Council reviews public works job description

By TRISHA PHELPS

Mt. Pleasant News

WAYLAND ? Even though the gas and water superintendents weren?t at the meeting, discussion surrounding the public works department took up the majority of Wednesday night?s Wayland City Council meeting.

The first order of business involving the public works department was to organize the final draft of the job description for the new public works job opening.

?I just need to find out if you (the council) are fine with the job description the way it is,? said City Clerk Bev Conrad. ?I added the airbrake requirements like Barry (Leichty) wanted. Now I just need to find out if you all are fine with the job description the way it is.?

Conrad noted that at the end of the job description there is a disclaimer noting that there may be other duties and instructions not specifically listed in the job description that the employee will need to perform.

The primary job function, according to the written job description provided by the city, is to be responsible to maintain and upgrade as needed all facets of city water, wastewater, gas operations and maintenance of streets, parks and all city property.

Qualifications include an education level of a high school degree or equivalent is required. The council determined the potential employee must also have a commercial drivers license and some knowledge and/or training in heavy equipment operation and maintenance.

During the previous city council meeting, it was made clear that the city hopes the new employee hired will be a long-term replacement for retiring public works superintendents Leichty and Randy Morrow.

?Our town is growing, and we know that our current employees will retire in the next 10 years, so we want to pass along their knowledge and experience,? Conrad said.

The council also discussed current part-time summer public works employee Armando Cardenas.

?We?d like to keep him (Cardenas) longer,? said Conrad, explaining to the council that the original end date of his employment was listed at Aug. 29 or at the council?s discretion.

?He is doing a really good job with the guys and we could really use him longer,? continued Conrad. ?He is working on projects around town which frees up Barry (Leichty) and Randy (Morrow) to work on the industrial park.?

The council approved extending Cardenas?s employment end date to Sept. 12, which would be just before applications are due for the new full-time position.

?It is fine as far as the budget goes to keep him longer,? Conrad informed the council.

?Well, they use him a lot and he does a good job,? said Mayor Brad Roth.

Other council members also noted how impressed they were with Cardenas?s job performance.

?I saw him out spraying weeds early in the morning,? said council member Kevin Fort. ?It surprised me, I wasn?t expecting to see anyone so early in the morning, but there he was working. It surprised the heck out of me to see someone working so early.?

The council also approved several permits at the meeting, including:

? Class-C beer permit for Wayland BP-Cobb Oil.

? Eric Barnhart, building permit for a shed at the 300 block of East Main Street.

? Russ Yoder, building permit for a shed at the 300 block of West North Street.

? James Hawkins, building permit for window replacement at the 300 block of West Main Street.

? Robert and Wendy Pusey, building permit for reroofing a house at the 200 block of West Second Street.

The next Wayland City Council meeting will be Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m. at Wayland City Hall.