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Housing director seeks staff expansion to stand up reorganized department; committee defers for follow‑up
Summary
Housing Director Richard Mitchell asked the committee to authorize six expansion positions to support the newly reorganized Department of Housing and described 11 current vacancies plus five authorized/unfunded Section 8 positions; available FY25 savings of $207,672 were cited to fund the requests.
Department of Housing Director Richard Mitchell presented the administration’s Rule 7B discussion of Bill 6, a budget matter tied to the department’s reorganization and requests to authorize expansion positions for FY2025.
Director Mitchell explained the department’s recent bifurcation and the need to establish operational roles that did not exist before the reorganization. He described six requested expansion positions (including a research analyst, fiscal/accounting oversight to manage federal compliance and internal controls, a program specialist for congressional‑directed spending, and three secretarial positions to support divisions). "Without that role, the volume of work is unsustainable," Mitchell said of the proposed research analyst position.
Mitchell told the committee the department currently has 11 vacancies and five additional Section 8 positions authorized but unfunded; the department identified approximately $207,672 in current cost savings available for FY25 to fund the requested expansion positions. He proposed a timeline that would begin consultations with HGEA and DPS once the reorganization and budget amendment are approved, with public posting of positions anticipated in March or April to allow time for classifications and consultation.
Members asked about SR/step determinations, whether the department will recruit internally first, and how long it will take to fill positions. Deputy Director Mata'afa said the department drafted position descriptions with anticipated salary ranges but final classification and SR levels will be set by the Department of Personnel Services during their review. Several council members urged the administration to streamline the process and to document recurring classification or hiring bottlenecks for systemwide improvement. Union consultation was noted as a required part of the reorganization.
No members of the public signed up to testify. The committee deferred further action on Bill 6 to allow staff to provide additional documentation and to continue consultations; the item is scheduled for full council second reading on Feb. 7, and administration staff said they would follow up with the committee.
