The Texas-based firm Strategic Government Resources was hired to find a permanent replacement for former City Manager Jeff Pederson. The recruitment process will last approximately 12 weeks.
The board also introduced an ordinance to amend the fiscal year 2018 budget to transfer $28,000 from the general fund reserves to the human resources contract services fund.
The commission will vote on the contract with SGR at its February 13 commission meeting.
Interim city manager and current Parks and Recreation Director Mark Thompson was at the meeting for the first time in that temporary capacity. When Mayor Brandy Harless asked if any commissioners had comments, Commissioner Richard Abraham expressed his concern about the city not having a permanent city manager at a critical time.
Abraham said that this year the city will be dealing with a renovation project as well as the retiree pension situation, which he said could potentially be a minefield. Abraham said he would like to have a set of professional eyes on issues and ideas coming before the board and even suggested SGR's option to "plug in" a temporary city manager while the city searches for a permanent one.
"As we move forward with the challenges that we could potentially have, are we positioning ourselves as best we can to deal with that by not having a professional city manager sitting where Mark is sitting right now until we get one in-house?" asked Abraham.
Harless allowed other commissioners to express their feelings about the city's lack of a city manager, with Commissioner Allan Rhodes saying feels Thompson is capable in the role as interim. Commissioner Sandra Wilson explained she made the motion two weeks ago to move forward with hiring a search firm. She said the city hall renovation will be huge and as for the pension situation, she has faith in Jonathon Perkins, director of the finance department.
Harless said she is very comfortable with Thompson in the role as interim manager because the commissioners had discussed previously how they all were confident with the city's department heads. Perkins, who has over 25 years of experience with the city's finances, is another reason she is at ease with Thompson in the position as interim. She said Thompson's role is to guide the board through Perkins' recommendations.
As for the idea of having a professional city manager be placed, "Having your staff who has been here for as long as these guys have make the recommendations for how we get through one of the toughest times we've ever been through is ten times better than someone who knows nothing about our city organization coming in and telling us how to do it," said Harless.
When the floor was opened for other commissioners' remarks, Commissioner Rhodes announced that this year he will work hard during the next 11 months, but will not seek re-election for another term as city commissioner.
To view the meeting in its entirety, click the link below.
On the Net:
The full City Commission meeting on You Tube
