City seeks CDA housing director

By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The city will hold a written civil service test Nov. 5 to fill the housing director position in its Community Development Agency.
Phillip Puryear resigned from the position in September to become director of Mahoning County's lead-control program.
The city job pays $49,589 annually -- the same salary Puryear earned before resigning. Puryear earns $55,000 at the county job.
Puryear held the city position for more than four years. Before that, he was a city housing code enforcement officer, housing inspector and contract monitor.
The housing director's primary duties include working on programs with other agencies to eliminate and prevent blight, developing new housing programs and modifying current ones.
Requirements
The desirable qualifications for the position, according to the city Civil Service Commission's job posting, include a bachelor's degree in business administration, planning, urban affairs or a related field; knowledge of federal and state housing laws and regulations; and experience with construction and rehabilitation of houses and lead hazards.
The commission will accept applications until Nov. 3 at its seventh-floor office in city hall on West Boardman Street from people interested in taking the written test.
After the test, the commission would give Mayor George M. McKelvey a list of the top candidates, and he would select the next director.
Also, the city's board of control is expected Thursday to approve legislation to give $3,532.33 as severance pay to Puryear.
That amount includes $2,127.60 for 89.24 hours of unused vacation time, and 35 percent of Puryear's 168.33 hours of unused sick time hours, or $1,404.73.
skolnick@vindy.com