The Housing and Residential Authority board laid down a road map Thursday afternoon for finding a new, part-time executive director.

At a regularly-scheduled HRA board meeting, board members agreed to aim for a part-time executive director to follow current HRA Executive Director Jim Hurm.

“A half-time would save significant dollars compared to a full-time executive director,” Hurm said. Hurm works five to 15 hours per week on HRA related-business, he said.

“It takes more,” he said. “We have to do what’s right for the HRA.”

Commissioner Roger Boughton cited a memo from Hurm outlining important steps in the director search, which includes a timeline to stay on track.

“We’re really going to make an effort to have someone on board by June 1,” Boughton said.

The board members said a part-time position would allow them more flexibility to dismiss the new executive director after six months if the person wasn’t doing well. It would also give them the flexibility to grow it into a full-time position if warranted.

The board plans to make the executive director a regular employee, not a contracted worker, and would give the appropriate benefits to the position based on whether it calls for full- or part-time work.

While only the board can actually decide on the new executive director, board members were open to including HRA staff during the interviewing process.

“We want some expertise in the matter,” said Boughton. “They could help us with interview questions and all that.”

At its June 13 meeting, the board plans to establish the skill set candidates will need. The board will create a selection committee in July for finding candidates and work out an appropriate salary and benefit package. The board plans to advertise for the position in late July or early August.

August and September will be filled with interviews, deciding on a candidate and introducing the new director to media, staff and the City Council. If the board sticks to the time line, the HRA would have the new executive director’s orientation in early October.