CALLAWAY — The City Commission voted 3-2 Wednesday against a dual planning and code enforcement position.
The commission previously approved $75,000 in its 2014-15 budget to fund the dual planning and code enforcement employee and code enforcement officer.
Callaway City Manager Michael Fuller thought the dual position was a way to fill the vacant planning director position, where he was employed before taking the $80,000 salary as city manager, save some money and tackle more code enforcement issues.
“I need someone capable of addressing planning items,” Fuller said. “Someone who will oversee day-to-day planning stuff.”
Residents Wayne McCloud, Janice Jennings and Jean Champoux all voiced displeasure over the wording of the position’s duties, specifically that the primary role seemed to be more planning oriented and that the position was a department supervisor.
“I just want somebody to do their job. Nothing is being done to alleviate it,” McCloud said of code enforcement in the city. “I and several other people are not comfortable with new position being created.”
Commissioner Melba Covey echoed those sentiments.
“Why do we need a supervisor in a two-person department?” she asked.
The planning director did serve a supervisory role in the department. Mayor Thomas Abbott said it would be difficult to hire another person with the budget that was approved.
Fuller said he would modify the position to make code enforcement duties a requirement in the job description and change the title to take out the supervisory role.
Abbott and Pamn Henderson voted yes for the position.
In other business, the commission:
- Approved a bid from Royal American Construction for $151,399 to rehab the lift station on Gay Avenue. Royal American had the low bid for the project, but it was more than $25,000 more than the city budgeted. Fuller and Utilities Superintendent Oscar Martinez said the city will enter negotiations to buy expensive pumps directly to save about $10,000 and have public works employees rewire panels to save about $6,000.
- Approved first reading of a 15-year franchise agreement with Gulf Power for 6 percent of gross revenue collected from Callaway Electric customers. The city expects to receive $705,000 from Gulf Power in 2015.
- Announced that online billing will be available on the city’s website Nov. 18.