The City of Watonga has set a special meeting for 6 tonight at city hall.
The agenda calls for the council to consider hiring a new library director. The position has been empty since the departure in May of the director. The library board had sought to install a new director, but the move was thwarted by the former city manager.
Another consideration is seating the board of adjustments members. That board, like the planning and zoning committee, had been in place but unpopulated and unused for quite some time. The planning committee is now at full force. The adjustments board is called into play when a variance to zoning is requested. Both boards are advisory in nature, meaning they can offer suggestions to the council, but there is no requirement that the council heed the suggestions.
The council will also hear from Steve Whitlock, executive director of Oklahoma Municipal Management Services. That organization has been tapped to help the city with its search for a new city manager.
When Watonga changed from mayorcouncil government to manager-council OMMS was on hand to assist in the change. At that time, the going rate of pay for a city manager with less than five years of experience was between $50,000 and $60,000.
City council member Neal Riley has said he believes the manager should earn about the same as an elected Blaine County official, like a county commissioner. They earn about $58,000, with some expenses added on to that figure.
The council has expressed its desire to have the OMMS present it with a job description and search process for a city manager. The last item on the agenda for Wednesday is considering approval of a job advertisement for the job search.
City hall is located at 410 W. Main Street.