Anna Maria is looking for replacements.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy told commissioners Sept. 12 he recently gave city planner Robin Meyer a 90-day cancellation notice on his contract.
Meyer, who will remain in the position until December, was contracted to serve the city through Feb. 23, 2022.
Murphy did not give a reason for Meyer’s dismissal, but said he would like to hire a full-time employee to build continuity. He said city clerk Leanne Addy is placing ads for the position on multiple websites, including Indeed.com.
Meyer is paid $1,800 per week for 36 hours, in addition to another $50 for each hour exceeding 36 hours a week.
Meyer did not respond to a voice message left Sept. 13.
The commission voted 4-0 Sept. 12 to authorize Mayor Dan Murphy to issue a request for qualifications for engineering services for the city.
Murphy said the city has traditionally relied on a single engineer but, since no engineer can be a jack of all trades, is seeking multiple people with a range of expertise for a variety of projects.
City attorney Becky Vose said most of the cities her firm represents use the strategy of hiring multiple engineers to address specialized issues.
The city will accept applicants until noon Monday, Oct. 7.
Murphy plans to conduct interviews Oct. 8-9 and make a recommendation Oct. 10 to the commission.
Commissioners also voted 4-0 to approve a contract for interim services from Ayres Associates, the current engineer, while the city does its search.
Murphy said Ayres will continue its work on the new Anna Maria City Pier, including the restaurant and bait shop.
He added that the contract with Ayres includes an escape clause, allowing cancellation when the pier is completed.