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Show Bountiful to hire new planning chief, Booth retirement set By PALL CHALL1S News Editor BOUNTIFUL The City Council authorized the hiring of a new Planning and Redevelopment Director Wednesday for Bountiful City. The decision comes on the heels of the announced retirement of John Reed Booth as the city's planning director. Booth has served in the capacity for 26 years for Bountiful. "He has been the chief cook and bottle washer in the planning department for several years," City Manager Tom Hardy said of Booth. "He completed the general plan for Bountiful that was adopted and has been a vital part of the growth and success of the city. It's not easy to see him retire." Hardy said among his other duties he has helped the city with landscape architecture and in business busi-ness licensing and zoning. "I have mixed feeling about his retiring. It is good for him but a loss for the city. He has always been willing to do his part and take on new assignments,' Hardy added. "It has been fun working with the city staff. I would also like to thank the city council and the mayor," Booth said. "I would like to thank all of you for all the help through the years." Booth will not retire for at least eight more months and said he would have more to say at that time. H H h f ' J f Hardy asked the council for permission per-mission to hire a new planner so the new employee could work with Booth for several months to learn all the ins and outs of the job. "If we hire someone now, it will give him (Booth) the opportunity to completely train the new city planner," Hardy said. The council unanimously endorsed en-dorsed the plan to hire a new planner and agreed to add the Redevelopment Director in the announcement an-nouncement "I want the citizens and the press to know that Mr. Hardy never solicited the job of executive director direc-tor for the RDA," Councilman Harold Shafter said. "This job was forced on him and he gracefully accepted ac-cepted it" Hardy said the RDA part of the job would only take about 10 percent per-cent of his time as no pressing developments de-velopments are currently in the works. The downtown RDA project is currently on hold because of failures to get clients to secure its financial success. "I would like to take myself out as executive director of the RDA and add it to the job description of the city planner," Hardy said. The city staff will begin announcing announc-ing the new position for hire immediately. im-mediately. In other action, the council gave preliminary approval for a restaurant restau-rant to Fred Osterloh at 401 W. 500 South. |