Shelton department reports: clerk, HR, finance and IT outline December activity; council asks for more public outreach on major projects

City staff used the Jan. 27 study session to walk council through December activities across clerk, human resources, finance and IT functions, highlighting routine workload, training and a handful of operational metrics.

City clerk: Mary, speaking for the clerk’s office, said the office received and closed 11 public records requests in December, processed three permitted special events (the downtown car show is scheduled for July), and produced 367 packet pages for council. She emphasized the clerk’s role as custodial public-records officer and the office’s coordination with multiple departments on permit conditions.

Human resources and risk: Leanne summarized the city’s risk-pool membership with the Washington Cities Insurance Authority (WCIA) and the Association of Washington Cities (AWC), described the claims intake and review process, and said the HR team issued two leave certifications in December and managed five authorized recruitments and multiple onboarding panels. She also briefed the council that a labor contract with the Shelton Employees Guild was finalized in December.

Finance, procurement and utilities: Terry, interim finance director, described a nine-person finance team and said accounts payable processed 608 invoices in December totaling just over $1.6 million. The department reported 3,859 utility bills processed in the month, mailed 598 delinquent notices and completed 37 shutoffs for nonpayment. Terry also outlined an indirect cost rate study due to be completed in the spring to better allocate personnel and overhead costs to grants and projects.

IT and cybersecurity: Cody, the IT manager, was credited with overseeing simulated phishing training (staff reported 47 suspicious/phishing emails) and resolving 29 IT tickets directly; staff noted Cody functions as a department of one and continues to support onboarding, hardware, security and the court migration to the Odyssey system.

Other updates: Staff summarized multiple ongoing maintenance and capital projects across parks, facilities and utilities (meter replacement punch lists, reservoir vent upgrades, reclaimed-water tank construction). Public works noted a range of noncapital maintenance items that will be tracked on a shared spreadsheet of active tasks.

Votes at a glance: The council approved a motion to extend the study session by 20 minutes to allow additional discussion on public works (motion and approval recorded during the Olympic Highway discussion). No other formal motions or ordinance adoptions were taken during the study session.

Next steps and context: Staff asked councilors what metrics or additional packet information they want monthly; councilors asked staff to continue refining project timelines and to lead public outreach for major street and capital projects ahead of design decisions.