The application process for the open position of airport manager
has been extended for a minimum of 30 days, a request made of the
city by the Airport Advisory Commission, according to
officials.
The application process for the open position of airport manager has been extended for a minimum of 30 days, a request made of the city by the Airport Advisory Commission, according to officials.
The commission recommended that the City Council extend the recruiting period and raise the salary range for the position to “attract a greater pool of people,” according to Clay Lee, director of management services.
The Council decided to give the recruitment another try, but at the lesser salary range. The raise would have been about 20 percent over the previous airport manager’s salary.
The current salary range is $52,500-$63,900. The proposed change was for $64,100-$77,900.
“Hopefully, we’ll get some folks that have broad qualification for this thing,” Lee said.
Councilman Robert Scattini, a 19-year veteran of the Airport Advisory Committee, called the current salary range “fair” for the responsibilities of the airport manager, especially considering the uncertain future of state and local budgets.
“I honestly would like to see this go out for another 30 days to see what we get,” Scattini said.
Lee said the city had already invited 11 of the 20 applicants for interviews. The city is not dissatisfied with their qualifications, he said, but the commission felt the initial advertising period, according to Lee, “was not adequate enough to get a wider range of applicants.”
The city will still re-invite the 11 applicants for interviews, along with other qualified candidates from the extended period, Lee said. He added that additional applicants likely equates to an extra day of interviewing.
“That’s the fairest way of dealing with it,” Lee said.
The city’s human resources staff conducted a survey of six similar agencies in Northern California to calculate an average salary for airport managers in those cities, according to a staff report. The results showed Hollister pays 20 to 23 percent below the average.
The requirements for the position, which were approved in early February, include an added qualification over previous airport managers – experience with property management.
Deputy Director of Public Works Lawrence Jackson took over as interim airport manager when Allen Ritter retired in December after eight years on the job. Jackson has performed that job in addition to his own.
