Published: Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 4:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 2:25 a.m.
HAINES CITY - Mike Stripling has been appointed public works and utilities director for the city of Haines City, according to City Manager Ann Toney-Deal on Thursday evening after the Haines City Commission meeting.
Stripling, a three-year staff member in the department, took over the reins of the department a year ago as interim director with the departure of then-director Ronnie Cotton, who retired after 29 years with the department.
When contacted Friday, Stripling noted his pleasure at the appointment.
"Obviously, this is what I was hoping for," Stripling said.
He will officially take over the department as director in about two weeks, Assistant City Manager Ken Sauer said Friday.
City Commissioners gave Toney-Deal permission to allow two department head positions - newly appointed Police Chief Richard Sloan and Stripling - to live outside the city limits at the commission meeting Thursday night.
A provision in the city charter calls for all department heads to live within the city limits. Some department heads have been grandfathered in, according to Toney-Deal, and still reside outside city limits.
Commissioners decided Thursday night to revisit that city charter in a workshop at a later date, but in the meantime, four commissioners unanimously voted to give the city manager the discretion to hire the department heads not currently residing in Haines City, citing the stipulation that if those department heads did eventually move residences, it would have to be into the city limits.
Commissioner Philip Hinkle was absent for the vote Thursday evening.