In their September meeting, the Stuart City Council approved hiring a Human Relations (HR) consultant.

The topic was first brought up in the Council’s August meeting, and was tabled as a few Councilmembers wanted to see some more quotes and information from companies other than Von Bokern and Associates, which was recommended by City Administrator Ashraf Ashour. He made the recommendation based on the fact that the Stuart Utilities Board has worked with the company for many years, and has a good relationship with the individual they work with.

In the September meeting of the City Council, Ashour once again recommended that if the Council were to move forward, they work with Von Bokern and Associates, which would provide their services for an annual fee of $6,500. Councilmember Mike Kalbach mentioned that through the City’s insurance with EMC, an HR consultant was a service that could be provided, and he believed that since they were already paying EMC, they should try utilizing that service before paying another entity.

In discussion, it was pointed out that Von Bokern and Associates fee is a flat rate, meaning that the $6,500 is all inclusive for their services. The service through EMC would be free for the first 90 minutes per quarter, then a varied rate would be charged per hour after that. Three other bids were also received, but barely discussed. The Council then approved using Von Bokern and Associates in a 4-1 vote, with Kalbach as the lone no vote, as he still thought that the City should try using the service through EMC first to see what they thought of it.