A new part-time position could be opening in McMinnville’s Planning and Zoning Department if its proposed budget for fiscal year 2017-18 remains unchanged.
Department director Nolan Ming says another employee is needed within the department for administrative support.
“I originally wanted a full-time employee,” said Ming in his request to Building and Grounds Committee members. “We moved that down to part time. We need administrative support, clerk-type office help.”
Within the proposed budget is $9,360.
The department was given $40,000 last year to demolish dilapidated structures within the city. Ming requested that he be allowed to allocate $35,000 of those funds to other line items for the upcoming year and continue the departmental support with the city Public Works Department in demolishing structures in the future.
“We took out most of the $40,000 that was allocated to demoing houses or other structures and moved that to other things,” said Ming. “We are pretty confident we can work with Public Works to get a lot of the demos done that may need to be done in the future at a much lower cost. There are no meth demos in the near future. Given the fact we tore down two house for under $7,000 with Public Work’s help, I think we can do that similar situation in the future.”
Part of those funds went into “other professional services” that increased from $16,000 last year to $30,000.
“That’s for a different computer system,” said Ming. “I don’t think it’s going to be $30,000. I put that number in there because at the time I wasn’t sure how much it would cost.”
Last year’s budget was $382,900. The proposed budget for the upcoming year is $389,970.
“The difference is $7,070 from last year’s budget,” said Ming.
Committee members approved the budget request. The department’s financial plan must also be considered by the Finance Committee and full Board of Mayor and Aldermen.