operator-controller external API review updates

[grokspawn]

Following #1358 to get APIs in a formal review, we will need to make updates to operator-controller as a result of the review.

We anticipate that changes will take the form of direct API updates to the component as well as indirect usage updates to other components.

This issue is strictly for the operator-controller API updates. A future tracker will be opened for impacted components once the review completes and we have a better idea what those are.