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Mr. Meisner said that he agreed with Mr. Tollenaar about the value of a less extensive process to recruit a new City Manager. He said he believed it would be possible for City staff to conduct such a process and would do a better job than an outside consultant in matching applicants with the unique needs of the area. He said he wanted to focus on the responsibilities of setting policy for the City. He suggested that the proposed joint meeting of the City Council and Executive Managers take the form of a "retreat" and that it concentrate on the expectations of a City Manager. Ms. Swanson Gribskov said she believed no decision about a process for choosing a new City Manager should be made until after the proposed joint meeting of the City Council and Executive Managers. Ms. Taylor said that she favored beginning a recruitment process immediately because she did not believe there was adequate stability in having a City Manager pro tern. She said she did not believe there was an advantage to waiting for newly elected council members to participate in the process. She said she believed having a City Manager job description was essential to properly filling the position. Mr. Laue said that he did not believe recruiting a new City Manager could be a quick process. He reminded councilors that the process to choose the previous manager had taken ten months. He said he agreed that holding a joint meeting of the City Council and Executive Managers would be valuable. Mr. Lee said he believed current councilors had learned a great deal about the role of the City Manager in the preceding six months and was prepared to address significant issues. In response to a question from Mr. Lee, Mr. Tollenaar said he believed a formal announcement of a search for a new City Manager could be made in late summer and that the process to make an appointment could be completed by the end of the year. He suggested that the current council would likely reach more quick agreements regarding an appointment than previous councils, especially because of the work accomplished in the previous search process. In response to a question from Mr. Lee, Mr. Johnson said he did not believe a joint meeting of the City Council and Executive Managers could be arranged before June. Mayor Torrey suggested that May through July be used for staff research of potential processes for appointment of a new City Manager and that the council concentrate on attaining its stated goals. He suggested that consideration of the research of staff be considered by the council in August and that a process for selecting a new manager begin in September. Mayor Torrey said he had discerned a high degree of trust by councilors in the newly appointed Acting City Manager. Mayor Torrey suggested that the City Council Officers prepare a recommendation on how to develop a process for appointing a new City Manager. Mr. Meisner said he believed the suggestions of Mayor Torrey were reasonable, but that he was concerned that no mandate be given for the current council to appoint a new manager. He said Minutes--Eugene City Council April 20, 1998 Page 10 7:30 p.m.