WATERVILLE — Mayor Karen Heck said this week she wants the city to hire an economic development director who would work specifically for the city.

“I think an economic development director is not a cost for the city; I think it’s an investment,” Heck said.

She discussed her idea Tuesday during a City Council budget workshop.

City Planner Ann Beverage said residents will discuss the economic development issue in the fall at public meetings dealing with the city’s comprehensive plan.

“We want to know if there’s public support to hire an economic development director,” Beverage said.

City Manager Michael Roy said Thursday that funding for such a position requires council approval.

A comprehensive plan outlines what residents want their community to look like over a period of time, and includes strategies and policies for accomplishing those goals.

The state requires that the comprehensive plan, adopted by the City Council in 1997, be updated by the end of December.

Topics to be discussed at the public meetings include those dealing with population, housing, public facilities, the economy and historical and cultural resources.

Having an updated and approved comprehensive plan gives a community a better chance of receiving federally funded community development block grants.

The City Council last year appointed a comprehensive plan steering committee which is working to set up the process for updating the plan, Beverage said. The committee, whose chairman is City Councilor Eliza Mathias, has met several times, she said. Other members are Councilor Erik Thomas; Planning Board member Dana Hernandez; Allan Rancourt, a local businessman; and Steve Crate, former chairman of the city’s last Comprehensive Planning Committee.

A new Comprehensive Planning Committee is not yet formed, Beverage said. The process for the updated plan starts with the public hearings, to be held probably beginning in September, she said. A report from those sessions will be sent to the Planning Board, which may make changes and then vote to make a recommendation on the plan to the City Council.

“The City Council can change some of it or just approve it and it goes to the state,” Beverage said.

Beverage has updated the background information contained in the comprehensive plan, which is available on the city’s website, www.waterville-me.gov, under the Planning Department.

“Before we have public meetings, people can look at the updated background information on the website,” she said. “Before they come to public meetings, ideally they’ll think about what our situation is and they may be interested to see what information is available there about Waterville.”

She said people may comment on the city’s Facebook page prior to the public meetings.

The Planning Department’s proposed budget includes a request for $5,000 to hire a person to coordinate the public meetings.

Councilors Tuesday also discussed economic development and its role in the comprehensive plan. They said they want to have a workshop with all of the current area organizations that focus on economic development, to discuss what each does and how they may coordinate efforts.

Councilors cited Central Maine Growth Council, Waterville Main Street program, Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, FirstPark, Waterville Development Corp. and Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce as examples of organizations that would be invited.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

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