Council backs enterprise priorities; staff seeks operators for wastewater and administrative support

City utilities staff told the council that the enterprise funds operate like a business run on user fees, and they asked council to prioritize several enterprise projects and personnel changes tied to system expansion.

Richard (S9) told the council the wastewater treatment division will need two additional operators to meet an upcoming permit change and 24‑hour staffing requirements once expansion is complete. He also requested one administrative assistant for the water‑treatment division to handle reporting and scheduling; staff said that position previously existed but was eliminated and is now necessary as divisions are separated for more transparent accounting.

Council unanimously approved staff’s enterprise priorities and added a motion to allocate $150,000 toward engineering and design for a new Croom Road wastewater treatment plant as a planning commitment; council emphasized the city will continue to pursue grants and bonding to fund major plant construction. Staff cautioned that larger capital items such as an $8.3 million reclaimed water expansion would rely on external grants, bonds and phased planning rather than pay‑as‑you‑go internal funding.