“If the interest is in making sure that there was a contact, maybe the answer is to make more clear through our website and other ways that there is a chain of contact that you are free to avail yourself of,” she said. “I don’t know that we need to restructure the city government in order to make that happen.”

The councilman at-large, elected citywide, serves with and has an equal vote with the five ward representatives on the Common Council, and has the dual role of council president and acting mayor if the mayor is ill or out of town.

The position pays $12,039 annually.

The concept Barkenhagen outlined mirrors the “Call to Action Center” that former Mayor Roy Akins established when he took office in 2010 and hired a part-time aide to handle constituent services.

Current Mayor Jack Diamond eliminated the part-time position in 2013 and assigned the duties to other departments in City Hall as part of a staff consolidation to reduce costs.

Barkenhagen said he would staff the office 20 hours a week as part of his routine councilman at-large duties, with no additional compensation.

“I would just try to enhance — be an extra set of ears and an extra set of eyes,” he said.