The University Heights Finance Committee voted to refer a proposed salary range and job description for a Housing and Community Development Coordinator to the full council for consideration. Committee members moved and seconded referral of the packet that included a memo and job description from Finance Director Phil McFarren.

Committee members said the position and the salary band matter for staffing and for moving stalled initiatives in building and housing. “...what, about 75 to about 96,000 for the position,” Ms. Weiser said during discussion, referring to the salary-plus-benefits band included in the memo. Ms. Weiser added that she believed hiring the position would help resolve staffing shortages raised in the building and housing committee and allow several dormant initiatives to move forward.

The referral will send the job description and the salary recommendation prepared by McFarren to the next council meeting. Committee members asked whether the committee needed to return the salary matter to council with a specific range; the motion as recorded forwarded the memo from Mr. McFarren to council. The committee took a recorded voice vote on the referral motion; those present said “Aye.”

Committee members also asked operational questions about the software CitizenServe that the new hire would use. Javier, a staff member in attendance, said training is available from CitizenServe and that the department does not expect the successful applicant necessarily to already have experience with the program. “There is training offered with CitizenServe … it is not anticipated that the person we would hire would necessarily already have experience with the program,” Javier said.

Discussion-only items during the same agenda included clarifying whether the finance committee action alone would be sufficient or whether council approval was required for salary arrangements. A committee member summarized: “It wouldn't have to go back” to council for the salary arrangement, prompting the motion to formally refer the packet for council action.

Next steps: the referral sends the memo and job description to the full council for final consideration and possible adoption of the proposed salary band and job description. The committee did not set a recruitment timeline on the record at the meeting.