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Sunset plans Public Works restructuring to avoid large stormwater fee and cut engineering costs
Summary
Public Works Director proposed eliminating an expensive engineering contract for stormwater compliance and assigning certified Operations Manager Beau Fullmer to oversee compliance, while creating two foreman roles to split operational oversight — a change the council backed to avoid large fee increases.
Sunset — To avoid large ongoing costs for stormwater compliance, the Sunset City Council and Public Works leadership discussed an internal restructuring plan April 15 that would reduce consultant costs and create new supervisory positions within Public Works.
Public Works Director Jason Monroe told the council hiring an engineering firm to run stormwater compliance would cost substantially more than earlier estimates. Instead he recommended assigning Operations Manager Beau Fullmer — who already holds required certifications and would focus on administrative and compliance duties despite physical limitations — to oversee stormwater along with water and sewer administrative programs. Monroe also proposed creating two foreman positions (Brandon Reed and JT Trujillo) to split field oversight among streets, water, parks and recreation crews.
Monroe said the changes would substantially reduce costs, possibly avoiding the previously discussed stormwater fee increase of about $2.75 per billing unit and limiting any fee increase to roughly $0.25, while also creating advancement opportunities for long-term maintenance employees. He estimated that by removing engineering costs and shifting a vehicle purchase to other funding, the city could cut approximately $110,000 in projected expenses.
Council reaction and compensation: Council members expressed support for the plan; Mayor Wiggill and others signaled agreement to a modest compensation approach for employees assuming added duties (an initial 2% increase followed by an additional 2% after a probationary period). Director Monroe agreed to return with detailed revised numbers reflecting title changes and the proposed raises.
Operational detail and risks: Monroe said an engineering contingency of about $4,500 could be retained to address unforeseen EPA or DEQ requirements. Council members asked staff to confirm whether reassignment to an existing employee would obviate hiring and whether vehicle purchases might be funded through Local County Option Highway Fund instead.
Next steps: Staff will provide revised cost and compensation estimates for council review before the tentative budget adoption.
