City organizes Manager’s Office with intent to max efficiency, creates new staff position
The Dalles City Council unanimously approved the hiring of a new staff member as well as bringing Human Resources, Information Technology, Economic Development and Risk Management under closer oversight from City Manager Matthew Klebes.
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., Nov. 4, 2025 — The Dalles City Council unanimously approved the job description and wage table for a new Analyst II position Monday, Oct. 27, part of a broader effort to modernize City Hall operations and address long-standing gaps in human resources and information technology.
The new structure is intended to make city operations more efficient and provide better service to residents by improving staff training, communication, and cybersecurity readiness.
Staff said the change is aimed at getting ahead of problems instead of constantly reacting to them—reducing the “break-fix” workload that currently consumes 50 to 75 percent of the four-member IT team’s time.
Assistant City Manager and Human Resources Director Brenda Fahey told councilors the adjustment is overdue for a workforce that has outgrown its administrative capacity. The city employs between 120 to 125 people at any given time but has only one other HR employee besides herself.
Brenda Fahey speaks to Council on Monday, Oct. 27.
“We’re a little lean on human-resources support right now,” Fahey said, noting similar sized organizations have 2.5 to 3 full-time employees working in HR.
“With only one HR position, there’s a risk gap,” she said.
That means the city can be exposed to legal, financial, and operational risks because too few people are handling too many complex HR responsibilities — things like compliance with employment laws, training, policy development, and employee relations.
Currently, four IT employees spend between 50 and 75 percent of their time responding to immediate technical issues, leaving little capacity for upgrades or planning. The new position will provide Tier 1 technology support and help develop HR and staff training programs to improve efficiency and reduce future help desk calls.
City staff identified several priority IT projects that the new position will help support, including:
Implementation of Microsoft Office 365 - The City currently operates on Microsoft 2016
Supporting implementation of the new CAD/RMS system
Implementation of a new SCADA system for Public Works and Wicks Water Plant
Updates for the Tokay Water Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control Management Software,
Re-architecture of the city’s network to improve sustainability
Addressing multiple cybersecurity vulnerabilities and risk exposures
The council’s approval of the position allows staff to move forward with implementation, though the budget amendment to fund it will come before council on Nov. 24. The Analyst II position will have a salary range of $75,933 to $90,669 annually, with a first-year cost of about $96,000, including benefits, software, and equipment.
Councilor Ben Wring supported the proposal but cautioned that dual responsibilities in HR and IT is a skill set that is difficult to find in one employee. Fahey acknowledged that it took a special person, but also noted she had success in her prior work in finding employees that could do both.
“HR and IT are two very different worlds,” Wring said.
Mayor Rich Mays called the decision “a good step forward,” adding that the position directly supports the city’s risk management and organizational stability goals.
