ACTION REQUESTED:
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Communication from the City Manager with a Request to APPROVE the Addition of a LAND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER in the Community Development Department and a GIS TECHNICIAN in the Information Systems Department Funded with the Anticipated 2016 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
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BACKGROUND: Over the last three years, the City of Peoria has been obtaining vacant property through donations and the abandoned property process. The demand and work involved in this process continues to grow and staff feels it is the appropriate time to devote a full time employee to this process. Funding has been identified by shifting savings from the Code Enforcement activity of the City of Peoria Community Development Block Grant funds to the general fund which makes the hiring of this position budget neutral as far as budget expenditures are concerned. No funding will be taken away from the Code Enforcement Division as part of this shift. A majority of the funds are available through retirement of employees and replacing them will entry level salaries, in addition to geographical shifts of employees assigned code enforcement coverage that allows higher salaries to be charged to the Code Enforcement eligible CDBG activity.
Attached to the Council Communication is a general outline of the position responsibilities of the Land Development Manager. Having a full time position devoted to this function will allow for a more strategic approach to land acquisition, land management, land disposal and land development.
An example of the value of this position is the effort related to 2021 Hamilton Blvd. The property was obtained through the abandoned property process through demolition court. Historically, the property would have been demolished at a cost close to $10,000 to the City of Peoria and a vacant lot generated very little property tax would have been left. Howe...
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