The city of Austin will get a full-time children's librarian at the Austin Public Library, and a current part-time position in the street department will be increased to a full-time position, at the approval of the Austin City Council on Tuesday evening.
The two positions were included in the 2012 budget.
Two separate votes for the librarian and street department hires passed by 4-3 margins. Council members Marian Clennon, Brian McAlister and Judy Enright voted against the motions, while Janet Anderson, Jeff Austin, Roger Boughton and Steve King voted in favor of them.
The votes were 4-2 at the work session Dec. 19, with Enright absent and everyone else voting the same as Tuesday.
At the work session, library Director Ann Hokanson expressed to the council the need for the hire. The current staff level yields 280 hours per week, but in 2002 the library had 110 more hours per week, a "significant percentage," she said.
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The street department would make a temporary employee (a position that was filled Jan. 31) a full-time employee. The department had two open positions at the start of 2011, but one was left open, with the funds being used to balance state shortfalls, according to a memo from Jon Erichson, director of public works.
