LOS ALAMITOS : Salary Range Raised for City Position

To speed up the recruitment of a new public services director, the City Council has decided to raise the salary range for the position.

By unanimous vote, the council this week approved a salary range of $5,075 to $6,500 a month for the public services director, who will take on the added function of city engineer.

Jerry Andersen, the current public services director, is retiring in October.

Last month, the council took advantage of his planned retirement to combine the positions of public services director and city engineer to save money.

Currently, the city pays a $1,500 monthly retainer to a consultant and hourly fees for additional work as city engineer, said Assistant City Manager Gerard Goedhart.

Andersen, public services director for the past year and a half, earns $5,502 monthly, Goedhart said.

He added that the city expects to save $12,000 to $15,000 a year by combining the two positions.

“With the new salary range, we can attract quality applicants for the position,” Goedhart said.

A Sacramento-based recruitment firm, David M. Griffith & Associates, has been hired to coordinate the search for a public services director-city engineer.

The firm will also coordinate the recruitment of a new police chief. Police Chief James Guess is set to retire next month.

Goedhart said that Griffith & Associates will be paid $23,000. Both positions are expected to be filled by late October, he said.