Cedar Rapids flood-recovery director transitioning to economic development post

Joe O'Hern, the city's flood recovery and reinvestment director, will fill the new City Hall post of executive director of development services, City Manager Jeff Pomeranz announced at Tuesday night's City Council meeting.

In appointing O'Hern to the new position, Pomeranz said the city will do away with O'Hern's current position, a move that will allow him and the city to focus more on community redevelopment.

The city manager said the change in O'Hern's position is a reflection of the progress the community has made in flood recovery. O'Hern will continue to handle outstanding flood-recovery matters, Pomeranz added.

In the new position, O'Hern will head up the new Department of Development Services while the directors of the city departments of public works, community development and building services will report directly to O'Hern and not to Pomeranz as they currently do.

The city manager said O'Hern also will begin a search to fill two new positions, development services project manager and economic development coordinator. The city has three current positions that are vacant - one is assistant city manager, a job that has never been filled - and will be eliminated in the new organizational structure, Pomeranz said earlier this month.