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winnow that list to fewer candidates. Lauren Choinard, Human Resource and Risk Services, <br />anticipated that process could take two to three weeks. <br /> <br />Mr. Torrey favored a process that could be completed by the end of February. <br /> <br />Ms. Swanson Gribskov said that the council must be confident in the consultant it hired. She <br />said that the council's goal was a quality performance review, and cautioned the council against <br />getting too involved in the process. She believed that the council could weigh the advantages of <br />the available consultants and get on with the process without getting caught up in process <br />details. Ms. Swanson Gribskov did not think that a consultant would represent an excessive <br />cost, and said that the council should not be "penny wise and pound foolish" in this instance, <br />given the relatively Iow cost of the consultant as measured against the City budget. <br /> <br />Ms. Taylor did not think the council needed a facilitator for the process. She suggested that the <br />mayor or council president could moderate the discussion. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner said that if the council was capable of evaluating a consultant, perhaps it was <br />capable of conducting an evaluation without a facilitator. He asked Ms. Swanson Gribskov if it <br />was her professional judgment a facilitator was needed. Ms. Swanson Gribskov said yes. <br /> <br />Mr. Farr reiterated his support for a facilitator and said that if the council chose to change <br />directions it would need assistance in that effort. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson asked if the City had a list of sufficiently qualified candidates. Mr. Choinhard said <br />that there were few such qualified individuals in the City's vendor files. He estimated that there <br />were perhaps a dozen such individuals specializing in such work. <br /> <br />Mr. Torrey did not think an evaluation of the City Manager and skills was purely a public sector <br />issue. He said that there were qualified people in Eugene who did such work, and hoped the <br />council would not preclude such people from offering their assistance. Mr. Meisner concurred. <br /> <br />Mr. Lee said that it was important that someone helped the council gather the needed information <br />and make a decision. He said that the "tail should not wag the dog," and the council should <br />retain direct control of the process. <br /> <br />Ms. Swanson Gribskov said that being a public sector manager evaluated in open session was <br />different from being a private sector manager. She cautioned the council to consider both that <br />and the pressures that can be created by the media in such a situation. <br /> <br />Mr. Tollenaar indicated his wholehearted concurrence with Mr. Lee's remarks. He said that the <br />council needed someone to help it communicate about the issues of concern to it. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner agreed with Mr. Tollenaar. He did not think that the council needed a top flight <br />consultant with expertise in city manager evaluations. The consultant was not doing the <br />evaluation; the council was. He suggested that the council needed a moderator rather than a <br />facilitator. <br /> <br />Mr. Torrey suggested that the council president, vice president, and mayor serve as a committee <br />to review potential facilitators and make a recommendation to the council. He believed that <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 26, 1998 Page 3 <br />6:30 p.m. <br /> <br /> <br />