Marathon City Council to tackle job descriptions, salaries
“Every meeting we’re discussing a new position that’s open,” said Marathon City Councilman Bill Kelly, “the accountant, the attorney, deputy manager and at the last meeting, the city manager. This is frustrating. Let’s get something done.”
The comments, made at Tuesday’s meeting, came on the heels of yet another discussion about filling the posts for the city’s manager, city attorney and finance director. The council agreed to have a special workshop on Friday, May 1 to hammer out some of the details.
So far, only the job for the city finance director has been posted, though it doesn’t mention specifics about salary or benefits. The Marathon Council has said they want the city finance and city attorney positions filled by June 1.
With the date fast approaching, the Marathon City Council has decided it can skip one step in the search for city attorney: An RFQ, or a request for qualifications. Instead, councilmen said, it will suffice to submit a resume and application. Councilman Dan Zieg said he isn’t sure there is such a rush.
“We don’t have enough legal work to fill two full days,” Zieg said. “Our legal bills have gone from $50,000 a month to $11,300 a month. Our temporary attorney Dirk Smits is doing a good enough job for now. Let’s sit tight a while.”
Councilman Mark Senmartin said the attorney is an important piece of the puzzle, one that should be in place to help advise the council on contracts for the other two positions — city manager and city finance director.
Smits told the council it needs to be specific.
“Salary. Benefits. This is what is going to cause people to apply for the job; they are going to be motivated by compensation,” he said.
City Manager Mike Puto has said he will step down on or before the last day of 2015. Senmartin spoke at length about the qualifications for the city’s next city manager. He read aloud a portion of a very comprehensive job description and said he hopes it will be included in the job description which has yet to be posted.
In other news:
• Gus Pego, district secretary for the state Department of Transportation, updated the council on recent and upcoming projects. Improvements to the section of Overseas Highway from the U.S. Coast Guard Station to the Hospital are set to being in March of 2016. A new four-way intersection at 33rd Street (at the corner of Fishermen’s Hospital and Stanley Switlik Elementary) will commence in January of 2017. He also said the department is reviewing three days of camera footage monitoring the highway near Aviation Boulevard and 73rd Street.
• Public Works Director Carlos Solis updated the council regarding contracts for hurricane debris removal and monitoring of such, and also an upcoming workshop regarding the bike path on Aviation Boulevard. The workshop is set for Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m. at the Marathon Fire Station.
