Getting the word out

COEUR d'ALENE - City Administrator Wendy Gabriel will recommend creating a permanent public information coordinator position at tonight's city council meeting.

The move is part of an overall update to the city's Classification and Compensation Plan, which hasn't been updated since 2007, according to Melissa Tosi, the city's human resources director. Gabriel was unavailable for comment.

In the amendment process Tosi said there are a total of 12 positions being updated. Ten of those positions were converted from existing positions within their existing departments.

"As people left and the department's needs changed those positions were created to meet those needs," she said, adding that those positions are already filled and had been budgeted for since 2007.

"We just didn't officially update the plan when we did that," she said.

Aside from the public information coordinator plan, the amendment would convert a record specialist position in the Coeur d'Alene Police Department into an applications analyst position. That would increase the pay for the position from $16.48 per hour to $18.52.

The new public information coordinator would start at a base pay of $49,025 per year. With benefits, the total compensation for that position is $69,500 to $78,000 per year.

Currently the city outsources that service to Keith Erickson at a rate of $50 per hour for 15 hours a week and he also provides the same service to the Lake City Development Corp. at the same rate of pay up to seven hours a week.

"They've been talking about this for quite a while," Erickson said on Monday. "It's really nothing new."

Erickson said with a city the size of Coeur d'Alene, a public information officer is definitely needed. He points to Post Falls, which has had a PIO position for nearly 15 years, and he said the city of Hayden employs one as well.

"If the council approves it, I will certainly apply for it," Erickson said.

Tosi said she is not sure how the city will go about filling the position. She said city staff is still discussing whether they will open the position up to the public, or simply fill the position internally.

Erickson said he believes the city is leaning toward filling the position internally.

"Certainly, it will be up to the council to decide," he said. "But it's my understanding that they will post it internally like many other positions they post internally."

While Erickson has been in discussions with Tony Berns, executive director of LCDC, he has not determined how he will deal with his LCDC contract if he successfully lands the new full-time position with the city.

"Obviously, it has been discussed and personally I don't see any conflicts of interest," Erickson said. "But if I were to get the job, I would probably have to seriously downgrade or even sever my ties with LCDC."

Erickson said he fully expects some council members to bring up the issue of a "perceived conflict of interest" at tonight's council meeting.

"I am sure that will come up under the discussion portion of the meeting," he said, adding he is OK with whatever the council decides on that matter.

The city council meets tonight at 6 in the Community Room of the Coeur d'Alene Public Library.