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Parkersburg Council committee approves position overseeing Streets, Street Cleaning departments

Position oversees Streets, Street Cleaning departments

Photo by Evan Bevins Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce, right, discusses a proposed new street superintendent position during a Parkersburg City Council Personnel Committee meeting Tuesday at the Municipal Building as Personnel Director Sondra Wallace listens.

PARKERSBURG — Parkersburg City Council’s Personnel Committee on Wednesday approved a new job that will oversee both the Streets and Street Cleaning departments.

Mayor Tom Joyce said the street superintendent position will take the place of a street supervisor job recently vacated by retirement.

“There’s a lot of similarities” between the two departments, he said, noting they operate similar equipment and work together on snow removal during periods of heavy precipitation. “We believe that we can streamline some operations.”

Personnel Director Sondra Wallace said the salary range for the job is $43,500 to $62,700, and it’s in the same classification as positions like the city planner and development projects administrator.

“It’s a really big job,” she said.

“It’s going to take experience and accountability.”

Councilman Austin Richards asked about the source of the funding for the salary. Joyce said it would be paid out of the unused salary for the retired supervisor position, with a budget adjustment to be made later if needed.

The city isn’t required to make an internal hire for the job, but there are people who would be eligible, Joyce said.

“There are four foremen across departments who we know would be qualified for this position,” he said.

There might be some overlap initially with a supervisor position in the Street Cleaning Department, Joyce said, but there is enough work for both positions. Adjustments might be made later if that position becomes vacant.

“I don’t want to knock anybody out of a job,” Joyce said.

The committee voted 3-0, with Councilmen Bob Mercer and Mike Reynolds absent, to refer the job to the full council for consideration at its next meeting. That’s set for Tuesday, a week earlier than usual to meet state requirements to lay the levy for the upcoming budget year.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.

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