Stevensville names new public works chief, lifts crew pay to $24
Updated: Oct 8
STEVENSVILLE - SEPTEMBER 29, 2026 - The Stevensville Town Council voted 3-0 to confirm Eddy Oliver as head of the town's Public Works department and to raise starting pay for the department's crew to $24 an hour.
Councilmembers Melissa Bailey, Karen Wandler and Wallace Smith approved both items at a special meeting at Town Hall. Councilmember Ross had an excused absence.
Mayor James Crews said Oliver, who joined the town a few weeks ago, had drawn praise from staff and the public.
Resident Autumn Barrett asked during public comment whether Oliver holds the wastewater operator or drinking water certifications the town needs. A staff member later said Oliver will be a certified operator once he earns his water and wastewater certification.
New pay structure
The plan gives the department a supervisor, three assistants and a parks manager. The supervisor starts at $32 an hour, within a range of $31.86 to $34. The assistants and parks manager start at $24, within a range of $24 to $26, up from the $20 to $22 the town had been offering. Water and sewer certifications can add up to $2 an hour.
The plan eliminates the seasonal job for this fiscal year and folds a separate certified water/wastewater position into the assistant titles.
Staff said several candidates for an open position were overqualified for the old pay. "24 bucks is still not a living wage is what they say, but it's a step up from what we were initially hiring at," a staff member said.
Staff said the town will hire applicants it liked and help them earn certification, which takes two and a half years of experience. The goal is two or three certified operators.
Questions about the pay plan
Barrett pointed to the town's personnel policy, which says pay rates come from a classification and compensation plan adopted each year. She asked whether such a plan exists for Public Works, whether it was being amended and whether the town had done recent wage surveys.
Crews rudely told her public comment is not a question-and-answer period, and no one answered her questions during the meeting. "It should be an overhaul to see how we can bring up pay," Barrett said, adding that the effort should include all town employees, including police and administration.
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