CC Minutes - 06/24/98 Work Session

Home Browse Search

City Attorney Glenn Klein asked the council to table the motion to give staff time to determine if the motion was the correct vehicle for accomplishing Ms. Swanson Gribskov's intent. Mr. Fart moved, seconded by Mr. Tollenaar, to table the motion. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 7:0. E. Work Session: City Manager Recruitment Process Administrative Services Department Director Warren Wong reminded the council that it directed staff to develop options for the recruitment process at its June 15 work session. There were four options included in the meeting packet. Mr. Wong said that the options ranged from a direct appointment of the manager pro tern to a full-scale professional, national recruitment. He invited questions. Mr. Tollenaar supported Option B with some variation. He said that under Option B, the council would have a work session during which councilors, using the material prepared for the previous recruitment and the job description, would identify four or five major expectations for a permanent city manager appointment. Mr. Tollenaar said that the manager pro tern, a stated candidate for the appointment, would address the council regarding those expectations. At the end of that work session, the council would decide whether to appoint Mr. Johnson to the permanent appointment or begin a limited recruitment effort as reflected in Option C. He said that he also wanted to invite the incoming councilors and council candidates to participate in that discussion of expectations. Responding to a question from Ms. Swanson Gribskov, Mr. Tollenaar clarified that he was not proposing to involve the incoming councilors and council candidates in the vote. Mr. Tollenaar moved, seconded by Mr. Fart, to adopt Option B, and to ask the incoming councilors and council candidates to participate in a discussion at a council work session to be held as soon as possible. At the end of that discussion, the council would decide if it wished to appoint the present manager pro tern to the permanent position or to embark on a limited recruitment effort. Ms. Taylor did not support involving the council candidates, although she supported including the incoming councilors. She said that one of the two candidates would be defeated and should not be involved in choosing a new manager. Ms. Taylor said that the proposed process assumed that the City had a manager and it became like a decision to fire or retain the pro tem. She did not think the council should start with that assumption. She favored Option C, and called for more discussion of the issue. Ms. Swanson Gribskov supported the motion. She commended Mr. Johnson for his work as City Manager pro tern. She said the council was working well together and its interaction with staff was also working well. Ms. Swanson Gribskov said that Option B as modified by Mr. Tollenaar allowed for a thorough discussion, involved the councilor elects and council candidates, and gave the council an opportunity to be clear about its expectations and to hear from the manager pro rem about his perceptions. She hoped the manager pro rem would still apply if the council choose to go through a broader recruitment process. Ms. Swanson Gribskov said that the City was in the process of recruiting a variety of department heads, and it would aid the recruitment if the applicants knew who they were working for. If the council was able to reach consensus about Mr. Johnson as manager, it should make a decision and move on. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 24, 1998 Page 9 11:30 a.m.