Williston gives first reading to ordinance adding city administrator and human resources director

The Williston Board of City Commissioners approved the first reading of Ordinance 1030 on Nov. 16 to add two management‑level positions — a city administrator and a human resources director — to the city’s organizational structure.

Commissioner Chris Brostuen, reporting for the Program Management Committee, said the proposed structure would place a city administrator between the elected commissioners and department heads while keeping the city attorney and separate boards and committees unchanged. The job description as drafted makes the city administrator accountable to the mayor, states the administrator would not have a vote on commission matters, and lists education and experience expectations including bachelor’s or master’s degrees in public administration or equivalent experience.

Commissioners discussed the mayor’s authority to hire and fire the city administrator and asked that the word “usually” be removed so that hiring and firing would require the commission’s approval/consent. Commissioner Deanette Piesik reviewed the human resources director duties: centralizing position descriptions, advertising and hiring processes, developing policies to attract and retain employees, and overseeing HR coordinators. The committee recommended issuing an RFQ for a search firm to assist in recruiting the positions but noted the commission could consider internal candidates or local advertising to avoid search‑firm costs.

Pete Furuseth reviewed the ordinance language. The commission approved the first reading (motion by Brostuen, second by Cymbaluk) by a 5–0 vote; the second reading is scheduled for Nov. 24, 2015.