Two candidates have been offered Public Works Department Maintenance Operator positions, contingent upon City Council approval. One position is for the replacement of a recently retired employee and the second is a newly added position as approved at the regular City Council meeting on December 18, 2018.

The union pay plan for Maintenance Operator includes Steps 1 through 5 for this position (see attached). The skill level for these steps span from entry level to highly skilled experts (e.g. 44 years of experience). It is typical and past practice that a good employee would reach maximum pay level 5 after completion of the fourth year of successful employment.  

However in this  instance, both candidates each have approximately fifteen plus years of experience and have substantial skill, knowledge, and expertise relative to this position. They are expected to hit the ground running with a medium to high level of experience and equipment operation. Due to these factors, we are recommending to start both candidates at level three, $27.44 per hour. As a note, it has been past practice to request council approval when hiring a candidate at or above the middle pay scale for a position.