By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter
Benicia City Council may decide today to extend interim Finance Director Brenda Olwin’s contract after a search for a permanent employee was unsuccessful, Assistant City Manager Anne Cardwell said.
Cardwell will ask the Council to add a six-month extension to its agreement with Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai for Olwin’s services, which began after Finance Director Karan Reid left last April to accept the same position in Concord.
“The city recently conducted a recruitment effort, which unfortunately did not result in a viable candidate for the city’s finance director,” Cardwell said. “Staff will be renewing efforts to recruit qualified candidates in the coming months.”
She said Benicia isn’t the only city struggling to find a permanent finance director, “given the challenging economic climate for local governments, and the many complex financial issues cities face.”
The Council also will consider approving Benicia’s participation in a cost-sharing agreement for aerial imagery, Cardwell wrote in a Jan. 14 report.
Solano County, its cities and other agencies are planning to contract with Pictometry, a firm that would provide aerial pictures of the entire county for geographical information systems, she wrote; the images would be used for engineering measurements, inclusion in zoning boundary maps, tracking landscape and building changes and other purposes.
Benicia’s share of the cost would be $8,973.19, and would come from the city’s information technology budget, which has saved some money because one of its positions is vacant, she wrote.
In other matters, the Council will hear recommendations that Nancy Lund be reappointed to the Solano Transportation Authority Bicycle Advisory Committee for three years and that the city deny a clam by Thomas and Barbara Colmer, who said a sewer line damaged their home’s foundation.
The meeting starts at 7 tonight in the Council Chamber of City Hall, 250 East L St. A closed session of the panel to discuss legal matters will start at 9 p.m.
Bob Livesay says
The City of Benicia is very fortunate to have an interim Financial Director such as Brenda. She is up against not only the financial issues of the city but may even the Finance Commission also. Her position is not an easy one that does not need to be made more difficult. Thanks for your efforts Brenda I do believe it is well appreciated.