Belvidere City Council to see candidate for planner Monday

By Bob Balgemann
Reporter
BELVIDERE – Mayor Mike Chamberlain will introduce a candidate to become the city’s new planner to members of the city council at Monday night’s meeting.
“I don’t think anyone will be displeased,” he told aldermen, sitting as the committee of the whole, on Feb. 22. He could not be reached for comment on the identity of the proposed employee.
Kathy Miller, interim planning director for the combined city-Boone County planning department, is retiring soon. The other employees are associate planner Gina DelRose and administrative assistant Catherine Crawford.
The county board voted 8-4 Feb. 17 to give the city 90 days’ notice of its plan to terminate the contract for the shared department.
Mayor Chamberlain reiterated during the Feb. 22 meeting that the proposed split had been expected for some time. He was looking for, and received, a motion to fund the position with a salary range of $50,000 to $55,000.
“It’s already in the budget,” City Budget Director Becky Tobin said.
The appointment for this kind of a position is made by the mayor.
After providing the salary range for Alderman Ron Brooks, Tobin said they were looking for “a middle-range planner with some experience.”
The county also will be looking for a planner.
When board member Cathy Ward was speaking before the city council at its Feb. 15 meeting, she said board Chairman Bob Walberg stated earlier that he wanted to hire “a crackerjack planner” for the department.