The City Council spent 8½ hours in executive session today interviewing five individuals (for what it’s worth: 4 white males and one white female) seeking to become the next city manager and then adjourning before coming to any decision.
However, the subject of the hiring a city manager is also on Tuesday’s agenda and the language there indicates a decision could me made to name one of the five at what will be the last council gathering before Thanksgiving. On today’s agenda it said the council would "interview candidates for the position of city manager and ... deliberate and take possible action on the appointment and employment of a city manager." Tuesday’s agenda reads: "deliberate and take possible action to hire a city manager (emphasis mine) and if appropriate, to negotiate and execute an agreement for employment (again emphasis mine) with the selected official."
To me that means City Attorney Ken Johnson could spend Monday and Tuesday hammering out a deal with the council’s preferred choice and then bringing that deal to the table Tuesday evening. But it could just as easily mean that the council could meet again in executive session Tuesday evening in which they pick their choice and then tell Johnson to negotiate a deal, all without making any official announcement.
Although the mayor and the city council members (all of whom were present today) refused to say anything at all about the process, I do know the five persons interviewed were (in the order in which they were interviewed):
Steve Norwood, former city manager of Round Rock, Texas: Norwood resigned as Round Rock’s city manager on Sept. 30 citing "personal reasons." According to that city’s web site, Norwood "held a successful $123 million bond election, aggressively implemented a downtown redevelopment program, built the Round Rock Sports Center on time and under budget, and re-energized a transportation improvement program." Norwood served as city manager for Prescott, Ariz., from 2003-2010; as the assistant city manager for North Richland Hills, Texas, from 1998-2003; the city manager of Lancaster, Texas, from 1995-1998; the city manager for Wylie, Texas, from 1992-1995; and as the assistant to the city manager/director of Economic Development for the City of Euless, Texas, from 1986-1992.
Brian P. Long, city manager of Lawton, Okla: He is the son of Huey P. Long, but not the infamous Louisiana political figure. He is actually the son of the former Oklahoma senator and gubernatorial candidate. He was the city manager of Spencer, Okla., from September 1999 until October 2000, when he decided to enter the private sector. He returned to public service in 2000 as the city administrator for Oak Grove, Mo., in the Kansas City area. According to the city of Lawton’s web site, during Long’s administration in Oak Grove "His calm demeanor and resolute leadership example largely contributed in restoring order within the community, reestablishing productive dialog within the community, and setting a positive example which was admired by civic leaders within the region and constituents alike. His exceptional ability to build upon the community’s strengths, charm and charisma was epitomized in the community’s 2008 Downtown Revitalization Project. This economic development initiative was recognized as the 2008 Transportation Project of the Year awarded through the Kansas City Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) due to its highly innovative approach to economic development, functional design, and appealing aesthetics." He became Lawton’s assistant city manager in August 2008 and was promoted by the city council from among 40 candidates to the city manager’s position Feb. 26, 2013.
Andrea M. Gardner, city manager of Copperas Cove, Texas, and someone I learned little about except she is also the president of the Central Texas Council of Governments, which, according to its website, "helps local communities work cooperatively to improve the conditions and well-being of Central Texans." The city council spent less time talking to Ms. Gardner than any of the other candidates so my guess is she’s on the outside looking in. She did tell me before her interview that her mother is a breast cancer survivor who was treated in Austin and, as a tribute to her, she participates each year in Austin’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a 3.1-mile race to raise money for cancer research. This year’s race is Sunday.
Kevin Hugman, assistant city manager in Wichita Falls, Texas. Someone else I have had trouble finding background on, but, according to the city’s web site, Hugman is "supervises three departments, Community Development, Parks and Recreation, and the Public Information Office. Community Development is comprised of five Divisions: Building Inspections, Code Enforcement, Neighborhood Resources, Planning and Zoning and Property Administration. Parks and Recreation includes Parks, Recreation, Wichita Falls Public Library, 50 Plus Zone and Cemeteries. The Public Information Office manages the City's cable television channel, City website, social media, keeps the media and public informed about City business, events, activities and emergency situations and other marketing and promotional aspects of the City."
Scott Sellers, city manager of Kilgore, Texas, a BYU graduate and the youngest of the five candidates. Before coming to Kilgore, he was the acting city manager in Montrose, Colo., and the assistant city manager in Centralia, Ill. According to Kilgore’s web site, "Scott has a passion for building communities and for serving the public. His economic development efforts have earned the International City/County Management Association’s Community Sustainability Award, and his innovation with the creation of a unified web-portal has been recognized nationally. During his career, Scott has been involved in the creation and/or oversight of several Tax Increment Finance districts, a Business Improvement District, a Downtown Development Authority, streetscape and beautification projects, and historic preservation initiatives. His work has resulted in the redevelopment of multiple downtown buildings and the infusion of millions of dollars into the local economy."
So that’s the final five which may be whittled to one on Tuesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment