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The city has a CEO
 |
| City administrator Odis Jones talks to the media on the day he was interviewed for the job in October. |
By Steve Dunn/Gate City Managing Editor
The City of Keokuk's new chief executive officer, city administrator Odis Jones, has been touched by the reception he's received during his first three weeks on the job.
“It's been insightful and I've learned a tremendous amount in terms of the goodness of the people here,” said Jones during an interview in his new office at City Hall. “It's been delightful to not only get to meet the employees, but also to understand what they do and their commitment to this organization and the citizens here. You don't often find a staff that is so willing to serve and think outside the box. That's heartwarming.”
Under an employment agreement with the city, Jones' base salary is $93,000. His total compensation package is about $110,000, he said.
Jones already has assembled a leadership team comprised of Police Chief Tom Crew, Fire Chief Mark Wessel, Community Development Director Pam Broomhall and himself. If the city council decides to hire a public works director, that person also would serve on the team.
“I've had an opportunity to look at the operation (of the city) and get input from other colleagues,” Jones said. “There are areas where we can work smarter and not harder.
“We'll map out a process with a plan of how we're going to get there with some benchmarks,” he added. “I feel good about what I see. This community has some real committed volunteers who are a very valuable asset.”
In fact, the level of volunteerism Keokuk has surprised him.
“It's been an overwhelming level of commitment,” he said. “That is shocking but nice to know. This town is excited and committed to change for the better. There is an air of excitement, which translates into volunteerism. It makes the city administrator's job a lot more amenable.”
During his first year on the job, Jones hopes to get to know the people, understand the issues better and get the staff organized so that the right people do the right thing at the right time.
“The (Keokuk Area) Vision Plan lays out expectations and the role it would like the city to play,” he said. “I'd like to begin to accomplish those tasks, but mostly get to know the people so we can take advantage of those opportunities.”
For the time being, Jones will serve as city clerk as well as public administrator since Donna Eilers has retired after four years in the city clerk's post. According to Jones, the council meetings will be taped and administrative clerk Barb Barnes will transcribe them into minutes. Jones will record individual votes during council meetings by hand.
“I'll also start to provide a monthly report to the council on how the operations are going and what are the ‘hot button' issues,” he said.
Jones has recommended that the city council hire a finance manager, which actually is provided for in the city code.
“The (city) budget is at a level of sophistication that having somebody with a finance background would be helpful,” he said.
Fort Madison's finance manager earns about $45,000 to $50,000 a year, according to Jones.
The new city administrator also has suggested hiring a public works director, which Bill Richards filled until he retired on June 30. After Richards retired, it appeared the position would not be filled and a project manager might be hired to oversee individual public works projects such as streets and sewers.
“The public works department is the second largest department in the city with about 25 employees and it's without a head,” Jones replied when asked to justify his request. “It's important to have a head for that department.”
In line with his proposal to hire a public works director, Jones noted the city has embarked on an aggressive street improvement program. The city also has to separate its combined storm and sanitary sewers as mandated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
“There's a new excitement in the air of growth, which involves issues with roads, utilities, etc.,” he said.
Those issues plus the ongoing day-to-day management issues in the public works department make having a public works director a necessity, Jones believes.
He pointed out the city already has two licensed and certified inspectors in the public works department with more than a combined 50 years of experience.
Jones said the city will try to hire a public works director with an engineering degree for about the same amount that was budgeted in the current fiscal year, or $56,000.
Although a couple of council members recently raised questions about Jones' reorganization plan for city government, he said, “I have a very good relationship with the council.”
“It was a work session where people show up with ideas for discussion,” he said in reference to the session where he presented his proposal.
The budget preparation process, which already has begun for 2007-08, apparently will change in that few, if any, Saturday morning meetings will be held next month.
“I've met with department heads. Now we're tabulating it (requests presented by department heads),” he explained. “We'll sit down with the Finance Subcommittee during the second week of January and review those numbers. Then we'll make the necessary changes and present the (proposed) budget to the full council by the end of January.”
By state law, the final budget must be certified and sent to the state by --------------.
When Jones is not working at City Hall, he likes to go fishing and read. Preferring to read novels, he lists his favorite authors as novelist Richard Wright and the Rev. Joel Osteen, a pastor in Texas who has written such books as “Your Best LIfe Now.”
He also likes to spend time with his family, which includes his wife, Susan, and two children, Damario, 13, and Ashlynn, 1. The rest of his family is expected to move from Pickering, Ohio, to Keokuk after the current school year ends.
