Joliet looks to create new cultural affairs director job

The city of Joliet is creating a new job for the position of director of cultural affairs and special events.

The job is on the City Council agenda for a vote on Tuesday.

The salary would range between $111,000 and $160,000, a city spokeswoman said.

The cultural affairs director would manage the new city square under construction downtown along with Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park while serving as the key city person for local events and others on a wider scale.

A memo to the council on potential duties refers to NASCAR racing, which has not been held at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet since 2019, and the Illinois High School Association baseball tournament, which was played at Slammers Stadium last weekend but is in the last year of its contract with the city.

A description of the position lists 17 duties and responsibilities but only points to downtown as a section of the city where the cultural affairs director will focus attention.

The cultural affairs director will develop budgets to “implement the downtown events and marketing” and plan events “with emphasis on quality of life and downtown vibrancy,” the job description states.

City Manager Beth Beatty at a Monday council workshop meeting, however, said, “This is not just for city square. It’s for citywide events.”

The City Council discussed the position.

“i really pushed for this position myself,” Mayor Terry D’Arcy said.

He described the job as “a great investment in our community. We continue to change how people look at Joliet.”