By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
With the recent resignation of one of its top staff members now in place, Whitewater officials are in the process of seeking out the successor to Latisha Birkeland, who held the role of neighborhood services director and city planner.
City Manager Cameron Clapper discussed short- and long-term plans for Birkeland’s vacancy at a Common Council meeting April 3. Birkeland has assumed a position in Nashville, Tenn.
Birkeland’s duties ran the gamut, including residential and commercial zoning issues, overseeing code enforcement and working with prospective developers.
In the interim, Clapper said Birkeland’s duties are being dolled out to different staff members, including Parks and Recreation Director Matt Amundson. The city also is contracting with a firm, Kahube LLC, which operates under the name Noll, for municipal zoning and inspection services.
The city’s contract with Noll will run for a one-year period and could be renewable. As part of the agreement, Noll representatives will have a limited presence at City Hall with prescribed office hours.
In terms of code inspection, Clapper said he anticipates few changes during this intermediary period. The city’s current inspector, he said, “is highly knowledgeable.”
In the next week, Clapper said he will be meeting with city staff to review the scope of the neighborhood services director position. A revised job description is expected to be presented to the council at its next meeting April 15.
“I want to ensure we’re doing what’s best and most efficient for the city,” Clapper said. “I don’t anticipate there being any major changes.”
According to a timeline laid out by Clapper, plans call for posting the job opening during a four-week window that will begin April 16 – the day after the council is to take action on the job description.
After the application deadline, Clapper and other city officials will begin reviewing candidates, and an offer could be extended in late June.
“At the earliest, I think we could have a person in place in July,” Clapper said. “But that’s if there aren’t any hiccups.”
After hearing his presentation, the council was largely supportive of Clapper’s plans. Council President Patrick Singer inquired if at least one member each from the Community Development Authority (CDA) and Planning and Architectural Review Commission should be involved in the process.
“This is not a run of the mill position,” Singer said, pointing to reasons why he would like input from other appointed experts within the city.
Birkeland departed the city after ushering a major zoning rewrite project throughout the city that spanned more than a year of review. Final documents are in the process of being drawn up.
Council member Stephanie Abbott inquired on the process of the zoning rewrite in Birkeland’s absence.
“I think we’re going to be able to move forward at this point,” Clapper said. He and City Attorney Wally McDonell are in the final stages of drawing up the revised documents before presenting them to the council for final approval.
The neighborhood services director position was last reviewed in July 2011.
