Waunakee approves lower-level GIS/planning role, promotes executive assistant to support community development

The Waunakee Village Board on July 22 approved a departmental restructuring in Community Development following the resignation of the senior planner/GIS manager. Staff proposed two actions: create a GIS and planning specialist (an entry-level role focused on GIS support for departments, including utilities and public works) and reclassify/promote the current executive assistant into a community development support specialist to cover office-management duties.

Jared (Community Development staff) explained the GIS position would be more data- and mapping-focused rather than an enterprise IT role and that comparable positions in the public sector have salary ranges roughly $50,000–$80,000. The village proposed placing the new GIS position on grade H10 of the local wage scale; the promotion for the executive assistant would move that employee from grade H9 to H10.

Budget impact and rationale: staff estimated annual wage and FICA savings from replacing the senior planner with the lower-level GIS specialist in the range of $33,000 to $44,000, partly offset by about an $8,000 increase for the promoted executive assistant. Board members said the vacancy provided an opportunity to better match staff duties to current needs rather than automatically replace the previous role.

Action taken: The board adopted the position changes, with the corrected job title GIS and planning specialist; staff will begin immediate recruitment for that position and transition the executive assistant into the community development support specialist role. The board asked staff to return with details on the executive assistant vacancy and any additional administrative changes for the 2026 budget cycle.

The board emphasized the need for the new specialist to support planning and mapping functions and to collaborate with WPPI and other partners for enterprise GIS needs not affordable in-house.