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IT director's new position comes with salary cut
(by Sue Reid - June 23, 2010)
IT director's new position comes with salary cut
By SUE REID
Solon's Information Technology Director Jeffrey Pokorny, who has been in that role for about the past 4 1/2 years, will take a new position in the city beginning July 1, at a pay reduction of about $30,000 annually.
City Council approved an ordinance Monday authorizing the mayor to enter into an employment agreement with Mr. Pokorny as assistant to the construction administrator, effective July 1 through July 31, 2011.
In the new position, Mr. Pokorny will be paid an annual salary of $54,000, plus $5,400 in longevity pay.
As information technology director, Mr. Pokorny had been receiving in the mid-$90,000 range, Finance Director William Weber said. That is including longevity pay. The Highland Heights resident was hired full time in the city in 1988. Prior to working as information technology director, he was director of the service department.
Mr. Pokorny's position of information technology director was started with him during the first year of former Mayor Kevin C. Patton's last term in December 2005. His responsibilities were in a supervisory role as well as being involved in the planning of where the city would be headed in the area of information technology, Human Resource Director Thomas Cornhoff said.
Mayor Susan A. Drucker said following the meeting that she is looking to take the information technology department of the city in a "new direction."
"The mayor is looking at every department to try to assess where they are going," Mr. Cornhoff said Tuesday. "She's trying to make an evaluation of those departments to see if there is anything she can do to enhance and improve that department."
Mr. Cornhoff said the city is in the process of putting together an advertisement for a new information technology director. "We're advertising without a specific number for the salary," Mr. Cornhoff said, "but there is a range." That range would be the low $60,000 range, he said, up to the mid-$90,000 range.
Mr. Cornhoff said the mayor is looking for someone with a strong background in Web site design and development and someone with skills in strategic planning "for the city's technology for the future."
According to the ordinance, the role of assistant to the construction administrator will be responsible for various administrative duties as assigned by the construction project administrator. Serving in that role is Dan Driscoll.
"I think Jeff will do an excellent job in that position," Mr. Cornhoff said. "Dan (Driscoll) and Jim Stanek (public works director) are excited to have someone with Jeff's background to assist him in his administrative duties of running the construction division."
Mr. Pokorny holds an engineering degree and has done a lot with the city's traffic lights and traffic signalization, as well as with communications equipment in the city, Mr. Cornhoff said.
In addition to Mr. Pokorny, the information technology department consists of two other full-time employees, Ron Katona, network administrator, and Matt Walker, technician. Those two other positions were not affected by this change, Mr. Cornhoff said.
Of the wages set for Mr. Pokorny's new position, Mr. Cornhoff said that is determined by the mayor and council.
"It was determined that that was the worth," Mr. Cornhoff said. Input into that decision was taken from such areas as the construction division and the public works commissioner, he said.
"That was determined to be the value of the position," Mr. Cornhoff said.
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