council voted to amend the personnel manual to create a director of finance and accounting (replacing the accountant role and expanding duties) and a director of economic development, planning and operations. City leaders described both actions as restructuring steps to professionalize management; council members emphasized no salaries have been set and that pay will depend on candidate qualifications. The motions to add both positions were approved by roll call; one ‘no’ vote was recorded on the economic development measure.
Committee recommendations that received council approval included business-district grants (for the Chamber of Commerce parking and Meredith Funeral Home HVAC) and hiring two seasonal cemetery workers — Coran Harris and Blake Johnson — at $17 per hour, not to exceed 30 hours per week.
On utilities, the water committee recommended and council approved a temporary certified water/wastewater operator agreement with Alers Water Service LLC to ensure the city retains required licensed coverage while the city moves to recruit or reassign public‑works staff. The committee also recommended limited release-of-claims and change orders related to TWWM closeout; council approved those items by roll call.
Treasurer’s report and staffing context: Treasurer Jess explained the budget reasoning behind personnel recommendations and walked council through a staffing/hours calculation for police coverage; she said the FOP contract conversations and a voluntary wage freeze reduced projected costs by roughly $70,000. Water department staff and public works leaders told council that two water employees have submitted resignations, leaving the city with only one in‑house water employee after June 1 and increasing reliance on contracted operator services.
Why it matters: The director-level hires and the operator agreement are structural moves intended to stabilize municipal operations at a time of tight finances and staff turnover. They shift responsibilities, create new hiring needs, and could create future budget pressure once salaries are set.
What’s next: Job postings and position descriptions will be prepared; salary ranges will be set when candidates are evaluated. The Alers Water Service LLC operator agreement and TWWM closeout paperwork will be implemented immediately to meet licensing and reporting deadlines.
