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STAFF REPORT <br />TO:Mayor Keis and Members of City Council <br />FROM:Bill Dircks, Public Works Director <br />DATE:September 11, 2019 <br />RE:Posting Full-Time Public Works Position <br />Background: <br />As you may recall, a full-time public works position opened up back in 2017. Instead of hiring a <br />replacement, a Public Works Apprentice position was created to groom a potential employee to <br />transition into the full-time position after two years. The full-time position has remained open <br />and former seasonal employee, Alex Evenson, was hired in the apprentice role. He has been in <br />this position for nearly two years and has learned a lot about all facets of public works and has <br />demonstrated that he is ready to be a full-time employee. <br />Part of the Public Works Apprentice program included a full hiring process once the full-time <br />position was posted. The position will be posted, applications reviewed, and candidates will be <br />interviewed. There is no guarantee that the Apprentice will get the job but the theory is he <br />should be in good standing and well-qualified. <br />There is a small gap between the Apprentice current wage of $20/hour and the first step of the <br />full-time public works scale of $23.60. If the position is posted in September, interviews will be <br />conducted and the position will likely be filled in October, which will leave a maximum of three <br />months where this difference will need to be covered. There are sufficient savings in the 2019 <br />personnel budget to cover that difference. <br />The preliminary budget currently includes funds to hire another Public Works Apprentice in <br />2020. The program was a success and provided another strong employee to help the department. <br />This fits the strategic planning goal of achieving optimal staffing in all departments. <br />Recommended Action: <br />Staff recommends authorizing the posting of the open full-time public works position.