SMTX Approve Agreement For Temporary Master Electrician

Staff Reports

Last Tuesday, the San Marcos City Council approved an agreement with Express Personnel for the provision of a temporary staff person to perform professional services including electrical inspections.

According to staff, the city added funding for an electrical inspector in the FY 2019 budget and has been recruiting for the position for ten months with no success.

Staff said the city was contacted by a retired combination inspector who is a licensed Master Electrician and was interested in the position with the “perfect qualifications.”

Shannon Mattingly, Director of Development Services, said the individual is a retired employee from the city; due to statutory requirements of the city’s retirement system, they are unable to rehire retirees until the retiree has been retired for 8 years.

Human Resources said the salary through the temp agency is comparable with what the city was offering for the position originally; however, they did not have the exact numbers on hand.

In addition to his Master’s Electric License, this candidate’s credentials include inspection licenses held through the International Code Council (ICC) and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), which match him perfectly to our needs and he has been a huge asset to our Inspections team.

The services provided by the agreement will not exceed $90,000 a year and will not continue for more than two additional years.

The $90,000 includes additional fees for the temp agency, which provides certain benefits and health insurance to its employees.

The total cost is the same as what the city would pay the employee directly to provide the same benefits, according to staff. 

The council voted 5 to 2 with council members Maxfield Baker and Jocabed Marquez voting against it. The employment agreement is for three years.