Lebanon council approves hires for public works and economic development directors

Lebanon City Council approved employment agreements June 22 for two new department directors: Matthew Hoffman as director of public works and Stephanie Beek as director of economic development, planning and operations.

The hires came to the floor as committee recommendations. Clerk Paul read the committee endorsements before separate roll-call approvals. Council members voted to approve the director of public works appointment and then approved a revised employment agreement for the economic development director after a point of order clarified the version before the council had been modified since committee review.

The council removed a commuting/vehicle provision from the economic development contract before moving and approving the agreement as changed. Paul confirmed the committee recommendation and the revised agreement passed on roll call with all participating members voting in favor.

The approvals were processed as committee recommendations and then carried by formal motion on the council floor. Council members and staff said the city will finalize salary and benefit figures after the new hires complete employee paperwork, a step Treasurer Jessica said is necessary to calculate related budget impacts. The new public works director’s expected start date was discussed elsewhere in the meeting as the week after July 4.

The council did not discuss individual compensation figures in open session beyond saying that final salary and benefit details will be completed when personnel paperwork is processed and that related budget analyses will follow.

What happens next: with agreements approved, city staff will complete onboarding paperwork and return any requested fiscal analyses to the council; the audit cycle is scheduled to begin in mid-July, Paul said.