Ormond Beach plans to hire full-time PIO

Ormond Beach Observer
News

With the City Commission wanting to improve public information outreach, the city of Ormond Beach is hoping to add a full-time public information officer to its staff — something the city hasn't had since 2007.

In the strategic planning workshop held on Feb. 27, the commission identified that improving its outreach through social media, press releases and other methods was one of the 10 priorities for its strategic plan. The public information officer staff position was cut during the recession, and duties were combined with the city's grant writer. At the financial trends workshop on Tuesday, March 5, City Manager Joyce Shanahan said a lot of other cities in Volusia also eliminated the position during the recession, but have since hired people to fill them once again.

Also at the meeting:

The upcoming food truck workshop on May 21 was cancelled. Mayor Bill Partington told City Manager Joyce Shanahan the direction was clear at the last meeting: open it to as many areas as possible.

"Did you listen to the tape or...?" Partington asked Shanahan. "When we left the meeting, everyone had what they needed."

In the Feb. 5 workshop, some commissioners and planning board members expressed concerns over food trucks. Planning Board member Mike Scudiero called it "an edible version of itinerant vending" and City Commissioner Troy Kent said he was more comfortable handling food trucks on a case by case basis. In an email to the Ormond Beach Observer, Partington said four out of the five commissioners were "very pro-food truck" and directed staff to come back with rules to expand their use in the city.

The City Commission also approved 5-0 on second reading to increase its recycling collection fees. Starting April 1, residents will pay $1.21 more monthly, going from $3.47 to $4.68.

Updated at 10:43 a.m. to correct that the recycling collection fee item passed unanimously. A previous version stated that City Commissioner Dwight Selby voted against the item; this was incorrect. He only spoke against it, but approved it.

"Quite honestly, we're just not getting out there," Shanahan said.

Shanahan said that's because Ormond Beach doesn't have someone dedicated to manning the city's social media and website. Compared to 2007, staffing levels in the city are still low. In 2007, the city had 426 employees, and in 2019, it has 373.

City Commissioner Susan Persis voiced her support for hiring a PIO, and said it needs to be "the right person."

"There are so many wonderful things happening here in Ormond Beach, so much and so many great things, and we just need to brag about it all the time," Persis said. "We need a cheerleader out there."

Mayor Bill Partington stressed the importance of hiring someone well-versed in all forms of social media. He said all posted content has to "accurate and appropriate" for the city each time.

The position's salary could range anywhere from $40,000 to upwards of $70,000, as Shanahan said cities like DeLand and Port Orange pay $52,000 and $54,000, respectively. Daytona Beach pays $90,000.

At the workshop, Finance Director Kelly McGuire walked the commission and the budget advisory board through the long term financial plan policies, which included maintaining a half million dollars in annual funding for facilities renewal and replacement, $400,000 in funding for the general capital improvement fund, $225,000 for the general vehicle and equipment replacement fund and a half million dollars for the transportation fund. All money would be generated via the city's millage.