Several personnel changes approved by utility commission.

A proposal to move some Shawano Municipal Utilities employees into City Hall was put on hold Thursday, but SMU commissioners approved several other recommendations included in an organizational review of the utility.

The commission emerged from its third closed door discussion of a report by consulting firm Public Management Partners, LLP, and voted to approve consolidating some SMU sewer and water staff into the city’s Department of Public Works.

There are currently three SMU employees who make up the sewer and water staff, overseeing management and maintenance of the sewer and water infrastructure, who would join the DPW. The move won’t happen, however, until the change is negotiated with the union representing those employees.

SMU commissioner Bill Ross — who has stated his opposition to the report and the closed session discussions — cast the sole dissenting vote.

The rest of the votes taken by the commission Thursday were unanimous, according to city administrator Jim Stadler.

The commission voted to create an electrical engineer/operations supervisor position, merging one existing job and eliminating another that was currently vacant. The position will pay an annual salary of $68,000.

The change eliminates the vacant operations supervisor position. The existing electrical engineer position is held by Rob Koepp.

The commission also voted to create a telecommunications supervisor position to oversee the utility’s new telecom service. Those duties are currently being performed by engineer Steve Jensen, who will get a $2,000 raise to go with the new title.

The commission tabled indefinitely one of the report’s most far-reaching recommendations, which would have consolidated customer service and some of the utility’s administrative support staff — including payroll services and record keeping — at City Hall under the city administrator.

“They’re not going to deal with it until telecom is up and running and other issues are dealt with,” Stadler said.

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Several personnel changes approved by utility commission.

A proposal to move some Shawano Municipal Utilities employees into City Hall was put on hold Thursday, but SMU commissioners approved several other recommendations included in an organizational review of the utility.