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Committee tables ordinance to separate park superintendent and city forester pending appointment and budget clarifications
Summary
The committee tabled a draft ordinance to have the city forester report to the DPW director and to create or clarify a park superintendent role, citing unresolved questions about appointment authority and budget placement; staff and the Board of Public Works will be asked for written clarification.
Committee members on Feb. 24 discussed draft changes to the city code that would amend supervision language so the city forester reports to the director of the Department of Public Works rather than to the Board of Public Works. Solicitor Bissonnette said the change focuses on day‑to‑day supervision; compensation and appointment authority remain council functions.
Members raised separate but related questions: whether the forester's appointment power should remain with the Board of Public Works (Section 94.61) and whether a park superintendent position should be established in ordinance text. Bissonnette cautioned that appointment language and budget placement would require careful drafting.
Given those outstanding issues, the committee voted to table the item and ask the Board of Public Works and the DPW director to provide a written response or attend a future meeting to clarify how the positions should be appointed and where they should sit in the city budget.
No ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the committee expects follow-up communications before resuming consideration.
