Houston seeks new public works director

HOUSTON — The city council here voted 7-0 to accept the resignation of the public works director Thursday evening.

Garland Forschen, an 18-year veteran of the public works department, had been unable to perform his duties as a result of an unrelated medical issue. In the absence of an immediate candidate, mayor Virgie Thompson had stepped up to fill in the gap until either Forschen was able to return to work or an interim successor could be named. An agenda item related to reimbursing Thompson for the work performed during Forschen’s absence was pulled from the council agenda Thursday night. Thompson had considered asking for reimbursement of those hours until a Frontiersman reporter called and asked about them, saying political opposition to the reimbursement was too stiff to merit the measure’s passage, and the city attorney hadn’t answered her questions about whether the ad-hoc assumption of duties was legal.

“I work my butt off for the city,” she said.

By city code, the mayor is required to perform 80 hours of work per month related to the city, and is eligible for compensation at $15 per hour up to 100 hours, Thompson said. In July, she worked an additional 83 hours beyond the 100-hour maximum.

The bulk of the work involves preparations for the coming winter, including ordering salt for roads with help from public works assistant John Smith, Thompson said.

“This is stuff that should have been done already, but wasn’t because of the personnel issue,” she said.

Officials declined to provide additional information about Forschen’s resignation, citing the Health Insurance Privacy Protection Act.

While Thompson had assumed the duties, city officials say they had advertised for an interim replacement and received two applicants. Now that the position is moving from an interim replacement to a permanent replacement, the city will allow candidates to decide whether to submit applications for the permanent position and then re-advertise the position.

The temporary position paid $30 per hour, and city council members haven’t yet set a salary for the permanent position because it will likely involve offering benefits, Thompson said.

Forschen’s resignation was amiable and not unexpected, city officials said.

“We’re sure gonna miss him,” said city clerk Sonya Dukes.

In other business, the city council introduced but took no action on a controversial re-zoning of a parcel of land owned by the Knikatnu Native Corporation from residential-agricultural to heavy industrial. That measure now moves to a Sept. 11 public hearing before potential enactment by the council.

The council also voted 7-0 to amending the membership of the Community Impact Assessment and Comprehensive Plan Update steering committees, and to designate a portion of Hawk Lane as public use and accept the burden of maintenance for it. The city already provides upkeep to the majority of Hawk Lane, Thompson told council members.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com.