Chowchilla talks economic development

With economic development on their minds, Chowchilla City Council decided Tuesday to consolidate some of the city’s management positions and add a new committee focused on the downtown.

After some debate, the council unanimously approved consolidating two positions – city engineer and community and economic development director – into a single position. City officials said they could begin looking for applicants in February.

Carolyn Lehr, interim city administrator, said the consolidation makes sense because it could help improve accountability when it comes to awarding permits. The person in the new position would also be the next highest ranking administrative official behind the city administrator, she said.

The consolidation should also put a greater emphasis on the mid-level management team, Lehr said, what could lead to better “service” for interested developers.

The position has responsibility over the development services department, which includes the planning, zoning, code enforcement, building inspection, public works, engineering, and community and economic development.

Mayor Pro-Tem Waseem Ahmed expressed some hesitation in approving the merger of the two positions. He said he was concerned that there could be a drop off in service to potential developers. “(Business development) is not a one-size fits all scenario,” he said.

Ultimately, he voted to approve the new position.

Ahmed, a businessman newly elected to the council, was also appointed during the meeting to a new committee with a specialized aim to develop Chowchilla’s downtown. He ran for City Council on a platform of improving development in town.

Lehr also said the city will lean more on the county for economic development than it has in past years.

Bobby Kahn, the executive director of the Madera County Economic Commission, said he is already working with developers who are interested in both industrial and residential construction in Chowchilla.

City Clerk Nanci Lima said the city will first conduct an internal recruitment process to fill the new position before recruiting from the outside. That position will pay between $111,003 and $132,543, according to the city’s salary schedule.

At the same meeting, Lt. David Riviere took the oath of office as the interim chief of police, though he has already been serving in the position.

The city will ask for applications for police chief through February. Jay Varney, Chowchilla’s former chief of police, is now Madera County sheriff.

In the interim, Riviere will hold the office of top cop. Involved with the city’s police since 1993, he’s served as a lieutenant for about two years. Riviere said he will seek the full-time chief’s position.

This story was originally published January 28, 2015 at 6:50 PM with the headline "Chowchilla talks economic development."