For the third time in eight months, Athens is advertising for a city planner.
The city placed ads in newspapers and online beginning Sunday and has changed the application process.
We're trying to speed up the application process so applicants don't move on to other jobs
said Ray Hazlett, city service-safety director.
That's what happened the first time the city advertised for the job, when one of two out-of-state candidates chose to go to another position, and the other decided Athens was too far to move. The second round of bidding yielded no applicants.
This time, city officials will review any initial applicants March 5 but continue to accept applications until April 30, leaving an almost two-month gap for applications to be considered.
The city planner will be expected to focus on the redevelopment and use of existing properties in Athens and oversee the development and coordination of the city's Comprehensive Plan, which Athens City Council likely will consider for a final vote in the next month. Other duties include preparing grant proposals, maintaining records on all projects and determining if projects are in compliance with laws.
The mayor will conduct phone interviews and invite final candidates to spend a day in Athens. The position pays an annual salary between $44,096 and $60,918, depending on the candidate's qualifications.
Mandatory qualifications include a bachelor's degree in city/urban planning or regional/environmental planning and five years of planning related experience.
A second open position
County officials are looking to find someone to fill the job of assistant county planner, which opened after Paula Mosley resigned from that position to become assistant service-safety director for the city of Athens.
The planner would serve an administrative and clerical assistant to Bob Eichenberg, the county planner, and maintain operations in Eichenberg's absence.
The Athens County Commissioners expect to decide soon on a planner from the more than 40 applicants Eichenberg received, said Commissioner Mark Sullivan.
The annual salary for assistant county planner is $20,000 to $30,000, he said. 17
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