Dave Oka, the city's Redevelopment Agency (RDA) director, stepped down Sept. 27 to take a job in Nevada. His position has been filled temporarily by deputy director Valda Tarbet.
Sam Guevara, chief of staff to Mayor Rocky Anderson, expects a permanent hire to be announced by month's end.
"We are interviewing people that we had in mind," he said Monday.
The job includes managing a $33 million budget and implementing strategies to overhaul the city's blighted neighborhoods and spur economic development - mainly in downtown and surrounding commercial neighborhoods.
Two key City Council members aren't concerned about the hiring delay. They attribute the holdup to an office busy trying to fill a handful of top posts.
"There are so many significant positions open that he's got to deal with," said Councilwoman Jill Remington Love, vice chairwoman of the RDA board.
Besides the RDA post, Anderson must hire planning and airport directors.
Councilman Carlton Christensen, chairman of the RDA board, suspects the mayor is struggling to fill the positions because the jobs may last only a year. The mayor's second term ends next December, and he has decided not to seek a third.
"There may not be a great depth of people to choose from, knowing they may only have a year left in their employment," Christensen said. "It may be challenging in drawing individuals from the outside. On some of these, he may have to look internally."
Neither Christensen nor Love says RDA matters are getting short shrift without a permanent director. But key projects are in the pipeline.
The RDA still must work out an agreement with Howa Capital for redeveloping vacant property on 300 West between 500 North and 600 North into a mixed-use project with housing and retail.
The RDA has yet to land on a policy to replace low-income housing it wants to tear down on State Street, and it needs to work out details of a $5 million grant to build an office tower on Main Street.
"Everything is being taken care of," Guevara insisted.
He expects to name an airport director - to replace the one Anderson fired in October - by year's end.
The planning director post still is being advertised on the city's Web site.
The top planner quit in October.
hmay@sltrib.com
