After much debate about a proposed full-time bicycle administrator at City Hall, the Carmel City Council has decided to alter the position. After receiving a new job description from the department of Community Relations & Economic Development, the position has been broadened to include more than just bicycles. It would be called a “transportation development coordinator” and would handle all forms of transportation in Carmel.
The position hasn’t been approved but was given a positive recommendation and voted out of committee and sent to the full council for a final vote, likely on Feb. 19.
City councilor Jeff Worrell said he hasn’t decided how he’ll vote, but he likes the job description better than the previous bicycle administrator role because it includes clear goals and an idea of how taxpayers would benefit.
“This is a much better proposal than the previous one,” he said.
Worrell said about half of the $69,000 salary plus benefits would now come out of the Mayor’s Office budget. In addition, the job will be opened up for anyone to apply. It was previously assumed that a particular individual was targeted to fill the role.
Worrell said some of the goals for the administrator would be to improve Carmel’s ranking as a bicycle-friendly city from bronze to silver, getting national attention in publications and increasing the number of electric-car charging stations within the city.
