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Former Tarpon Manager Working For Port Richey

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By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News

Published: November 12, 2008

PORT RICHEY - Like a baseball team picking up an extra player for a pennant race, City Hall has added some talent to its roster as it makes a concerted push in a new direction.

Former Tarpon Springs City Manager Ellen Posivach has been hired on a contractual basis to serve under the title assistant city manager-economic development manager.

POSIVACH

This is a new position in Port Richey. The fiscal 2009 city budget has $60,000 to pay the assistant city manager.

Posivach started in the position Oct. 21.

City Manager Richard Reade explained the new assistant city manager's position is part of a departmental shift designed to address changing priorities in the city.

"What we decided to do is look at things differently," Reade said.

The city's longtime building official, Ed Winch, planned to retire Sept. 30, with the end of the 2008 fiscal year. Though Winch was coaxed into sticking around an extra six weeks to tie up some issues, it was clear during budget planning the building official post was about to be vacated.

Meanwhile, the city had been hiring people on a contractual basis to fulfill growth management and economic development duties.

The question, Reade said, was whether the city needed a fulltime building official while it has little building going on.

On the other hand, Reade and the City Council have made revitalization and beautification of the city a priority. In particular, they have been focused on putting the Community Redevelopment Agency to its full potential.

"We haven't really planned for the growth of the city, for the redevelopment of the city," Reade said. "CRA has been around since 2002, and very little has been done about slum and blight

."

With this in mind, this year's budget essentially swapped the status of the building official and planner positions, making the latter a fulltime job.

"I asked Ellen to come in and asked her to help me get this vision of how I want to get this department operating," Reade said.

Reade said he was excited when he heard Posivach might be available to step in during this readjustment phase. She brings 31 years of administrative experience to the table, mostly in local government. Her nine-plus years as city manager in Tarpon Springs were highlighted by numerous awards, including Forbes magazine's 25 Best Managed Small Cities, in 2004.

Posivach resigned as Tarpon Springs city manager in late April, after the City Commission launched a hunt for her replacement. Some commissioners had faulted her for her management style and for spending too much time outside the city.

With Posivach, Reade said, he has a peer, someone who understands every aspect of how municipal government works, is particularly strong in the areas of redevelopment and public works and has been able to hit the ground running.

From Posivach's perspective, it was an equally appealing opportunity. Since resigning under pressure from her job in Tarpon Springs, she has been working as a consultant to local governments.

"This is becoming more and more prevalent in this economy," she said. There are a lot of experienced people out there who may not even be interested in a fulltime position, and a lot of cities that need experienced people but can't offer a fulltime position."

"I'm at a point in my life where I'm really not clear on where I want to go or what I want to do," Posivach added.

Posivach and Reade concurred bringing her in on a contractual basis was ideal for both of them.

"What we talked about when we first started was we sit down at the beginning of the next calendar year and let's regroup and see where we are," Posivach said. "What have I been able to get us moving toward and where do we need to go to there? And is it beneficial to the city and to me and look at another three months? It's a fluid arrangement."

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