Last modified: Sunday, January 20, 2008 1:59 AM PST City leaders tackle host of issues By William Lundquist Argus Observer Ontario - The search for a new Ontario Public Works Director, a secret city employee survey and the reappointment of Public Works Committee members were all key topics of discussion at the Ontario City Council workshop meeting Thursday. The main purpose of the meeting, the approval of the agenda for the upcoming City Council session, was somewhat anticlimactic, since the agenda items were largely housekeeping measures. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, due to the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday on Monday. Members of the Concerned Citizens of Ontario raised several issues Thursday at the work session that were not on the agenda, however. Ontario resident Ralph Poole said he had heard that some members of the City Council were out recruiting people to apply for the position of Ontario Public Works Director. He said he remembered council members agreeing to hire a new city manager first and let that person hire the new public works director. He asked what had changed. Ontario Mayor Joe Dominick said the council had initially discussed waiting for a new city manager to hire a replacement for former Public Works Director Steve Gaschler. However, with many pressing projects waiting, he said, the city now needs to advertise the public works position and see what kind of response it gets. As for actually seeking out applicants, Dominick said he had encouraged those who had called him to apply. “That is our role,” he said, “if they come to us.” Ontario City Councilman Dan Cummings said it could take up to six more months to hire a new city manager, while a lot of public works projects are going on right now. “I was under the impression we’d wait,” councilman Lewie Allen said. However, the scenario has changed, councilman John Gaskill said. “The situation evolved over time,” he said. Initially, he said, the council had planned to employ an executive search firm to hire the new city manager and a new public works director. To save money, the council then decided to look for the public works director on its own. Then the search firm told the city it would take another four to six months to hire a new city manager, which would mean even more time before the new manager could hire the new public works director. “We can’t wait that long to have that position empty,” Gaskill said.   Poole then asked if the new public works director would be hired by interim Ontario City Manager Mike Kee or the City Council. City Attorney Larry Sullivan said the interim city manager may appoint a new department head with the approval of two-thirds of the City Council. Another member of the Concerned Citizens of Ontario, Catherine Wiegand, said group members have been concerned over the lowering of city salaries and asked if the salary range had changed. Dominick said the range for the new public works director would be lower. Ontario Human Resources Manager Ed Aronson said the new salary range will be $5,700 to $6,300 a month, $300 to $400 less than the old range of $6,022 to $6,767. If the new director started at $6,000 a month, for example, the lowering of the salary range would not make any difference until the new director hit the top of the range. Aronson said the range had to be lowered to keep the city within its approved budget. In related news, the Ontario Public Works Committee is still working on implementing a systems development charge (SDC). Thursday’s 3 p.m. meeting was canceled, however, when only one member of the committee, Scott Wilson, showed up, even though Kee had some of his employees on hand to answer questions. The chairman of that committee, Riley Hill, has applied for a three year reappointment to the committee, along with member Max Mills, husband of Ontario City Councilman Susann Mills. The application of Concerned Citizens of Ontario member Gary Fugate for one of those two positions on the Ontario Public Works Committee sparked some debate Thursday.  Dominick felt the SDC issue could be concluded in a more rapid manner if the current members are reappointed. Ontario City Councilman Bruce Tuttle agreed with Dominick and suggested Fugate apply for the planning commission instead.  Councilman Louie Allen, though, said he felt Hill had been fighting the SDCs all along. He said it was time to put somebody new on the committee. Dominick said the council would vote on the appointments Tuesday night. “I support what Councilman Allen is saying. Membership on the public works committee is heavy on real estate related occupations. Maybe we’ve had people in spots too long,” Wiegand said. Meanwhile, Mills asked if it would be a conflict of interest for her to vote for her husband, and Sullivan said it was not since she would realize no financial gain from doing so.   The city also announced vacancies on the Ontario Airport Board, Budget Board, Compensation Committee, Golf Committee, Library Board, Planning Commission, Recreation Board, V&C Bureau Board and Youth Advisory Committee. The council is seeking more applicants and will vote Tuesday night on those it has received in writing. The city is not seeking public input on its perceived morale problem. Dominick said an employee survey has been taken, and the results will not be made public. He said employers cannot give employee information out to the public. “We’re not at liberty at this time to release it,” he said.  Wiegand, however, requested the results be made public. “Let’s find out what’s going on,” she said. She thanked Ontario City Councilman Jim Mosier, who was not at Thursday’s meeting, for keeping in touch with citizens on the morale issue.