Maryville City Council’s Finance Committee has tabled a plan to hire a public information officer.
At Monday night’s finance committee meeting, Human Resources Director Brian Dostanko presented a personnel budget request to hire a communications director for the city.
“This position is required to realize the vision of both city council and the administration to improve the city’s communication abilities and processes to effectively and proactively communicate with our citizens,” according to the written proposal.
Dostanko said the city’s strategic plan stresses proactive communication to city residents, staff and elected officials. Additionally, he said city council members, specifically the two newest council members, have stressed a need for communications even beyond what the strategic plan calls for.
City Manager Terry Emery said that currently Senior Executive Assistant Anna Krutowskis handles the communications responsibilities along with the responsibilities of the senior executive assistant.
Dostanko said that communications have been done a lot like information technology has been handled with each department dealing with issues as they arise rather than having a proactive and unified plan.
Emery explained that in reality, the request is to split one job into two positions. He said he would like to move Krutowskis into the communications director position, dissolve the senior executive assistant position and create an executive assistant position.
Dostanko said that Emery needs an executive assistant because he “really doesn’t have a lot of support for what he is doing,” especially when compared to similar officials in other communities.
Emery said that with what council and the public expect, he believes the department will actually grow in the future.
Dostanko said that currently Krutowskis makes about $63,000 a year. He said the communication director would make between $65,000 and $85,000 annually. Dostanko suggested setting the salary at about $68,000 for Krutowskis.
The executive assistant would be paid between $50,000 and $65,000 annually.
“The options are, you do this now or you do this later,” Dostanko said. “How much later would be the discussion.”
Finance Committee and city council member Mark Reams said the committee had decided not to consider any personnel requests until next year.
“I see the need,” Reams said. “I guess the other thing I am looking at is a budget where we can’t fit some of our other priorities.”
He suggested coming back with the request in the spring of next year. He said that by that time officials would have a better understanding of where the city finances are.
Finance Director Brad Lutz confirmed that “we certainly have sufficient fund balance to afford this position.”
Committee and council member Donald Boerger said he would like to see signage detailing city projects and priorities.
“Those kinds of things get a lot pf people’s attention,” Boerger said, though he admitted a communications director would need hired, “eventually.”
Emery said the city can wait, but council and members of the public need to understand that communications has not been prioritized.
Dostanko agreed and said that if council does not want to hire a communications director, the strategic plan needs to be changed to reflect that.
Reams suggested tabling the proposal until the January Finance Committee meeting, “out of an abundance of caution.”
He said he feels the committee and council want to move forward with it in early 2021, “assuming the budget can sustain it.”