Mayor Keehn appoints first City Administrator of Parks, Open Lands and Historic Preservation

Mayor Keehn is the first mayor to fill the Charter-mandated position of Administrator of Parks, Open Lands and Historic Preservation. This will fulfill the long-standing need to create a formally designated system of parks and open lands, implement the City’s adopted open lands and historic preservation plans, work on historic preservation issues, and recommend land acquisition projects under the 2002 Land Preservation Bond Act. The Administrator also will develop management plans for the park and open land the City owns, and prepare and recommend for consideration by the City Council fee schedules for use of City parklands and facilities. The Administrator will also provide ongoing supervision of the Heritage Area visitor center, and will be key in making sure the City does not miss out on thousands of dollars in State and federal grants for planning, open space acquisition, and historic preservation.

This is a civil service appointment, based upon a selection from several candidates who applied and took the civil service test. Mayor Keehn's appointee to fill this position is Lew Benton, who has a remarkably extensive record of service to the city. For more information, Click Here.

This is an important step toward fully implementing the current city charter, which was enacted in 2001.