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Kaysville council approves funding for community development director after split debate
Summary
After extended debate over whether to replace a director with a senior-planner staffing model, the council approved continued funding for a community development director. Supporters said the director title and experience are needed for leadership and state reporting; opponents cited possible multi-year cost savings.
KAYSVILLE — The Kaysville City Council voted to continue funding a community development director position following a lengthy discussion about whether to restructure the department and save money.
Jason, a city staff member, reminded the council the item had been tabled at budget adoption and explained the recommendation to continue funding the director because land-use work is complex and often requires seasoned leadership.
Council member Blackham proposed eliminating the director post and staffing the department with a senior planner, a planner and the business-license officer under the building official. Blackham argued that combining roles could produce significant savings: "This model ... would save the city close to a $110,000 a year and approximately 550,000 over a 5 year period," he said, and added his numbers were conservative based on mid-range pay scales plus benefits.
Council members including Mayor Tran and others pushed back, saying the director title helps attract candidates with managerial and economic-development experience and provides visible leadership. Mayor Tran said the person in the role is "probably one of the most visible people in the city" and urged that the hiring process include council interviews so the council can assess candidates for both technical and leadership skills.
After further discussion and a short recess to extend the meeting, Council member Hunt moved to approve funding for the community development director position; Council member Jackson seconded the motion and the council recorded the motion as approved. The transcript records some individual 'aye' responses but does not include a complete roll-call of each council member’s vote in an unambiguous form in the public record.
What it means: The council’s vote preserves a director-level position on the staffing chart; staff said it will continue recruitment and recommended including council participation in the interview process to ensure the candidate meets the city’s needs for both technical planning work and public-facing leadership.