“It is also understood that Odis Jones acting in his role as city administrator will also assume the duties of city clerk and shall have the powers and authority vested in such position pursuant to Iowa law until such time that the mayor and city council deem it appropriate to appoint another individual.”
- Employment agreement
“It's been insightful and I've learned a tremendous amount in terms of the goodness of the people here,” said Jones during an interview in his new office at City Hall. “It's been delightful to not only get to meet the employees, but also to understand what they do and their commitment to this organization and the citizens here. You don't often find a staff that is so willing to serve and think outside the box. That's heartwarming.”
Under an employment agreement with the city, Jones' base salary is $93,000. His total compensation package is about $110,000, he said.
Jones already has assembled a leadership team comprised of Police Chief Tom Crew, Fire Chief Mark Wessel, Community Development Director Pam Broomhall and himself. If the city council decides to hire a public works director, that person also would serve on the team.
“I've had an opportunity to look at the operation (of the city) and get input from other colleagues,” Jones said. “There are areas where we can work smarter and not harder.
“We'll map out a process with a plan of how we're going to get there with some benchmarks,” he added. “I feel good about what I see. This community has some real committed volunteers who are a very valuable asset.”
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“It's been an overwhelming level of commitment,” he said. “That is shocking but nice to know. This town is excited and committed to change for the better. There is an air of excitement, which translates into volunteerism. It makes the city administrator's job a lot more amenable.”
During his first year on the job, Jones hopes to get to know the people, understand the issues better and get the staff organized so that the right people do the right thing at the right time.
“The (Keokuk Area) Vision Plan lays out expectations and the role it would like the city to play,” he said. “I'd like to begin to accomplish those tasks, but mostly get to know the people so we can take advantage of those opportunities.”
For the time being, Jones will serve as city clerk as well as public administrator since Donna Eilers has retired after four years in the city clerk's post. According to Jones, the council meetings will be taped and administrative clerk Barb Barnes will transcribe them into minutes. Jones will record individual votes during council meetings by hand.
“I'll also start to provide a monthly report to the council on how the operations are going and what are the ‘hot button' issues,” he said.
Jones has recommended that the city council hire a finance manager, which actually is provided for in the city code.
“The (city) budget is at a level of sophistication that having somebody with a finance background would be helpful,” he said.
Fort Madison's finance manager earns about $45,000 to $50,000 a year, according to Jones.
The new city administrator also has suggested hiring a public works director, which Bill Richards filled until he retired on June 30. After Richards retired, it appeared the position would not be filled and a project manager might be hired to oversee individual public works projects such as streets and sewers.
“The public works department is the second largest department in the city with about 25 employees and it's without a head,” Jones replied when asked to justify his request. “It's important to have a head for that department.”
In line with his proposal to hire a public works director, Jones noted the city has embarked on an aggressive street improvement program. The city also has to separate its combined storm and sanitary sewers as mandated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
“There's a new excitement in the air of growth, which involves issues with roads, utilities, etc.,” he said.
Those issues plus the ongoing day-to-day management issues in the public works department make having a public works director a necessity, Jones believes.
He pointed out the city already has two licensed and certified inspectors in the public works department with more than a combined 50 years of experience.
Jones said the city will try to hire a public works director with an engineering degree for about the same amount that was budgeted in the current fiscal year, or $56,000.
Although a couple of council members recently raised questions about Jones' reorganization plan for city government, he said, “I have a very good relationship with the council.”
“It was a work session where people show up with ideas for discussion,” he said in reference to the session where he presented his proposal.
The budget preparation process, which already has begun for 2007-08, apparently will change in that few, if any, Saturday morning meetings will be held next month.
“I've met with department heads. Now we're tabulating it (requests presented by department heads),” he explained. “We'll sit down with the Finance Subcommittee during the second week of January and review those numbers. Then we'll make the necessary changes and present the (proposed) budget to the full council by the end of January.”
By state law, the final budget must be certified and sent to the state by --------------.
When Jones is not working at City Hall, he likes to go fishing and read. Preferring to read novels, he lists his favorite authors as novelist Richard Wright and the Rev. Joel Osteen, a pastor in Texas who has written such books as “Your Best LIfe Now.”
He also likes to spend time with his family, which includes his wife, Susan, and two children, Damario, 13, and Ashlynn, 1. The rest of his family is expected to move from Pickering, Ohio, to Keokuk after the current school year ends.
“It is also understood that Odis Jones acting in his role as city administrator will also assume the duties of city clerk and shall have the powers and authority vested in such position pursuant to Iowa law until such time that the mayor and city council deem it appropriate to appoint another individual.”
- Employment agreement
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