BY SCOTT SULLIVAN EDITOR
Saugatuck City Council has hired Frank Walsh Municipal Services to seek candidates for three city positions, two old ones combined plus a new one.
A new combined zoning administrator and project manager, combining jobs recently vacated by Cindy Osman and Kate White respectively, stands to be best-paying at a projected $87,500 salary and perhaps most pivotal.
Council member Russ Gardner said at an Aug. 3 special meeting he supported creating the new jobs, but wondered if that double role might be too much for one person.
“I see them having different skill sets,” said Gardner. “Doing both might conflict with our increased zoning-enforcement needs.”
“I agree it’s a tough combination,” said Walsh, hired that night for as much as $11,000 to assist with the city’s search. “Looking at the market, I think we can find that ‘purple squirrel’ (rare, combined-colors talent) at the price point we are talking.”
“We can’t know a person can’t handle till we try,” said councilman Mark Bekken.
“Trying is OK,” agreed peer Ken Trester. “I think zoning administration and code enforcement are priorities.”
Council also agreed to create a combined deputy clerk and department of public works assistant, plus new assistant to the public works supervisor. Current clerk Jamie Wolters was granted a $2,250 salary increase to $60,000.
Council approved the change by a 6-1 vote, with Gardner explaining his dissent was based only on his concerns about the combined ZA/project manager.
The latter post, broken down budget-wise, would replace the former $65,500 ZA and $50,000 project manager salaries ($115,500 combined) with one $87,500 position, a net $28,000 savings.
The deputy clerk/DPW assistant would be paid $48,000, and a current full-time $46,000 DPW post would add assistant supervisor duties with a $6,000 add-on to $52,000.
The net general fund increase, Walsh said, would amount to $28,250 retaining the same number of positions.
Walsh, the municipal recruiter of choice in the tri-community of late, has also conducted searches for Douglas, Fennville and Saugatuck Township among others.
He has been in the business 25 years and has firsthand experience, having served as Cedar Springs city manager for five years, St. Joseph city manager from 1997 to 2013 and since then as manager of Meridian Township between East Lansing, Okemos and Haslett.
Walsh told city council he hoped to start interviews for the Saugatuck openings as early as Aug. 8.
