Your local government at work. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
When Jim Gant took the position of Red Bank borough manager in January, he was surprised to find the town had no single point person for various departments to communicate back and forth with the public.
And when members of the council were knocking on residents’ doors campaigning as candidates before the last election, several said they heard complaints about how difficult it was to get information about laws, public events, and programs.
Now, officials are hoping to fix that problem by hiring someone to fill a newly created position of community engagement coordinator.
Borough Manager Jim Gant at his hiring in November. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
The full-time position, unanimously approved by the council last week but not yet filled, will pay between $60,000 and $90,000 a year.
Candidates must be bilingual to foster communication with the more than 35 percent of borough residents for whom Spanish is their first language.
“There was a need I recognized when I came to the borough as far as reaching all aspects of our community,’’ Gant said at Thursday’s council meeting. “Sometimes people have a really tough time navigating local government, and it’s our way of making sure we are doing the best we can helping people get through that process.”
The engagement coordinator will work with the heads of all departments to communicate through all channels, including social media. They will be expected to help publicize and organize events, and also to carry information from the public to officials about concerns and needs of residents.
“So there’s a funnel into borough hall and a funnel out of borough hall that’s more coordinated,’’ Gant said.
The creation of the position drew unanimous praise from the few public speakers over the past few public meetings who spoke about it. The job listing is expected to be posted soon.
Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
