For the first time in several years, Athens Utilities will once again have a general manager to oversee operations.

Athens City Council members adopted a job description for a general manager Monday during their regular meeting. They also agreed to restructure the utility so that the general manager will lead other department managers, including electric, gas, water, finance, and customer service.

“We hope to advertise the job from within tomorrow and, hopefully, promote from within,” said Councilman Harold Wales.

Councilman Ronnie Marks said the appointment must come back before the council if no internal candidate qualifies.

Mayor Dan Williams said he supports the change but will not support it unless the city hires from within.

The utility, which has a $90 to $100 million annual budget, has been without a general manager since Tom Craven retired several years ago, Wales said.

“The council has talked about hiring a general manager off and on, and we voted on it once before and the vote was 3-2 against it and the mayor vetoed it,” said Wales, who voted for a general manager. “At the time, they just did not feel there was a need.”

The mood has changed.

“We feel like what we can do is have one man overseeing and working closely with other departments,” Wales said.

The job description calls for, among other things, at least 10 years of experience managing a utility, experience managing engineers, excellent leadership and managerial skills and extensive experience in financial management and budgeting.

The salary range for the general manager has not yet been set.

In a related matter Monday, Council members tabled proposals to reorganize the customer service department and adopt a job description for a new accounts receivable coordinator for that department, ideas Councilman Ronnie Marks proposed Aug. 25. They will address those proposals later.

“Currently, there are two people in accounts receivable and they can never be off at the same time,” Wales said. “One of the employees is near retirement and a new employee must be trained as a replacement at some point.”

City employees getting raise