Avon Park council approves hiring of purchasing agent after debate over grant management

Avon Park’s City Council on June 22 voted 4‑1 to restore a purchasing‑agent position the city had removed from its budget, a step staff said will cost the city about $16,480 for the remainder of this fiscal year and about $70,000 a year fully loaded when benefits are included.

The hiring decision follows months of staff handling purchasing and grant work in a reduced structure and comes as the city prepares to manage a $22,248,529 CDBG‑DR award from the State of Florida under the Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program.

“I’d like to highlight that we’re dealing with millions and millions of dollars of grants,” Jason said during the discussion, describing the need for staff to track compliance and provide information to outside consultants administering large projects. “Andy’s the man. I would like to have that assistance for him.”

Danielle Phillips, who presented the request, said restoring the purchasing‑agent role would cost roughly $16,480 through the end of the fiscal year and then be absorbed into the regular payroll process. “It’ll be added into the normal process as a regular position that’s filled,” she said, adding that the position’s pay range is about $21.39 to $24.42 per hour and that fully loaded annual cost (with benefits) was estimated around $70,000 split across departments.

Council discussion focused on two practical questions: why the position had been removed previously and how the job will overlap with grant administration. Staff said the prior removal was a budget decision when the position was vacant and that attempts to recruit a qualified candidate previously produced no eligible applicants under the prior (higher) requirements. The restored job description lowers educational requirements (an associate degree plus some certifications) to widen the candidate pool and also builds grant coordination tasks into the purchasing‑agent role.

One council member argued the city had already leaned on the Avon Park Housing Authority and outside consultants to secure major grants and said the council had “missed out” when it did not more aggressively pursue in‑house grant capacity. Jason and other staff disputed that the council had abdicated responsibility, saying consultants are used for specialized grant administration while city staff must review, sign and coordinate compliance work.

Council approved the motion to reinstate the purchasing‑agent position 4‑1. The dissenting vote cited concerns about adding responsibilities without creating a separate, dedicated grant manager. The council directed staff to proceed with hiring and noted that some grant administrative costs may be reimbursed from the approved grant awards.

The meeting also included staff assurances that the city will continue to contract for specialized grant administration where required (for example, for Davis‑Bacon and other compliance services) and that the approved CDBG‑DR contract award and selected program manager still require Florida Commerce approval before a final agreement is executed.

The council adjourned its meeting after a brief public‑comment period; a resident asked about a rezoning notice that did not appear on the printed agenda and reported vegetation blocking sight lines at a local intersection. The city said updated notices will be mailed and asked residents to forward specific locations for safety concerns.

Ending: The council’s action restores an in‑house purchasing function and assigns grant‑coordination duties to the position; staff will begin recruitment and may bill allowable administrative time to the city’s CDBG‑DR grant where permitted.