Marano: City to take care of affected workers

Other city jobs will be available for animal services personnel and no one will be displaced at the Building Division when those two functions are privatized, City Manager Nick Marano said Tuesday.

A Marano move to have animal services, including the pound, handled by the Nevada Humane Society goes next month to Board of Supervisors for action. Marano announced it earlier and pledged other city jobs would be available for those affected if need be. The board already has approved having Charles Abbott Associates handle building inspections, permits and code administration.

“No one will be displaced,” he said of the latter situation, which will transition to Charles Abbott Associates effective Sept. 2. He said the two persons who work the counter at the Building Division in the Community Development Department at the Business Resource Innovation Center downtown will keep doing that, while the new firm provides the Chief Building Officer and two vacant inspector slots.

The California company will take over the city government chore for a percentage of fees involved. Chief Building Inspector Kevin Gattis resigned weeks ago.

Marano said he wanted to take animal services in a different direction when Cindy Hannah, the manager there, left city government. A short time later he disclosed his preference for having the humane society and its no kill policy take over the role, which he said could be done without exceeding the animal services budget. He said then personnel would have the option of staying with city government in other roles or applying for posts with the humane society.

Tuesday he said by working with the five involved and the union representing them, other city jobs are ready for the employees. He said they are in what he termed proper pay ranges and offer room for growth and development.

“I’m only aware of one that wasn’t crazy about the (new) job,” he said. The animal services changeover plan goes before the city’s governing board at the Sept. 4 meeting.