MONROE - The Monroe City Council voted Tuesday night to enter into a contract with the Monroe Chamber of Commerce for some of the services of its new director, Pam Christopher.
The arrangement is for Christopher to promote economic welfare and growth of the city.
The contract allows Christopher to perform professional economic development services for the city, for which the city compensates the Chamber $12,500 annually. The city will also reimburse the Chamber for expenses not to exceed $208.33 a month, unless advanced approval is received.
Mayor Ron Marsh told the council that funds for the contract will come out of the current city administrator's budget, which will not be used until after Jan. 1, 2009, when the Council expects to hire a new administrator.
"We have a budget for marketing, called Community Improvement. We're going to break that out in October" in order to see which funds are going to economic development, Marsh said.
At a rate less than the city could hire someone for the job, Marsh called contracting with the Chamber for Christopher's "vast knowledge and economic development experience" a "good fit."
The agreement may not be useful in the future, Marsh said, but "it is not tying us to forever." The contract allows the city to part with the Chamber by giving 30 days notice.
Alderman Dan Henke said having someone filling the economic development needs for the city, "makes our job a lot easier, when we go to hire an administrator." The city could focus on hiring an administrator with a finance and management background, he said.
Alderman Mark Coplien, chairman of the Salary and Personnel Committee, said the arrangement was "well worth a shot."
"We owe every attention to the people to market Monroe," Coplien said.
Christopher comes from a similar chamber work and economic development career situation in Georgia.
"She is under the exact same relationship in Georgia now," Bryan Rach, Chamber board president, said.
Christopher will be coming to live in Monroe after her replacement in Georgia is hired and trained, in mid-October. He husband has been in the city since February and is already working in Monroe, and they are actively looking at houses. She told the Salary and Personnel Committee she expects to be active in the community, as that is part of a successful economic developer.
"I hope you'll be so impressed you'll say, 'We want more than 20 percent of her time,'" Christopher said.
The arrangement is for Christopher to promote economic welfare and growth of the city.
The contract allows Christopher to perform professional economic development services for the city, for which the city compensates the Chamber $12,500 annually. The city will also reimburse the Chamber for expenses not to exceed $208.33 a month, unless advanced approval is received.
Mayor Ron Marsh told the council that funds for the contract will come out of the current city administrator's budget, which will not be used until after Jan. 1, 2009, when the Council expects to hire a new administrator.
"We have a budget for marketing, called Community Improvement. We're going to break that out in October" in order to see which funds are going to economic development, Marsh said.
At a rate less than the city could hire someone for the job, Marsh called contracting with the Chamber for Christopher's "vast knowledge and economic development experience" a "good fit."
The agreement may not be useful in the future, Marsh said, but "it is not tying us to forever." The contract allows the city to part with the Chamber by giving 30 days notice.
Alderman Dan Henke said having someone filling the economic development needs for the city, "makes our job a lot easier, when we go to hire an administrator." The city could focus on hiring an administrator with a finance and management background, he said.
Alderman Mark Coplien, chairman of the Salary and Personnel Committee, said the arrangement was "well worth a shot."
"We owe every attention to the people to market Monroe," Coplien said.
Christopher comes from a similar chamber work and economic development career situation in Georgia.
"She is under the exact same relationship in Georgia now," Bryan Rach, Chamber board president, said.
Christopher will be coming to live in Monroe after her replacement in Georgia is hired and trained, in mid-October. He husband has been in the city since February and is already working in Monroe, and they are actively looking at houses. She told the Salary and Personnel Committee she expects to be active in the community, as that is part of a successful economic developer.
"I hope you'll be so impressed you'll say, 'We want more than 20 percent of her time,'" Christopher said.