CC Minutes - 03/18/98 Work Session

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MINUTES Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall March 18, 1998 11:30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Pat Farr, Tim Laue, Bobby Lee, Scott Meisner, Nancy Nathanson, Laurie Swanson Gribskov, Betty Taylor Betty Taylor, Ken Tollenaar. I. CALL TO ORDER The adjourned March 16, 1998, Eugene City Council meeting was called to order at 11:30 a.m.; His Honor Mayor James D. Torrey presiding. II. ACTION ITEMS A. Evaluation of City Manager Mr. Farr moved, seconded by Mr. Tollenaar for purpose of discussion, to retain the City Manager. Mr. Farr commented on the process used to evaluate City Manager Vicki Elmer, saying he believed the termination/retention decision should be separate from a formal performance evaluation, which he described as a procedure used to evaluate past performance and chart a course for the future. Ms. Taylor said there has been insufficient time for the City Manager to prove herself. Ms. Taylor also criticized the process, saying that this should have been an evaluation rather than a decision about termination, that it was far too so to consider terminations, that Ms. Elmer had barely had a chance to start her job. She pointed out that the executive evaluators included four acting managers and a chief who was no longer in that position. She predicted that, after a few years when Elmer had had time to choose her staff and work with them for a while, staff reaction would be different. She also said that firing Ms. Elmer at such an early date in her tenure would make the city look ridiculous and would make it difficult to hire a competent successor." Mr. Laue stated that the issue is what is best for the community and that is how he will decide whether to retain Ms. Elmer. He added that the input from the bargaining units was important. Minutes--Eugene City Council March 18, 1998 Page 1 11:30 a.m.