Name Or Cost Of Water Contractor Not Yet Revealed

By Gordon HopkinsFairbury Mayor Spencer Brown told FJN on Monday, February 26, 2024, that he has a proposal to be presented at the next city council meeting for a contractor to perform water superintendent functions for the city.However, he said he did not want to provide details, such as the name of the contractor or the expected cost, at this time.The mayor said, “I would rather not at this point, I would rather you have the entire scope of the work, the contractor and the cost when it is finalized and accurate.” Kelly Davis with the city council agreed with this position, “Until a solid contract is written up, the I’s dotted and the T’s crossed, and a cost is agreed to, it’s best not to put it out there.”Long-time Fairbury water operator Dennis Gaston was promoted to water superintendent at a meeting of the Fairbury Personnel Committee on Thursday, February 15. He replaces Superintendent Jeff Sweetser, who resigned at the beginning of this year. However, the city will need to contract with a third party to perform some duties that the new superintendent is not qualified for. Gaston is a grade three level water operator. The position of superintendent requires a grade two or higher. Mayor Brown said he expected the city council to consider his proposal at the next council meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m.Mayor Brown indicated Gaston would not be seeking to certify as a grade two operator. When asked why the city didn’t hire someone who was certified as a grade two operator, the mayor said that Gaston was the only one who applied for the position. Jeff Sweetser’s salary at the time of his departure was $43.10 per hour. Gaston’s new salary as superintendent is $32.25 per hour, a raise over his original salary.Gaston is not the only one who received a raise. According to mayor Brown, as a ‘thank you’ for taking over some of the superintendent’s duties after Sweetser’s departure, the city’s Personnel Committee voted to give Curtis Arnold a raise.His new salary is $33.50 an hour.

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