Document text
Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 31, 2005 Ashland still seeks city planner By ROBERT PLAIN for the Mail Tribune Citing the high cost of housing and the difficulty in finding a teaching job for his wife, Ashland’s top choice for director of the Community Development Department has turned down an offer to work for the city. Russell Forrest, the planning director for Vail, Colo., was identified by city officials as the top candidate for the job in Ashland earlier this month. Thursday, he officially declined Ashland’s offer, Mayor John Morrison said. "We’re no longer talking with Forrest," City Administrator Gino Grimaldi said. "His concerns were related to the high cost of housing and his wife getting a teacher’s position here. There aren’t many teachers’ positions available right now, if you look at shrinking enrollment." The city offered Forrest an annual salary of $96,910, second in Ashland only to the city administrator’s pay, Grimaldi said. "We offered him everything we could," he added. Rather than offer the job to a runner-up candidate, Grimaldi and Morrison said, Ashland may start the process over and look for new set of candidates. Advertisement "This puts us back at the drawing board," Morrison said. "We need to get our very first choice. We want to consider the options we have so when we do make a choice it is the very best one possible. It’s not so much a setback but a different set of options." The number-two candidate identified by the city was the executive director of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, Michael Cavallaro. Grimaldi said the city is more likely to delay this hiring process until March, after Ashland completes its search for a new city administrator. Grimaldi is leaving Ashland to become the administrator for the city of Springfield. Cavallaro said this week that he is still interested in the position and is willing to wait while Ashland weighs its options. "I’m in the back seat for this ride," he said. "Whatever the city wants to do, I’m there." Both Grimaldi and Morrison acknowledged that the delay in hiring a new director for the community development department does not bode well for the already overworked city planners. Morrison said Ashland will likely hire additional planners for the department before they find a new director. "We’re going to be hiring (new planners)," he said. "We are looking to do that right now." He added that professional planners are at a premium right now, both nationwide and especially in the Rogue Valley. "It’s a competitive market," Morrison said. "Medford is down some planners. My understanding is there is a shortage of planners everywhere." Senior planner Maria Harris said the staff in her department has been doing some "juggling" as of late but they also understand the need to find the right candidate for the job. "Obviously (being short-staffed) affects the work load and response time," she said. "But staff appreciates and understands the importance of finding a director that meets the expectations of the mayor, council and the community." Morrison said it is a "coincidence" that Ashland is looking for a new community development director and a new city administrator at the same time. "We have several hundred employees and we are talking about two of them," he said. But he acknowledged that the two they are looking to replace are among the most important positions in the city government. Robert Plain is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. He can be reached at 482-3456 or [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s