Council looks at staff changes today

Friday, June 4, 2010

Nevada Daily Mail

Nevada residents may be seeing some familiar faces in different city jobs in a couple of weeks.

City Manager JD Kehrman is requesting that the city council consider a couple of measures at a special council meeting at 4:30 this afternoon to allow a couple of current city employees to exchange jobs.

First the council will be holding the first reading of a general ordinance changing the residency requirements for the city clerk, to permit the clerk to live outside the city limits with the unanimous consent of the city council. Currently the city code requires the city clerk, as well as the city manager and city treasurer to live within the city limits.

If this change in residency requirements is approved by the city council, it will allow the current city clerk, Julie Lewis, to be transferred to the position of executive assistant to the city manager and the city council to appoint Annette Crews, who currently works in the city manager's office, as city clerk.

According to a press release from the city manager this change will "allow the city manager's office to make immediate and ongoing improvements in the areas of customer service and public relations, while ensuring that the council and the residents continue to receive the services of a professional city clerk." Both employees will retain their current rate of pay.

Crews is a certified municipal clerk, a Missouri registered city clerk and currently serves as chairperson of the education committee of the Missouri City Clerks and Finance Officers Association.

During her 16 years with the city Crews has served as interim city clerk several times, as well as, performing other vital functions at City Hall.

According to the release a survey of 16 area cities showed that only one city required the city clerk to reside within the city limits.

The transfer of Lewis to the city manager's office will allow her to "focus on customer service assurance through audits of various department operations and bring special emphasis to public relations. Additionally, she will spearhead the development and implementation of various community enhancement initiatives aimed at improving the city's relationship with residents, local businesses, institutions and organizations."

According to the release, "Lewis has a solid business background which includes experience in customer and employee relations, business communications and administrative functions."

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I am glad to see a change...there is a difference between being qualified for a position and a person being in that position. I believe that a new approach to both positions is a positive change.

-- Posted by Butch56 on Fri, Jun 4, 2010, at 10:45 AM
Not normally one for bureaucracy, but this doesn't look like much of a big deal, except probably to the folks involved. Guess I missed the part about one lady being overqualified and passed over, looks like she is probably qualified. Don't see any new roles for "exalted bureaucrats" either, just a job switch. If they are adding something, guess I missed that too.Titanicsdoom, you must be related to Leland. I do agree with you that it makes no difference where they live, as long as they get to work on time. Congratulations to both ladies.

-- Posted by Samclemens on Fri, Jun 4, 2010, at 2:00 PM
There is no pork here. They are trading jobs and there is no increase in the salary expense. The current ruling is that the City Clerk must live in the city. The vote is to change that rule and therefore make it possible for Mrs. Crews to take the job without having to relocate. It is that simple. Why is there no increase in salary? I guess we would have to know each job positions wages to decide if one or the other needed/deserved an increase. If both persons want to accept the job change with the same wages, what is the problem?

-- Posted by pumpkinfarmer on Fri, Jun 4, 2010, at 2:31 PM

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