After the departure last month of Colusa’s Director of Economic Development, Tourism, and Communications, the City Council has agreed to scale back the position and try again.
The City Council on Tuesday approved a new grant writer position and plans to seek someone who will identify grants, submit applications, and administer the funding until the projects are completed. The position is similar to that which had a great deal of public support 16 months ago, before the job description blossomed into a first-of-its-kind, multi-function department head, whose duties also included event planning and promotions.
City officials said they hope to secure a grant writer, who would have more simplified responsibilities as a member of the city’s mid-management union, yet be tasked with working with all department heads to secure funding for their departments.
City Manager Jesse Cain said he took what the city learned over the course of last year and applied it to a new position, hoping it would be more palatable to the public.
“The old job description was too complicated and overwhelming for any one person to meet all of the job specifications,” Cain said.
Cain said he looked at similar positions and salaries in other cities, and came up with an annual cost of about $108,000 ($5,300 per month). He also decided that a position with largely a single focus would work best for the city.
“This particular job description has completely changed from what we had a month ago,” Cain said. “This particular job description focuses primarily on grants, but, with grants, comes a little bit of economic development.”
The grant writer’s economic development duties, in addition to administering Community Development Block grants, will be to work and build relationships with the granting agencies and the public, and working with the city manager and senior staff as a team effort.
Cain said the economic development duties would be but just a small portion of the job.
Colusa officials believe that with the amount of federal and state grants planned to be offered, particularly from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Dec. 1, to help states and localities with roads, pedestrian and bike safety, transportation, and water and sewer systems, that a grant writer could be kept quite busy for the next few years.
“I think it would be foolish to drop this grant writing opportunity right now because of the flood of money that is taking place right now,” said Councilman Tom Reishe.
Grants received also allot a percentage of the award to help cover the cost of the position, Reische said,
City officials agreed to a job description and qualifications so Cain can fly the offer. The job calls for the grant writer to have experience in administrative work and grant writing, equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, political science, social work or related fields.
City officials hope to have a full-time grant writer on staff early next year.