A six-month Commercial Driver’s License truck driving program to be implemented in the City of Greenville’s Public Works Department as recommended by public works deputy director Ronnie Washington was revisited during Tuesday’s city council meeting.
City attorney Andy Alexander updated the city council on its June 15 order authorizing the development of a three-year contract for CDL participants.
With the demand for CDL drivers steadily increasing and recent employee retention woes, the city’s public works department had been aiming for somewhat of a competitive edge with the CDL program made recommended during a public works committee held June 3.
“Bringing in just regular guys with regular drivers licenses, we would put them on a six-month trial and try to get them to get their commercial drivers license (CDL). I feel like if we can groom them and bring them up from a regular driver’s license to a CDL, we could keep them there for a longer period of time,” Washington told the council.
During council’s June 15 regular meeting, Alexander pointed out that at one time, the city had implemented a program which provided that if the city trained the employees of a department and invested money in them to create a new career for themselves, they had to stay for three years or they had to pay the money back to the city for the training.
However, a program offered through the South Delta Planning and Development District provides the same opportunity for CDL training.
Tuesday, Alexander informed the council what he found was that in actuality, the city would not have to pay anything under the program.
“That being the case, I don’t really see contracts having an effect,” he said, noting that if the program changes and the city is charged for any training, it would be recovered as it has always been with similar training for city personnel.
Alexander’s recommendation was ultimately to do away with the contractual obligation aspect for participation in the program and did not require a vote of the city council.
