Von Tersch likely to remain on URA staff

Lewiston's Community Development director is on the verge of getting pulled back into the Urban Renewal Agency after trying to step away in May.

That month, Laura Von Tersch told the agency's board members that acting as their executive director for the last 11 years had taken too much time away from her primary duties in Community Development. She also said tension with Nez Perce County officials, including the lawsuit they filed against the city and the agency in 2014, contributed to her desire to leave the URA.

She suggested that the services of a director could be accomplished with a half-time position, with a pay level of about $35,000.

But at the agency's meeting this Tuesday, the board will consider an intergovernmental agreement with the city that will retain Von Tersch as its director and award her some additional compensation for staying on.

The amount of compensation has been discussed but not finalized, URA board member Dan Marsh said, and will be less than $35,000. Von Tersch's work for the agency has so far been unpaid.

A subcommittee of board members surveyed other agencies around the state to learn about their staff structures and how those staff members are paid. But Marsh said the agency was founded with a lean budget, and had never been faced with the need to hire a director. It ultimately decided to try and convince Von Tersch to stay on, he said, and pay for her work.

"The board feels that the time has come that we need to meet our responsibility to find - or maintain, in this case - a qualified person, and compensate them," Marsh said.

If both the agency board and the city council approve the deal, Von Tersch's additional compensation will come out of funds the URA is allowed to spend on administrative costs.

Marsh acknowledged that Von Tersch may be stretched thin by continuing to wear both hats, but anticipated that she would sit down with City Manager Jim Bennett to see what aspects of her job in Community Development can be delegated to other staff members.

"There will have to be some of those dynamics worked out," he said.

Bennett was out of the office Friday and could not be reached for comment.

Von Tersch said one of her top concerns is maintaining the level of service she has provided to the city and the agency.

"It's really about the quality of the work performed," she said. "It's a high level of work that demands exacting details, and the person (who does that work) should be compensated for that."

The Community Development office is also short-handed at the moment, Von Tersch said, likely adding to her workload. There is a vacancy in business licensing, and Shannon Grow recently left as transit manager to become the full-time director of the Lewis Clark Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Marsh said that even though Von Tersch will still have to bear up under the burden of two jobs, he hailed her track record and expressed confidence in her abilities.

"Laura's done a fantastic job, in addition to her knowledge, enthusiasm and desire for our community to improve economically and simply be a desirable place to live," said Marsh, who is also the city's administrative services director.

---

Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2266.