Board members on March 31 engaged in an extended workshop discussion about the FPRA director position and agency staffing, debating whether the director should be the city manager or a standalone position reporting directly to the FPRA board.

Commissioner Taylor said it would be reasonable to keep the current interim arrangement while the new city manager starts and to give FPRA staff time to continue day-to-day operations. "Keeping Mr. Johnson as interim for a couple of months and seeing where we're at," Taylor said, summarized from the discussion, would allow the board to assess options with input from the incoming city manager.

Commissioner Broderick argued for an independent director who would report directly to the FPRA board rather than the city manager, saying an independent reporting line would reduce potential conflicts and provide clearer accountability for FPRA-specific operations. Broderick described FPRA as a standalone organization with a budget notable relative to the city budget and said that a separate director could better manage FPRA responsibilities.

Other commissioners raised HR and budget questions about creating a separate full-time director position, including whether the agency could fund a larger staff and whether reporting changes would require charter adjustments. Several members said the timing is sensitive because the new city manager starts this week and that the board should give the incoming manager a chance to review operations before making a permanent change.

There was no formal vote to change the reporting structure at the meeting. Several commissioners said staff should return with options and that the board would continue the conversation in coming weeks once the new city manager is in place.