MOUNT VERNON — Utilities were once again front and center at the Monday meeting of Mount Vernon City Council as council members voted 6 to 1 to restructure the department. Councilman Mike Hillier cast the dissenting vote.
The move creates the positions of wasterwater superintendent and utility office administrator. It also revamps other positions but maintains the same number of total employees.
According to an email Hillier received from the union president, the union is not in favor of the restructure. “We don’t want to erode our jobs and create supervisory positions,” the email read.
“When something like that’s done, removing someone from the sanctuary of their union, they don’t have that representation anymore,” Councilman John Francis said. “So that’s a huge concern that I see coming from them.”
Safety-service Director Richard Dzik said that nobody is being removed from the union as the positions are now vacant.
“So the concern is that who we bring in, they would not be a member of the union,” he said.
He also noted the union is concerned about collecting monthly dues, and having two less members paying dues is a little bit less money for the union.
“That being said, the union has made it very clear that the union does not want its members evaluating or disciplining fellow employees, which makes it very difficult for us to create a supervisory structure within the union,” Dzik said. “So, we hear their concern, but it is the city’s right to structure its workforce how the city sees fit.”
Law Director Rob Broeren added that the supervisors are not totally without protection.
“They do still retain civil service protections even though they don’t have their union protections,” he said.
Hillier said he understands the city’s position, but noted that the utilities department has had seven resignations in less than a year. Aside from union opposition, he does not feel the restructure is what is best for the department.
“We’ve got to pull this thing back together. I’m afraid we’re going to lose more people,” he said, adding that the employees who left had a lot of experience. “I know we’re trying to do things to build morale, but I think this just tears it down one more slot.”
Francis agreed that morale is down and asked how the restructure props up morale.
Dzik believes the ongoing problems within the utility relate to lack of access to supervisors, noting the two previous utility directors went from building to building trying to be accessible.
“I point to the public works department, which is running seamlessly with a similar structure,” he said. “It is a little unreasonable to expect one or two people to manage 35 unionized employees. This will give the director … a crew of supervisors that can report back to him to provide access to the employees.”
Dzik said no employee is being forced to take an unwanted position as a result of the restructure. A clerk position will be eliminated after that employee moves to the cemetery department.
There is an internal candidate for the office administrator position; there is no internal candidate for the wastewater superintendent position as that requires a Class 3 operator’s certification.
Council also passed legislation setting compensation for the assistant director of utilities at $72,500. Dzik has a candidate for the assistant director position; the candidate has a Class 3 license.
A related ordinance appoints the assistant director as interim director of utilities with an additional $7,500 in salary. Once the utilities director is hired, the interim appointment and additional salary will expire.
A third ordinance sets the utilities director compensation between $80,000 and $90,000. This is a decrease from the previous director’s salary.
Council members passed several pieces of legislation after waiving the required three readings:
•Bid and contract for fire hose procurement
•Appointing Jarell “JJ” House as an alternate member to the recreation board
•Authorizing the sale of a dump truck and a water/wastewater vehicle. The W/WW vac truck has a value of $10,000; the city will sell it to the Village of Fredericktown for $5,000. The city has spent $69,093 in repairs over the past 15 months; the village loaned the city the use of its vac truck while the city’s was being repaired.
•Approving supplemental appropriations and fund transfers
•Entering into contract with Synagro to apply wastewater sludge
Council also took the following legislative actions:
•Authorized a request for proposals to identify and select a firm to oversee engineering services for rehab of the water treatment plant
•Gave a first reading to legislation to bid and contract for the Harmony Playground restroom
•Gave a first reading to legislation authorizing membership in the Regional Planning Commission. Councilman Hillier will represent city council with Council Member Amber Keener as alternate. Mayor Matt Starr will represent the city’s planning commission. Citizen members are Sibley Poland and Ahmad Takrouri with Lacie Blankenhorn as alternate.
•Gave a first reading to an ordinance accepting the annexation of 0.562 acres on Newark Road
Jim Brown, chairman of the Shade Tree and Beautification Commission, updated council on the commission’s activities. The commission planted around 300 trees in 2022 and plans 300 for 2023. Plantings include at Shellmar Park, the Kokosing Gap Trail, and Columbia Elementary School, among others.
Knox County Career Center labs continue to partner with the commission on planting, refurbishing downtown benches, and creating archways for several city parks. Other activities include the annual Arbor Day ceremony, planting a pollinator garden in west Ariel-Foundation Park, and supporting the Tree City and Bee City designations.
Council also heard an update from Health Commissioner Zach Green, who noted the health department is still searching for a new location. Green asked council members to evaluate what information they want in terms of statistics.
