The city of Morgantown will pay GovHR, a consulting and executive recruiting firm based in Illinois, to ensure it is what City Manager Paul Brake describes as an “employer of choice.”
The Classification and Compensation Study has a base cost of $32,500 with an additional $4,000 in expenses expected.
Brake explained that the city included $30,000 for this effort in the current budget. He said the additional costs would come out of capital escrow by way of a budget amendment.
“From my understanding, this hasn’t been done, or if it has, it’s been a very, very long time,” Brake said, noting a critical part of the effort will be updating municipal job descriptions.
“As we evolve with new technology and tools and other specifications to carry out city functions, we need to update those to make sure they’re contemporary with the job requirements needed as we seek applicants,” he said.
Asked if the process would include steps to help diversify the city’s workforce, Brake said it would not, but noted that the Morgantown Human Rights Commission’s DEI Plan — standing for diversity, equity and inclusion — would be back before council at Tuesday’s committee of the whole session.
In other city news, the 2020 paving list was approved.
The list is based on a five-year paving plan built on the work of Washington, D.C.-based Dynatest, which tested and graded all the city’s streets in May 2017.
City Engineer Damien Davis said the plan is expected to address about five miles of city streets at a cost of $1.8 million. Those funds are generated by the city’s $3 a week user fee.
The 2020 paving list includes all or part of the following streets: Cobun Avenue, Dayton Avenue, Eastern Avenue, Fenwick Street, Greendale Street, Madigan Avenue, Maple Avenue, McLane Avenue, Oakland Street, Park Street, Prairie Avenue, Prospect Street, South Hills Drive, White Avenue, Wilson Avenue and Woodland Drive.
Davis said the work, where possible, will also incorporate pedestrian and cyclist-focused recommendations from the Morgantown Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization’s recently completed Morgantown Regional Bike and Pedestrian Transportation Plan.
Lastly, the city will provide $12,500 to Your Community Foundation for efforts to offset deferred maintenance at 107 High St. — currently the Monongalia County Arts Center — which is a former post office building.
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