The Mount Vernon City Council was asked at its March 9 meeting to consider creating and hiring a community development and public information officer position to handle crisis communications, grant management and retail recruitment.
The proposal aims to address gaps in the city's ability to recruit retail businesses, manage grants, and communicate during emergencies. The discussion highlighted the need for a dedicated staff member who could focus on these areas rather than relying on existing personnel.
"You've heard we have too many lube shops and car washes. Okay, yeah. But who's supposed to go out and recruit the retail, the restaurants, the home goods stores. Who is that? Who's that supposed to be?" Safety Service Director Tanner Salyers asked during the Employee and Community Relations meeting chaired by Council member Amber Keener.
Salyers said the idea began after attending a meeting with Small Nation, an Ohio firm focused on revitalizing small towns. Founder Jason Duff told them that cities like Mount Vernon would be left behind without both a communications director and an economic development director. Salyers said while the Area Development Foundation handles much of the major business recruiting, there is no one focused on retail recruitment for Mount Vernon. He added that combining community development and public information roles could meet this need without requiring a director-level position for economic development.
The proposed role would also include learning strategies for engaging with retail businesses, managing grants, handling donor recognition, telling the city's story through press releases and social media, and coordinating emergency communications with relevant agencies. According to the video recording, Salyers said since crises do not occur daily in Mount Vernon, this person would primarily work on community development tasks but shift focus as needed during emergencies.
Council member Mel Severns questioned whether someone already employed by the city could take on some of these responsibilities or if hiring a new staff member was necessary. He said these are the public's dollars, and he wants to make sure every dollar is used wisely and prudently. He said having a second reading on this was good, so the council could talk this out a bit more.
