Kelly Hebert, director for finance and administration for the Water & Sewer Department, asked the Finance Committee on March 11 for authorization to use available Water Enterprise Fund wages to fund three positions: a utility billing manager, a service operations manager and a reclassified billing analyst. Hebert said those roles were intended to address workload and cross‑training needs in a department that “produces or generates at least 51,000 billable invoices every year.”

Hebert and other staff described the request as urgent because of high billing volumes, recent turnover in senior Water & Sewer leadership and a series of vacancies that department leaders said were hampering customer service and bill‑run operations. City budget and HR staff supported the request as part of a short list of near‑term, high‑priority positions the department wanted filled before the FY26 budget cycle.

Councilors pushed back repeatedly. Councilor Scott and others said the department lacked a permanent director and that creating two new ongoing nonunion management positions months before the FY26 budget—when elected leaders and possibly a new mayoral administration could set long‑term priorities—was inappropriate. Councilors asked for org charts, vacancy counts and a clearer explanation of why temporary or contracted help could not address immediate workload while the department is reorganized.

After extended discussion the committee considered a motion from Councilor Klingen to recommend not approving all three items. On roll call the committee voted to recommend not approving the requested midyear funding for the utility billing manager, the service operations manager and the billing analyst reclassification. The clerk recorded affirmative votes to recommend not approving from all councilors present.

What committee asked for next
- Staff were directed to return with the three position requests as part of the FY26 budget, accompanied by an organizational chart, current vacancy and overtime data, and an explanation of short‑term alternatives (contractors or temporary staffing) if the committee decides not to fund new permanent FTEs midyear.
- The committee also asked for clearer documentation of who would report to the utility billing manager and for more detail on the billing backlog and cross‑training plan.

Quotes
Kelly Hebert, director for finance and administration for the Water & Sewer Department, said, “This department basically produces or generates at least 51,000 billable invoices every year.”

Councilor John Klingen said the committee should defer creation of new permanent positions until a director is in place to set the department’s strategic structure.

Why it matters
The committee’s recommendation against midyear additions means the department must either hold these positions for FY26 or propose alternative short‑term staffing in the remainder of FY25. The committee’s action reflects an ongoing tension between department leaders who cite operational need and councilors who prefer permanent staffing decisions to be taken in the annual budget process with full organizational context.

Provenance: initial presentation and request; final motion and roll call were recorded in the March 11 transcript.