CC Minutes - 02/11/98 Work Session

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Mr. Torrey asked Ms. Elmer if she anticipated that she would hire any one to fill a department head level position in the interim before the review. Ms. Elmer indicated that it was possible she would hire an Assistant City Manager. Mr. Torrey asked Ms. Elmer to put off that decision. Lauren Chouinard, Director of Human Resource and Risk Services, indicated that there was a possibility that the successful candidate would not be willing to commit to the position and the organization would lose the opportunity to hire him. Ms. Elmer said that the candidate was the consensus selection of the executive managers and she did not want to lose him. She added that the organization went through an extensive selection process. Mr. Torrey said he did not feel that it would be appropriate for the candidate to be hired at this point given the level of discussion occurring around the evaluation. Ms. Elmer responded that the candidate was very interested in meeting with the council and mayor. She said that he had expressed concerns about the stability of the organization and his tenure. Responding to a question from Mr. Torrey regarding the legal ramifications of meeting with the candidate, Mr. Klein said that if the purpose of the meeting was the issue; if the candidate was seeking an opportunity to question the council, no charter issue was involved. If the council wanted to give the manager feedback on the candidate, it could do so in open session, but could not attempt to influence the manager in her decision. Ms. Swanson Gribskov appreciated Mr. Torrey's concerns but pointed out that a very deliberate recruitment process had occurred to find a successful candidate. She endorsed the concept of having the candidate meet the council, but said that if the executives supported the candidate she did not want to stop the process. Ms. Taylor said that the manager should be allowed to do her job, and a routine evaluation should not be turned into an opportunity for firing the manager. Responding to a question from Ms. Taylor, Mr. Klein said that the council could discuss any matters pertaining to City affairs, including personnel, in open session. He said that the council should take care to avoid giving the manager feedback about the candidate in any setting other than open session. Mr. Tollenaar said that Mr. Torrey's suggestion deserved serious consideration by the manager. Mr. Lee said that the individual involved must be fully aware of current situation. He pointed out that no one had forced the individual to apply for this job. Mr. Farr asked how staff kept the candidate informed of the situation involving the manager's evaluation. Mr. Chouinard said that he kept in constant contact with the candidate through telephone calls, newspaper articles, and letters to the editor. At the request of Ms. Swanson Gribskov, Mr. Chouinard described the recruitment process for the assistant city manager position. Ms. Elmer indicated her understanding of Mr. Torrey's request. III. NONACTION ITEMS MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 11, 1998 Page 3 11:30 a.m.