The City of Tiffin moved forward on a personnel reorganization after a Personal and Labor Relations Committee meeting and subsequent council action. Committee members met Aug. 11 to consider the mayor’s request to rebalance pay for the human-resources director and to create an executive assistant position that would assume payroll duties. The committee voted 3–0 to ask the law director to draft legislation to amend the pay ordinance for the HR director and to draft legislation creating the executive assistant position.

At the full council meeting the council suspended the three-reading rule and passed amended ordinances to create the executive assistant/payroll manager position and to reduce the HR director salary as part of the rebalance; the council vote on the adopting ordinances was unanimous (7–0). Councilor John Hayes said the suspension would allow the city administrator to issue offer letters so personnel changes could take effect Oct. 1.

Law Director Zachary Fowler and City Administrator Nick Dutra discussed internal reassignments that combined administrative-assistant tasks and payroll responsibilities. The law director also noted that the changes were related to the upcoming retirement of the current HR director, whose last day is Sept. 30, and suggested the council consider a ceremonial resolution to recognize long service.

Why it matters: the staffing changes reallocate payroll duties, adjust the HR director compensation level and seek to ensure continuity of payroll and HR functions around an upcoming retirement.