Monessen: Code enforcement officer sought

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

The City of Monessen is looking for a full-time code enforcement officer.

Todd Carter, the city’s former building code officer and code enforcement officer, resigned to begin a new job in Green Tree.

“I just want to publicly thank Todd for his service,” Mayor Matt Shorraw said. “He’s been incredibly certified and he’s done a lot, so he will be missed.”

During its last meeting, council discussed how to replace Carter. Shorraw asked council members whether his replacement should be full or part time, salaried or paid hourly.

When the city initially advertised for Carter’s position, it was a part-time role. Shorraw asked if council wanted to advertise the position as part time to start once again.

“Absolutely not,” Councilman Don Gregor said, explaining that a lot of the recommendations that came out of the comprehensive plan process included a full-time code enforcement officer.

Shorraw said the advertisement should read that the salary would be reflective of qualifications and certifications, but that there should be a starting point included.

The previous starting point for Carter’s salary was $45,000, so Shorraw asked if council wanted to keep that as the starting rate.

Solicitor Tim Witt said it’s not required to put a salary range in a job posting, but it would be good to say that the anticipating starting point is $45,000 annually, but ultimately salary would be determined by qualifications.

“If you’re hiring for a position like this, they should have at least basic certifications,” Gregor said. “You shouldn’t bring someone in and just hope they pass the test. We’ve tried it before and it’s not worked.”

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