Commission approves pay plan for off‑site SCADA monitoring

The Richmond Water & Sewer Commission approved a new pay‑plan policy July 1 to compensate hourly employees who monitor the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system off site.

The policy, intended for nights and weekends when staff check alarms remotely, provides a 25% supplemental rate for monitoring time and follows the town’s personnel guidelines for minimum call‑in pay. Commissioners discussed that a typical monitoring cadence would be about four checks per night (roughly 15 minutes each) and that actual in‑plant work remains paid under normal overtime rules.

Town staff told the commission the policy was modeled on how the police and highway departments compensate on‑call work and is intended to be fair while keeping expectations consistent across departments. Commissioners noted the arrangement is temporary in part until a permanent, certified grade‑4 operator can be retained; the commission also contracted for supplemental grade‑4 coverage and said that contractual operators must meet the state requirement for on‑site hours.

Supporters argued the policy helps retain staff by compensating the disruption of on‑call monitoring; others asked that the policy remain aligned with existing personnel rules and clarified that paid monitoring is distinct from hours worked when a staff member is called into the plant. The motion to approve passed by voice vote. The commission directed staff to circulate signature pages and to implement the policy in accordance with personnel guidelines.