City Manager Dougherty told the Auburn City Council on Jan. 2, 2025, that the city will hold a civil service examination for firefighter on March 1, 2025, with applications due Jan. 30, 2025, and that information and application materials are posted on the city's website.

The announcement also said the city is recruiting for a data analyst position and is seeking a provisional physician for the Auburn Police Department; no civil service date was set for the police physician. Dougherty said the city has issued a request for qualifications for a firm to provide geographic information system (GIS) services to support the lead service line inventory and replacement program required by New York State, with responses due Jan. 10, 2025.

Dougherty told council members the city recently received notice of an award of $90,000 from New York State under its Smart Growth Program to fund a comprehensive plan update. "Our planning department has been advocating for a plan update for quite a while," Dougherty said; he added that recent budget constraints had stalled progress and that the grant award should allow the project to move forward.

During the council's reports, Councilor Ken recognized Auburn for being named among the top 10 "most arts-vibrant" small cities by the National Center for Arts Research at Southern Methodist University's Arts Data Initiative, and thanked local artists, foundations and city support for public art.

No members of the public spoke during the "public to be heard" portion of the meeting, and council members took no formal action on the announcements.

The items announced affect near-term hiring processes, a state-mandated lead service line program and municipal planning; deadlines and the grant amount were described by Dougherty during the meeting.