Candidate Response: Alina Layng
3. The District is experiencing extraordinary difficulty in attracting and retaining highly qualified senior staff. How do you think the District should address these staffing challenges?
Ensuring we have adequate and skilled personnel is a critical priority, especially given the challenge of replacing key senior staff who have left. Offering competitive wages is essential to attracting and retaining highly qualified staff, and this directly impacts the overall effectiveness of SLV Water.
The upcoming salary study provides an important opportunity to ensure we are offering both a living and competitive wage. Our district competes with other water districts that often offer higher pay and are located in areas some may find more attractive. To retain top talent, we must offer compensation that is competitive in the region.
In addition to wages, we must also address the District's growing need for adequate office space. As our team expands, we are outgrowing our current facilities, which can impact both productivity and staff morale. We should explore options for expanding or upgrading office space to accommodate future growth and create a more comfortable, efficient work environment for staff.
Finally, we need to update the board policy manual to establish clear guidelines on staff interactions and consequences when board members overstep their boundaries. Protecting our staff from inappropriate behavior is crucial to maintaining a positive and professional work environment, which is key to retaining talent.