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Council asks staff to draft roles and costs for a grant-writer position, considering full-time, shared or contractor options
Summary
Council directed staff to prepare a report defining roles, responsibilities, salary ranges and implementation options for a municipal grant-writer, with an instruction to consider non-employee contractor (10-99) arrangements and regional/shared staffing approaches.
The Richmond Town Council voted to request that town staff draft a position description, roles and responsibilities and cost estimates for a municipal grant writer. The request asked staff to consider multiple implementation options including a full-time employee, a shared regional position with neighboring towns, or independent contractor (10-99/non-employee) arrangements.
Councilor Mandick introduced the item, saying Richmond has missed funding opportunities because no one is dedicated to searching for, applying for and administering grants. He pointed to other municipalities that advertise grant-writer positions and said a dedicated person could identify grants and manage awards. Town Administrator Karen and other staff noted that staff currently prepare and administer some grants but that time constraints limit proactive searching; staff suggested a contracted grant writer as one cost-effective possibility and noted a hazard-mitigation plan action item recommending a grant administrator.
Councilors discussed trade-offs: a full-time employee could provide institutional knowledge and continuous coverage, while a contractor or shared regional hire could be more cost-effective. Some councilors recommended aligning the staff report with the upcoming budget process so the finance board and council could assess funding and timing. The motion directing staff to draft the position description and cost scenarios, and to return with a report, passed on a recorded vote.
