Commission moves toward hiring replacement for contracted coordinator after debate over volunteer model

The Minnesota Great River Road commission debated how to replace contracted coordinator "Chris," with members framing three options: take no action, rely more on volunteer commissioners, or hire a contract administrative assistant or project manager to perform core duties.

"3rd is to hire an administrative assistant or whatever we wanna call that position," John said while introducing the alternatives. Commissioners and staff reviewed the time and cost of past contracts: the prior contract was structured at roughly "50 hours a month" with pay around "$50 an hour" and a total annual cost that "came out to 39,000 to about 46,000," according to staff summary. The commission's full budget was cited as $78,000.

Several commissioners argued the work requires consistent, professional project management that volunteers cannot reliably provide. A commissioner who identified themselves as a senator said pursuing legislative funding was possible but would likely take time: "I am guessing you'd see it August 2027." Another participant emphasized market rates and the potential for higher bids, noting an estimate of "$100 to $125 an hour" heard from a peer (Diane).

The group directed staff to prepare concrete next steps: a draft job description, a fiscal note or ballpark budget, and a proposal for hours and pay to put into a potential RFP. They also asked for a spreadsheet comparing all three options to include with the August 20 agenda so commissioners could review trade-offs before the full commission meeting.

The article uses direct remarks attributed to meeting speakers and confines reporting to material discussed in the session.