by Alan McArthur
Landmark reporter

The Parkville Board of Aldermen on Tuesday night moved closer to filling the city administrator position since Joe Turner resigned to take employment elsewhere.

The board created a new position titled assistant city administrator and then promoted Sean Ackerson to that position in addition to his current duties as community development director.

Ackerson will now receive a salary of $68,447 along with a $200 a month car allowance. Originally in the 2008 budget Ackerson was making $65,188 as a salary.

Another action of the board was to hire David Olson of Olsson Associates to act as the interim city administrator. According to the contract, Olson will work for the city an average of 20 hours per week including attending meetings and will receive $85 per hour.

Ackerson said the payment is double what Turner made as city administrator, but there are no benefits included, so the city is still paying less.

According to the contract, Olson will start working for Parkville on May 7.

The board also approved the promotion of Tracy Sisney to become the community development & public works department assistant and approved her replacement as receptionist, Doritt Bender.

Sisney will fill a position that will be an assistant to Ackerson and Dan Koch, public works director. The position has been vacant since the beginning of the year. The receptionist position will receive 40 hours a week at $10 per hour, while the assistant position receives an annual salary of $21,420.

The board approved all of the actions with a vote of 7-0.

The city also vacated and received the dedication of several acres of land surrounding the realignment and widening of Brink-Myers Road.

The city is vacating approximately 1.4 acres and acquiring around 3.2 acres of land along the road. In the acquisition of the property, the city will spend $14,564. The city has also agreed to replace a fence along the roadway for one property owner. The agreements were approved with a vote of 7-0.