City Outsources Job as Way to Save Money

Editor's note: This story has been changed. The original version said the job was being eliminated from the Water Filtration Plant, when the job was actually eliminated from the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

In these economic times, it's not surprising to hear about groups looking for ways to save money — and Wastewater Utility Supervisor Dan Buehler is among them.

Beuhler presented the Port Washington Common Council with a plan on Tuesday night not to replace the retiring lab technician's position, but instead to solicit the use of a commercial lab for a portion of tests currently done at the Port Washington Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The council unanimously approved Cardinal Environmental to do the work for $23,036 per year — a savings of about $30,000 to the city.

Buehler had sought quotes from two labs. The bid from Cardinal Environmental, of Sheboygan came in about $7,000 less than the one from SF Laboratories in New Berlin.

The commercial lab will do testing that can take a number of days to be completed, while remaining personnel will divide the other tasks currently done by Bob Demge — who is retiring after 29 years at the plant — including the tests that require a more timely response time.

"This is the kind of thing we are looking for, I commend Dan on coming forward with this idea," Ald. Burt Babcock said.