The Maumee City Council Personnel Committee approved hiring zoning consultant Jacob Barnes, owner of Zoning Solutions LLC, on a temporary basis to help with zoning inspections, nuisance enforcement and zoning-code review while the city finalizes the permanent urban planning manager position.

Alan, a city staff member who has handled zoning responsibilities since the prior zoning administrator left, told the committee that Barnes previously served as zoning administrator for Springfield Township and could work up to 8–10 hours per week under a 90-day agreement. The committee discussed termination provisions allowing the city to end the agreement early if a permanent hire is made.

Committee members debated whether the permanent position should be titled "urban planning manager" and which pay range to set for recruitment. Staff said the urban planning manager position had been placed in pay range 3; some members suggested a supervisor-level range to widen the candidate pool, while others favored range 3 to attract experienced candidates with urban-planning degrees.

A motion to approve the temporary hire under the terms described by staff was made and seconded; the committee recorded affirmative roll-call votes and authorized the temporary engagement. Members said the temporary hire would focus on permitting, inspections as needed, nuisance cases and beginning a review of the zoning code to modernize language and procedures.

Votes and next steps: The committee voted to hire Barnes on a 90-day, up-to-10-hours-per-week basis and will proceed to finalize the urban planning manager job description and pay range for the council to approve prior to recruiting a permanent hire.