Council debates hiring public‑works director and training to cut contractor costs

Councilors prioritized public‑works staffing as a lever to reduce expensive contract work. Members said contracting locates and heavy‑equipment work at roughly $30 an hour is straining the operating budget; hiring a dedicated public‑works director and training in‑house staff for locating and ground‑penetrating radar use were presented as cost‑saving steps.

One councilor summarized the risk of continued reliance on contractors: "We're committing suicide" when referring to current contracting rates. The clerk and multiple members discussed routes to certify internal staff — training in locating (a short multi‑day course) and ground‑penetrating radar operation — but noted training seats are limited and out‑of‑state options were mentioned. Council directed staff to include the proposed $50,000 director salary and potential savings from reduced contractor hours in the next budget model.