The Isanti City Council approved several resolutions during its Aug. 3 meeting to hire a recruiting firm in the search for a new city finance director, as well as to restructure several finance-related positions with the hope they will be easier to fill in the future.
According to a staff memo by Human Resources Director and City Clerk Lindsey McInnis, the city’s finance director position has been vacant since March 2016. The vacant position was posted first in March and again in June, but recruitment processes did not yield candidates that staff were confident would provide the qualifications the city needs in the role.
Per personnel committee direction, the city obtained quotes and proposals from three recommended recruiting firms. After discussions with each firm, one final representative was brought in to discuss in further detail regarding the search process.
Following discussion, the council approved a resolution authorizing the retaining of services of Gary Weiers with David Drown Associates for the finance director recruitment search.
The cost of the executive search process is $16,000 with funding to come from the city’s general fund. The agreement with David Drown Associates contains an assurance that if during the first 24 months of employment the newly hired finance director leaves the city, the firm will complete another search without professional service fees; only actual expenses will be billed to the city.
“There have been some other higher paying jobs for finance director that have been sitting out there for long periods of time as well,” Isanti Mayor George Wimmer said. “So we’ve got to get some different eyes.”
The resolution restructuring several finance-related positions within the city’s staff will move the current accounting clerk position to assistant finance director, move the current utility billing clerk position to utility billing and accounting clerk and move the current receptionist, data entry and utility clerk to receptionist and utility billing clerk.
“The restructuring of the positions will involve more cross training and know-how of each position, as well as more shared responsibilities between the positions,” wrote McInnis in her staff memo.
The restructuring is also being enacted with an eye toward greater ease in filling the city’s finance director position in the future.
“What we’re trying to do is get a situation where we can grow the talent pool internally,” Wimmer said. “So that the person who moves into that position in a couple years would be able to then naturally move into the finance director positions and kind of work their way up in those different positions.”
The changes were originally slated to take effect in 2017, but it was recommended they take place sooner following the recent announcement of the resignation of current accounting clerk JoAnne Welcome effective Oct. 14, 2016.
The council also passed a resolution offering the position of assistant finance director to Shayna Forster effective Aug. 4.
In other action the council:
• Approved a special event request from Gayle Cupit of City Center Market and The Green Table for an outdoor music event to be held 7-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, at the Green Table in Isanti, 4 Enterprise Ave. NE, Isanti.
• Approved a special event request from JerriAnne Twingstrom to hold a vendor and craft fair in conjunction with the Rum River Rods Car Show finale event on Aug. 13. The vendor and craft fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the grassy area west of Family Pathways on Main Street.
• Approved a resolution for a temporary one-day on-sale liquor license and exempt gambling permit for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church for an event on Sunday, Sept. 25.