Washougal eyes adding 3 new city positions

City of Washougal leaders have proposed adding three new positions to the city’s staff roster in an effort to achieve the goals laid out in the city’s new strategic plan.

City Manager David Scott told the Washougal City Council during a workshop session on Monday, Aug. 28, that the positions of strategic initiatives manager, communications manager, and community engagement program coordinator “check all of the boxes for resources that were identified as necessary to be successful in implementing the plan.”

“It’s definitely a lot of work with everything that’s been laid out in the strategic plan,” he added, “so if you want to be successful with the plan, we would need these resources.”

Scott told The Post-Record the new positions are “tentative” as the City is “still working through the early stages of (its) 2024 budget development process.”

The Washougal City Council approved an updated five-year strategic plan for the City on Monday, May 8. The new plan focuses on five strategic priorities: economic development and community prosperity; financial health and core services; vibrant town center; smart growth; and redefined community identity.

“We are thrilled to release this new strategic plan, which represents a significant milestone for our city,” Mayor David Stuebe said earlier this year. “We believe that the plan will help us build a stronger, more vibrant community for years to come, and we are committed to working with residents and stakeholders to make it a reality.

“This strategic plan represents a significant step forward for Washougal. By working together and focusing our efforts on specific goals, we can achieve great things for our community. I am proud to be a part of this effort and excited to see the positive impact it will have.”

The communications manager position would be a “reclassification” of the City’s existing communications specialist role, Scott said, adding that Michele Loftus, who currently holds that position, is earning a graduate degree in strategic communications.

“She’s already been learning some of the skills and information that she’s going to need (in this new position), and this is an opportunity for us to benefit from that,” he added.

The strategic initiatives manager would provide leadership for strategic plan implementation and performance reporting, and manage and oversee the activities of the City’s projects and programs related to economic development.

The community engagement coordinator would assist Rose Jewell, the City’s community and communications manager, and the public works department.

The City has established monthly salary ranges of $5,821 to $7,933 for the communications manager; $8,421 to $11,232 for the strategic initiatives manager; and $4,935 to $6,499 for the community engagement program coordinator.

The Council created and funded a strategic plan implementation fund (SPIF) in its 2023 supplemental budget as a placeholder for the successful implementation of the plan, Scott said.

“(The SPIF) was not discussed in 2022, as part of the 2023 budget development process because we were still working on the strategic plan update,” Scott said. “The SPIF was created in the 2023 supplemental budget, but with no appropriations. The SPIF was funded from general fund reserves.”

“In this case, the two new positions are designed to be investments that will have return-on-investment to the general fund,” Scott said. “One of the positions will allow us to enhance our recreation and facility-use services. We anticipate this will bring in revenue to support the position. The position that will include economic development efforts and grant writing is designed to deliver increased general fund revenues due to increased economic activity and grant awards. Investment in this position is intended to ultimately deliver the return-on-investment of enhanced general fund revenues to assist the City in keeping up with the increased cost pressures on all our programs.”