NORWICH – When it comes to staffing shortages, no one knows more about running an understaffed department than City of Norwich Superintendent of Public Works Carl Ivarson.
“We’re down six people right now,” Ivarson said. The six vacant positions include a lead operator, a laboratory technician, parks and pool maintenance and two employees who are out for medical reasons.
“It’s hard for the others to make up the work, but we’ve got to get the work done one way or another,” Ivarson said.
According to the DPW superintendent, the lead operator position has been vacant for an extensive period of time. The department has had a difficult time filling the position because of the amount of training required, the responsibilities and the hourly pay compared to other nearby departments.
“Grade three operators are few and far between. We are having difficulty filling the position and different wages are probably a part of it,” said Human Resources Director Deborah DeForest.
“It’s hard to recruit new people into a field where the wages are low,” Ivarson said, saying that most departments require a four year degree, and fewer people are going into the field. “The average age of a lead operator is 51,” he said.
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