Committee refers new community development coordinator position, asks finance to review salary

The University Heights Building and Housing Committee on April 21 reviewed a revised job description for a proposed community development coordinator and unanimously referred the ordinance that would add the position to the city's salary schedule to the Finance Committee for review of the pay range.

Committee chair Winifred Weiser said the ordinance (described in the meeting as “ordinance 20 20 four-seventy 7”) would amend Exhibit A of the city's salary ordinance to include the community development coordinator and establish the pay range tied to the job description. Human resources representative Phil McFerrin had presented a substantially revised job description at a prior meeting and later supplied minor edits the committee requested.

Members focused discussion on the extent of the coordinator's responsibilities for grant work. Committee members and Housing Director Markell Davis said the position's primary responsibility is to coordinate and manage the city's grant application and administration processes that support community development initiatives; the person would also research funding opportunities and prepare grant applications in collaboration with city departments and community partners. Several committee members clarified the job description intends that the coordinator be a resource available for consultation to other departments, not the primary grant writer for specialized technical grants generated within departments such as police or fire.

After discussion about separating housing and community development responsibilities and the need to assign an appropriate pay range consistent with the finalized job description, the committee voted to refer the ordinance to the Finance Committee with a notation that the Finance Committee should review the updated job description and the salary range assigned in the ordinance. The motion was recorded in the meeting as unopposed.

The referral removes the item from the Building and Housing Committee agenda; committee members indicated the chair and staff will make the revised job description and the council referral available to Finance for consideration of compensation and related budget implications.

Next steps: Finance Committee review of the pay range and any budgetary implications before the ordinance would return to council for a final vote.