MONROE - The City of Monroe Common Council has settled on a job description for the city administrator and authorized advertising for the position.
The new job position will include extra legal duties not previously contained in the job requirements.
Mark Coplien made the motion to approve a revised job description for a city administrator with legal duties, at a salary of $76,000 to $90,000 with benefits, and authorize City Clerk Carol Stamm to begin advertising the opening. The motion was seconded by Dan Henke and passed on a 7-2 vote, with Jan Lefevre and Thurston Hanson against, and Neal Hunter abstaining.
Hunter paused before voting, saying he could not decide, before abstaining.
In discussion before the vote, Lefevre reiterated her position that the job description "seems written for an individual." She preferred the Council write the job description and then look for a person to fill the role.
Coplien answered that the description of the duties for administrator are preserved from previous descriptions.
"I don't see how this is tailored to one person," he said.
Charles Koch stated he would like to see the position filled before the first of the year and said the description was a good compromise from what the council had.
"It's one I can live with very well," he said.
Applicants will need a "juris doctor degree from an accredited law school, five years legal experience with three in municipal law, and (be) a member of the Wisconsin Bar Association."
A degree in public administration or related field, or five years experience in municipal administration, is no longer needed.
The Salary & Personnel Committee, on advise of City Attorney Rex Ewald at a meeting prior to Council, removed the duty of drafting legal opinions from the job description.
Ewald said the duty would create an ethical problem. An attorney representing the city as his client, would be advising himself and also serving as administrator representing the city.
"You can't advise yourself," Ewald said.
The city administrator will be required to write policies, ordinances, resolutions, contracts and agreements, and other legal documents, as well as provide litigation, prosecution and other legal services for city matters.
Providing prosecution duties for the City Police Department, which requires making several trips to the County Courthouse each day, would be "terribly disruptive," and "cost more in the administrative side than it's worth," Ewald told the committee.
Traffic and juvenile prosecution requires over 30 hours and costs about $3,000 to $5,000 per month, according to city accountant Suzie Shaw.
Human Resources duties, including overseeing all personnel matters, remains in the job description.
Coplien, Chairman of the Salary & Personnel Committee, estimated the new position would save the city $350,000 to $700,000 over the next five years.
However, Dan Henke said if performing litigation is taken out of the description, "that opens the checkbook again."
In committee, Henke motioned to remove the word "mayor" and leave only the term Common Council as those under whom the administrator would serve.
Henke also motioned to have the position advertised immediately.
Mayor Ron Marsh advised the committee, "You don't have to by law go out (of the local area) and advertise this."
The committee asked Stamm to advertise the position in publications and with organizations that handle announcing government employment openings. Stamm identified League of Municipalities, Wisconsin state offices and Wisconsin counties publications, as places she will place the advertisement.
The new job position will include extra legal duties not previously contained in the job requirements.
Mark Coplien made the motion to approve a revised job description for a city administrator with legal duties, at a salary of $76,000 to $90,000 with benefits, and authorize City Clerk Carol Stamm to begin advertising the opening. The motion was seconded by Dan Henke and passed on a 7-2 vote, with Jan Lefevre and Thurston Hanson against, and Neal Hunter abstaining.
Hunter paused before voting, saying he could not decide, before abstaining.
In discussion before the vote, Lefevre reiterated her position that the job description "seems written for an individual." She preferred the Council write the job description and then look for a person to fill the role.
Coplien answered that the description of the duties for administrator are preserved from previous descriptions.
"I don't see how this is tailored to one person," he said.
Charles Koch stated he would like to see the position filled before the first of the year and said the description was a good compromise from what the council had.
"It's one I can live with very well," he said.
Applicants will need a "juris doctor degree from an accredited law school, five years legal experience with three in municipal law, and (be) a member of the Wisconsin Bar Association."
A degree in public administration or related field, or five years experience in municipal administration, is no longer needed.
The Salary & Personnel Committee, on advise of City Attorney Rex Ewald at a meeting prior to Council, removed the duty of drafting legal opinions from the job description.
Ewald said the duty would create an ethical problem. An attorney representing the city as his client, would be advising himself and also serving as administrator representing the city.
"You can't advise yourself," Ewald said.
The city administrator will be required to write policies, ordinances, resolutions, contracts and agreements, and other legal documents, as well as provide litigation, prosecution and other legal services for city matters.
Providing prosecution duties for the City Police Department, which requires making several trips to the County Courthouse each day, would be "terribly disruptive," and "cost more in the administrative side than it's worth," Ewald told the committee.
Traffic and juvenile prosecution requires over 30 hours and costs about $3,000 to $5,000 per month, according to city accountant Suzie Shaw.
Human Resources duties, including overseeing all personnel matters, remains in the job description.
Coplien, Chairman of the Salary & Personnel Committee, estimated the new position would save the city $350,000 to $700,000 over the next five years.
However, Dan Henke said if performing litigation is taken out of the description, "that opens the checkbook again."
In committee, Henke motioned to remove the word "mayor" and leave only the term Common Council as those under whom the administrator would serve.
Henke also motioned to have the position advertised immediately.
Mayor Ron Marsh advised the committee, "You don't have to by law go out (of the local area) and advertise this."
The committee asked Stamm to advertise the position in publications and with organizations that handle announcing government employment openings. Stamm identified League of Municipalities, Wisconsin state offices and Wisconsin counties publications, as places she will place the advertisement.