City of Watertown unable to fill positions

Nov. 7—WATERTOWN — The national labor shortage is having an impact on the city's efforts to fill 22 positions that were approved in the city budget last spring.

The city still has job openings for many of those positions, including five new police officers at a time when the police department has 12 vacancies.

"I think it is a challenge," City Manager Kenneth A. Mix said last week, adding it's difficult to find candidates "in particular departments and for the work that they do."

The 22 new positions were put into the new budget at a cost of about $1 million and covered by an unexpected increase in sales tax revenues.

Councilman Patrick J. Hickey pointed out that City Council approved the new positions after department heads requested the new positions and Mr. Mix concurred they were needed.

"They were legitimate positions, needed positions," he said.

He's not surprised that the city hasn't been able to fill all the positions because of the labor shortage and unemployment hovers around 2% to 3%.

"It's going to be a fight," he said.

Two engineering positions were added in the city budget last spring, but it's been difficult to get candidates to apply. Potential candidates are seeking jobs in the private sector where they can be paid more, said human relations director Matthew Roy.

The Watertown Police Department is among law enforcement agencies across the country finding it tough to attract candidates.

The national shortage has been blamed on fewer people interested in police work and a considerable decrease in qualified applicants.

The city hopes to glean recruits from a police civil service exam given in September. But the exam's results won't be known until December or January and then it will take a year to train a recruit and finally get them in uniform, Mr. Roy said.

As it faces those challenges, the police department also is seeking transfers from other law enforcement agencies to fill vacancies.

Five new positions were added in the public works department in the budget. But there are currently eight vacant positions in public works because employees come and go, Mr. Mix said.

Recently, public works employee Chris Bourne was promoted to fill the newly created fleet manager, who oversees the repair and maintenance of the city's 400 vehicles.

Assistant public works superintendent Pete Monaco has retired after more than 30 years with the city.

He's agreed to stay on part time while the city finds a replacement for him.

The city has started a search for the new assistant city manager position. Three candidates have been interviewed.

There have been some success stories in filling positions, Mr. Roy said.

"We're doing our best," he said.

Two weeks ago, a new hire started in the planning department.

Sharlice Bonello, a recent graduate from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, was appointed as a planner at a yearly salary of $51,716. She was among six candidates for the position.

Since coming on board, she's been learning about projects that the department is currently involved in, said Michael A. Lumbis, the planning and community development director.

Ms. Bonello will work on "a little bit of everything," he said.

In October, James J. Scordo became the parks and recreation department's first program manager.

Mr. Scordo, 32, a graduate of SUNY Cortland's sports management program, is responsible for overseeing the department's programs and events and help with marketing them. He's earning an annual salary of $58,775.

In the city assessor's office, two people have been hired in recent months, one for a position that was brought back after it was cut through attrition several years ago and another one to replace an employee who returned to the private sector earlier this year.

The fire department plans to hire five new firefighters but only if it's successful in obtaining a federal grant. So far, there's been no word whether the city will receive the federal finding that would be used to pay their salaries.

The search for a new deputy comptroller has not started yet, Mr. Mix said. A decision will be made later.

Another new position, a secretary in the codes office, was hired earlier this year.

Last spring, Mayor Jeffrey M. Smith and Councilwoman Sarah V. Compo Pierce opposed the positions, warning of the long-term impact of adding them.