Published: July 13, 2008 01:06 am      

JOBS: Help (still) wanted

After six months, four positions remain open in Dyster administration

Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster realizes he’s starting to sound like a broken record when it comes to filling four key positions in his administration.

“I think we’re getting close,” the mayor said Friday. “This is something I recognize is taking longer than we had anticipated. We would love to fill as many of these positions as quickly as we can, and nobody can be more in a hurry to do that than me.”

It’s been more than six months since the new mayor announced he was creating a national search to fill some of the city’s top spots. With the exception of Donna Owens’ hiring as city administrator, not much has happened since.

On numerous occasions, Dyster indicated there would be something to report soon, but the predictions never came to fruition, leaving some City Council members questioning the delay.

“I don’t understand why the transition is taking so long, I wish (Dyster) would pick it up a little,” Council Chairman Samuel Fruscione said. “These positions need to be filled as soon as possible. There’s certain things that aren’t getting done.”

Asked for any updates, Dyster said Friday he believes at least one hiring announcement could be made within the next week, however, he declined to give details that could potentially jeopardize a deal. He acknowledged he’s starting to question whether all four remaining positions can be filled through the current search.

“We’re having problems identifying candidates,” he said. “For whatever reason, there’s not many people interested in moving (to Niagara Falls).”

The open positions include the city’s corporation counsel and engineer, both of which have interim employees in place to cover the responsibilities. The other two searches are for a director of economic development and director of tourism, two new positions created by Dyster.

The national recruitment search is being conducted by an outside agency with money from the “Building a Better Niagara Falls Fund” set up by the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo. Consisting of private donors, the fund has fallen under scrutiny in recent months because of its anonymity.

To prove its legality, Dyster has requested State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s office investigate the fund and make recommendations. In the meantime, councilmembers have said they will abstain from voting on anymore resolutions involving money from the foundation, including raises for new hires.

Dyster said the investigation into the fund is not among the reasons for the hiring delay. Primarily, the problem has been attracting quality candidates for what the city can afford to pay.

“Even if we offer raises from the current salaries, we’re still not fully competitive in the public or private sectors with others in the country,” Dyster said.

The city had to boost the city administrator’s annual salary by $50,000 to lure Owens here from her position as deputy commissioner of the Department of Public Works in Atlanta. A portion of that increase is being paid by the Building a Better Niagara Falls Fund.

Despite the pay hike, councilmembers have praised the hiring of Owens, who started work this past Monday. If Dyster can continue hiring quality employees, the timeframe of the search won’t be an issue, Councilman Chris Robins said.

“With the process the mayor is choosing to take searching for candidates not just locally, but nationally, I’m not surprised it’s taking this long,” Robins said. “I’m very happy with the product so far and (Owens’ hiring). These are important positions to fill and it’s better to make sure you’re being thorough.”

While he’s anxious for more hirings, Fruscione said Dyster has the council’s support as the search drags on.

“I have faith in the mayor to get this done,” Fruscione said. “It may just be a case where there are no more candidates outside of the area and we need to focus on someone local.”

Contact reporter Rick Forgione

at 282-2311, ext. 2257.