Minden mulls hiring town manager

About a year ago, the Town of Minden began talking about a full-time manager similar to the duties Jim Park performs for Gardnerville.

On June 29, Park offered a one-hour look into the job to which he regularly devotes more than 40 hours a week and pays him $127,000 annually including benefits.

Park said when he was hired nine years ago, the Gardnerville Town Board identified 10 key areas for him.

They include communication with the board, other agencies and the public; budget development, management, economic development, construction and maintenance, leadership and establishing goals to meet the board's vision for the community; human resources; purchasing and contracts; managing daily operations; obtaining and managing grants and outside funding.

"I don't see how you guys do it without a town manager," said Paul Lindsay, chairman of the Gardnerville Town Board who accompanied Park to the Minden meeting. "With my job, it would be difficult to split myself in that many ways."

Park said the key to his success in the past nine years is the freedom he has from the town board to get the work done.

"I think frankness, honesty and openness are key, and I work for a board that turns me loose. I have a lot of passion for Gardnerville. It's Gardnerville firs," Park said.

Park said he doesn't mind putting in extra hours because he of the groups he works with like Main Street Gardnerville.

"I enjoy what I do. I have fun. It's neat to see those people empowered. I don't mind giving 10 or 20 hours to help that along," Park said.

Minden board member Ross Chichester said more than education, he was looking for someone with a heart for Minden and a strong work ethic.

"What I am looking for is a person who has a stake in the community as well. I think heart goes a lot further than education. I don't know how you determine that. You're either born with it or you don't have it," Chichester.

"If it takes 60 hours or more a week, that's what you do to get the job done and you don't complain about it," Chichester said.

Minden board member Bob Hadfield said with the questionable state of the economy, he would be hesitant to hire a town manager.

"I don't think the money's there," he said. "We have yet to see the real trouble. There are certain things that need to be worked out with the county -- a (boundary) line on the map, a clear designation of our responsibilities. We're on the precipice of some pretty important information coming our way. We need to get a handle on what's really going on."

Board members had hoped to bring in a town manager before Hadfield, Chichester and board Chairman Dave Sheets leave office in 2010.

They had served along with former members Bruce Jacobsen and Ray Wilson for more than 25 years before they were removed from the board for term limits.

Board members have a special meeting with Douglas County commissioners on Aug. 11.

They decided to work on a job description for a Minden town manager and evaluate their plans after the meeting with the county.