Belleville has decided to hire additional staff, adding three new positions, along with a reorganization of some existing positions.
Two of the new positions will be in the office of the mayor and CAO and the other will be in the Recreation, Culture and Community Services Department.
During Monday night’s council meeting, a number of council members commented on the heavy workload carried by the Director of Recreation, Mark Fluhrer.
The three new positions, will cost the city $167,021 per year plus benefits and pension on the low end of the salary grid, or $198,836 per year plus benefits and pension on the high end of the scale.
Council sticks to 4 p.m.
Belleville city council has held to its practise of opening its meetings at 4 p.m.
Councillors debated the issue at the Monday night meeting, with a motion for a 5 p.m. start time.
Councillor Paul Carr came down on the side of beginning meetings at the amended time of 5:30 p.m., noting a list of municipalities, including Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa, Kingston and Brockville that start later in the evening. He said, “4 p.m., those days are gone.”
Councillor Sean Kelly noted that “People can reach us, we’re all wired.” He pointed to Councillor Chris Malette who replied to a resident from his vacation in Central America recently.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk said council actually starts the day in closed session at 1:30 p.m. and many councillors have events in the morning hours as well.
Panciuk pointed out council meetings are streamed live on the internet and are also on the city website afterward.
Council voted 3 yeas – 6 nays against the 5:30 p.m. time, and 4 yeas – 5 nays against the 5 p.m. time
