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Council begins process to find new city manager |
Plans for finding a replacement
for outgoing City Manager Jim Bennett were discussed by the Newberg
City Council Monday evening in a work session preceding the regular
council meeting.
Bennett announced his resignation in August. He has accepted a
position as city manager of Damascus, where he will begin working in
October.
Mike McCauley, executive director of the League of Oregon Cities,
gave a presentation on possible courses for the appointment of an
interim city manager and, the recruitment of a new one.
McCauley outlined two primary options: subscribing to a recruitment
service offered by the League to members, or hiring an executive
search of “head hunter” agency.
He described the League’s service as “more passive,” adding they
would work closely with the city council, place advertisements,
respond to inquiries, evaluate candidates and perform background
checks. They would then meet with the council to identify top
candidates.
A private firm would take a “more active approach,” McCauley said.
A firm would do more in the way of recruitment, would mail out a
brochure describing the community and its needs and would contact
individuals and suggest that they consider the position. He said a
private firm might have knowledge of individuals who had applied for
similar positions in other cities and could direct their notice
toward Newberg.
McCauley said the League would charge $7,500 for its services. The
charge would cover all related expenses except advertising, and
would include four background checks. Advertising costs could run
$500-1,000. He estimated that a private search firm would charge a
“roughly” $15,000 base fee and an additional $4,000 to 5,000 in
additional costs, including travel expenses and costs for preparing,
printing and mailing publications.
“The (city manager) market we are facing is not as robust as it has
been, probably because the Baby Boom retirement and the general view
of government is not as positive as it once was,” McCauley said.
“We’re seeing fewer applicants.”
Still, he said he think Newberg has a good chance of finding
someone qualified.
“This is a city of 20,000 in a good location,” he said. “This is a
job that makes a lot of sense for people in (smaller cities) as well
as the folks who want to come to Oregon.”
Regarding the selection of an interim manager, McCauley said that
the League maintains a list of possible candidates throughout the
state. The possibility of in-house selection was also discussed.
When asked how he discovered his new position, Bennett said it was
through word of mouth. “There isn’t a vacancy in any city in Oregon
that the managers don’t know about probably within 24 hours,” he
said.
No decision was made during the meeting regarding the different
options.
During the meeting, Councilman Robert Soppe (District 1) officially
announced his resignation. “I will serve through the end of November
and I will be out the first of December,” he said. “It’s official.”
Soppe, the current council president, has served on the council
since September 2002. |
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From Sept. 19, 2007,
Newberg Graphic
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