Just recently our Assistant City Adminstrator / City Planner hired by Mayor Clifford turned in her notice and left.
This left us shorted staffed and many things unfinished. Unfortunately the website upgrade was one of them. I am trying super hard just to get the online bill pay up and going.
I do not intent to refill that exact position at that high pay level, instead, split the position. We have and will have an increased need for a City Planner and we still have a need for staffing to work the projects, coordinate and follow up on other necessary city business.
Yes, this will be an additional cost to the budget, however, I am willing to do that in order to get the work done (I will list just a few below). Fortunately, a majority of the Council agrees with me. Councilmembers Boehme, Burns and Gibson agreed. Councilmembers Hansen (In a conversation with Councilman Hansen, he stated that is not that he is opposed, to splitting it or the added expense, it was that he wanted to make sure everyone one is doing the job they were hired for first, I added this to help explain his position) and Urry did not. In the July meeting Councilwoman Urry was in favor of refilling the high level Adminstrative position created by Mayor Clifford.
Here are a few of the projects coming to, needed and on the work list right now, many of which will bring NEEDED revenue to the City, also provide and strengthen our employment base which will help foster economic development in the City, it is my thought that if we are not properly staffed and have the water and storm water capacity to go when they come in, they will go elsewhere. Thankfully Councilmen Boehme, Burns and Gibson recognize that.... Thank you guys!!
Update the Water Capital Facilities Plan (will need to increase the impact fees to avoid such HIGH increases in water rates to the residents).
Complete the Weber Basin water purchase into our system (in process) property purchase and pump house construction
Update the Storm Sewer Capital Facilities Plan to foster development along 2700 N (right now there is no more development due to capacity issues with UDOT). Which we have a large employment development in the works right now
CSM Subdivision
CSM expansion
Rulon White Road extension to the North into Parkland Drive.
2700 N joint CDA with Farr West City development.... Have inquiries and no staff to process anything right now
Deer Crest subdivision phase 3
Jensen Estates
Two other developments ready to go
Shady Lane Park bathroom project
Parkland business park building
Ogden Clinic expansion - currently going
Admiral Beverage expansion - currently going
New reservoir property purchase and construction
Website completion and maintenance...
Hope this helps to give you idea of what we have going on. Things are starting to move in the right direction.
Thank you for your support,
Mayor Toby Mileski
Mayor, thanks for your hard work, smart strategies, realistic priorities - and above all, making sure that we are fighting for effective economic development! I'm just a citizen, but willing to help where needed. Let me know if I can help. Dave Hilliard 801-390-6000
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI would like to clarify my position. It was not brought up in the July meeting that we would hire two people with the same total compensation as our resigning position, maybe a little more. It was implied that it would cost a lot more than what is now proposed. I wasn't willing to do that at the time. As far as my comment in that meeting in July that I was willing to hire another high level position, that simply isn't true. That was a side conversation between the Mayor and I about hiring a planner at the current wage that the resigning position was making. I simply stated if that is the going rate of planners, then I was willing to do that, because I knew that we needed a planner. The main reason that I voted no in hiring two people is much like Councilman Hansen. I wanted to address the inefficiencies with our current Administration and Office before we looked at hiring additional staff. I want Pleasant View to thrive. I want to see businesses come in.
ReplyDeleteWell… either you said it or you didn't… Which is it.
ReplyDeleteLet us address your 'inefficiencies' comment. For the last 4 years, we have been addressing this issue. We went from a full time building inspector to a contract inspector, saving anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000 on any given year (depending on work load). I restructured the Public works department, changing it from two separate directors, to a single director with a true pyramid type of structure, we also went from a 9 to 5 sergeant Monday thru Friday in the Police to two sergeants Monday thru Saturday (12 hours each shift) so we have overlapping coverage along with supervision for both shits of our patrol officers (covers us both in liability and protection).
As I have mentioned before, if you have an issue, great, bring it to me… which you did not, you referenced 'inefficiencies' and did not state what those were, nor did you bring a solution on how to solve them, which is one of my requests.
We all want Pleasant View to thrive, and business to come in, however, if there is no staff to address the issues, questions, concerns and work load associated with Economic Development…. Business will go elsewhere.