The second search for a Dickinson city planner is nearing the final stages. Three city officials continued to conduct interviews Friday.
Dickinson Mayor Dennis Johnson said this is the second round of interviews the city has held. They had hoped to have the seat filled by now, he said.
"I would like to have one by Monday but I don't think that will happen," Stark County Development Executive Vice President Gaylon Baker said with a laugh.
The first round of interviews was in late 2010, Johnson said, adding the city offered the position to a candidate but for unknown reasons they turned down the offer.
"I know we increased the salary range this second time," Johnson said. However, he did not know by how much.
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City Administrator Shawn Kessel, City Engineer Shawn Soehren and Baker are conducting phone and in-person interviews.
"The interviews have been going very well," Baker said. "There are many very well-qualified candidates."
Baker said the interviews included discussions about city operations, a list of questions, on-the-spot questions and a driving tour of Dickinson.
Baker added that a discussion about the issues affecting Dickinson also took place during the driving tour.
Baker said the overall job of a planner is to create a vision for the city and then come up with a comprehensive plan to make the vision a reality.
The duties of the city planner include supervising code enforcement staff, responding to citizen concerns, developing, recommending and monitoring budgets, and coordinating, overseeing and evaluating planning studies, comprehensive plans, land development ordinances, according to an e-mail sent by Bill Fahlsing, Dickinson's information technology manager and public information officer. He did not have information about the number and names of people interviewed and how long the hiring process is expected to take when asked on Friday.
Calls to the assistant to city administration Kristi Cianni, Kessel and Soehren were not immediately returned Friday.
