by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
At the June 15 St. Joseph City Council meeting, adding a community planner as a new staff position was discussed.
Nothing solid has been decided yet. The city has asked staff to look at other area cities that have community-planner positions, such as Sauk Rapids and Waite Park, as well as considering what the job description might be.
The city used to have a community planner who reported to the Economic Development Authority Board, but that was years ago. The council and mayor now think the community planner would need to report directly to the city council.
“There are some black-and-white paperwork the EDA needs to take care of,” Mayor Rick Schultz said, thinking the community planner would be more responsible for visioning and working with the community.
“I’m not saying Cynthia [Smith-Strack] and staff can’t handle the work, though,” the mayor continued.
The council also asked staff for a viable salary range and benefits, likely somewhere between $50,000 to $70,000.
