SEQUIM — This town is ready for an in-house promoter, the City Council has decided.
The new employee, a three-quarter-time staffer who’ll earn an annual salary of up to $40,000 plus benefits, will be called the marketing communications manager.
The Sequim Marketing Action Committee, which advises the council on spending of lodging-tax revenues, has searched for more than a year for a “tourism coordinator,” a consultant to promote the city via the Web and other channels.
Patricia McCauley, owner of InsideOut Solutions in Sequim, was that contractor for 10 years before she resigned in April 2009, saying she felt some council members didn’t appreciate her work enough.
The marketing committee then raised the annual contract amount from $11,000 to $18,000, but it never could find the right person for the job.
Committee-council liaison Erik Erichsen turned to the new city manager, Steve Burkett, to discuss the possibility of City Hall absorbing such promotional duties.
So on June 14, Burkett brought a job description to the council and got its unanimous vote in favor of hiring a spokesperson.
The new staffer’s wages will come from two sources: the general fund and the 4-percent lodging tax collected from hotels and motels inside Sequim.
So far this year, the city has collected $27,942 in lodging tax, as revenues seem to be recovering from the recession: March and April’s collections are up, 7.2 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, from those months in 2009.
The marketing communications manager’s job will be to keep swelling those numbers, via smart promotion of Sequim’s attractions.
The new employee will also be the public relations person for the City Council and handle city website content and “communication strategies,” according to the job description.
Unlike the job openings for chief of police and accounting manager, however, the marketing communications manager position isn’t on the site’s home page yet.
“Obviously, the police chief position is a higher priority,” Burkett said.
He wants to start interviewing candidates for that in July; Chief Bob Spinks’ final day is this Friday. Sequim Police Lt. Sheri Crain will be interim chief.
Meantime, among other places the marketing-communications job is being advertised is the Peninsula Daily News.
Two City Council members have expressed their desire for more and better communications emanating from City Hall.
Ted Miller said he wished the city had explained how the planned playfields at its Water Reuse Demonstration Site next to Carrie Blake Park wouldn’t disturb those who like to walk quietly through the area.
“We did a very poor job of communicating with the people using the reuse park,” he said.
“I would really look forward,” added Mayor Pro Tem Laura Dubois, “to someone who would work on a website for tourism.”
Finally, member Bill Huizinga questioned the pay scale for the part-time position. With benefits, the compensation totals $60,000, Burkett told him.
“Where do I apply?” asked Huizinga.
“With the city of Sequim,” replied Burkett.
Information about the position is available at www.ci.Sequim.wa.us/jobs or at City Hall,152 W. Cedar St.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
