City staff outlines hiring plan: parks director starts July 30; nine new full‑time roles proposed in budget

City staff told the Board of Aldermen on July 21 that the city intends to expand its workforce in the coming fiscal year, including hiring a parks and recreation director who will begin work July 30 and proposing roughly nine additional full‑time positions and one part‑time position in the budget proposal.

Why it matters: Staff said the expansion is intended to replace frequently used contracted services with in‑house personnel for recurring maintenance and operational tasks, freeing budgeted contract dollars and improving the city’s ability to maintain buildings and infrastructure. The changes are intended to be largely budget neutral by reallocating funds previously used for outside contractors.

City administration reported that five candidates applied for the parks and rec director role and the committee interviewing candidates recommended Jason Long, who accepted the offer and will start July 30. Staff said one of the planned new positions would be a building inspector to handle residential inspections in‑house; commercial inspections for new construction would still use the contracted inspector (IBTS) because that work is reimbursable by applicants.

Board discussion focused on long‑term cost savings and whether turning recurring contracted work into full‑time positions makes financial sense over time. Staff said the proposed hires address recurring daily needs and would reduce reliance on third‑party contractors that are used frequently, not occasional single-use contractors. The board asked whether any hires would address code enforcement and the building-inspector position was noted as part of the staffing plan.

Next steps: Staff will present the hiring plan and associated budget changes in upcoming August work sessions and the FY2026 budget process; aldermen were advised to review proposed positions and provide input at the scheduled budget sessions.