City of Portland hires two employees

The City of Portland has two new employees on its roster. 

Portland Board of Works had a special meeting Friday to hire employees for the city’s police department and the wastewater treatment plant. 

On the recommendation of Portland police chief Nathan Springer, the board conditionally hired Jagg Nunez to fill an open officer position in the department. Nunez has volunteered as a reserve officer since September. 

Board members Jerry Leonhard, Bill Gibson and Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman also hired Blake Stewart to work for the wastewater treatment plant. He will take one of two open positions. 

Brad Clayton, the plant’s superintendent, told the board the city will need to replace its Kubota utility vehicle, which has about 2,500 hours of running time. 

“(It’s starting) to be a money pit. We’ve replaced axles, we’ve replaced water pumps, and we currently have a water leak in it we can’t find,” Clayton said. “We’re just starting to put a lot of money into it.”

Clayton brought two bids for another Kubota, but Leonhard suggested he look into other brands, such as a John Deere Gator.

The board tabled the decision and will revisit it at its November meeting with the additional quotes.