Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 12-22-08 special agenda — reading text

aTYOFFORTWALTONBEACH City Council Special Meeting Agenda December 22, 2008 - 6:30 P.M. City Council Chambers 107 Miracle Strip Parkway, SE Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Mayor Mike Anderson I AGENDA 1. Consideration of request for Council direction for the replacement process to hire a new City Manager. A. City Council move to appoint an Acting City Manager. B. City Council move to direct staff to proceed with Recruitment Schedule Alternative # 1 or # 2 or an amended version of either. C. City Council move to direct staff to proceed with either an internal recruitment or authorize staff to execute an agreement with one of the above search firms to conduct an executive search for the next City Manager for the City of Fort Walton Beach. D. City Council move to approve or amend one of the selection processes. E. City Council move to confirm or amend the interview and ranking methodology. F. City Council move to complete background investigations either internally or utilizing one of the consultants identified. G. City Council move to approve the Mayor to negotiate a contract with the # 1 ranked candidate. Administrative Services Director) ( See Backup) ADJOURN Any person who decides to appeal any decision made with respect to any matter at this meeting will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. (FS286.0105). The City of Fort Walton Beach adheres to the American with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable modifications for access to this meeting upon request. Please call City Clerk Helen Spencer at 850-833-9509 to make a request. For Hearing Impaired dial the City Hall TOO # 850-833- 9925 or 1- 800-955-8771 ( TOO) or 1- 800- 955-8770 ( Voice). Requests must be received at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting in order to allow the City time to provide requested service.  CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING December 22, 2008 Special Meeting Agenda Consideration of a request for Council direction for the replacement process to hire a new City Manager Administrative Services Director) Council Action 1st 2nd Vote: Agenda Item Number: SP - 1  CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH MEMORANDUM DATE: December 15, 2008 TO: Joyce Shanahan, City Manager FROM: Mark Wiltsie, Administrative Services Director SUBJECT: Transition Plan for the replacement of the City Manager position BACKGROUND: At the December 9, 2008 City Council meeting, Staff was tasked to provide the Mayor and Council with a transition our current City Manager, Joyce Shanahan who City plan replace to will have a contract executed with the City of Ormond Beach for the City we anticipate Manager position in that jurisdiction. The transition plan identified below will provide Mayor and City Council members with alternatives for selecting an acting manager to serve in this capacity on an interim basis from the point and time Ms. Shanahan leaves employment until a new manager is appointed. In addition, the transition plan will identify alternatives for the recruitment, selection, appointment, and contract negotiations for a new City Manager for the City of Fort Walton Beach. DISCUSSION: ACTING CITY MANAGER APPOINTMENT Staff would respectfully submit that the alternatives for an Acting City Manager are as follows: 1. Range Rider Program - Recently, the City received communication from the Florida City County Managers Association ( FCCMA) with respect to the Range Rider Program. Their written communication is attached to this report. Under this in various areas of the program, the FCCMA has identified retired City Managers State who assist City' s in the process of selecting a new City Manager. Although we previously understood that this program could offer a retired City Manager to serve in an interim or acting capacity, we have since been advised that for a Range Rider to fill a City Manager position on an interim basis, he/ she would be required to resign as a Range Rider. As such, it would appear that this is not a viable alternative. 2. Managers in Transition or Retired - As part of the written communication we recently received from the FCCMA we were provided a list of City and County Managers who are in transition. A list of these Managers is attached to this report. It is certainly possible that the City could contact any or all of the Managers in 1-  transition to determine if they would be willing to serve as Acting City Manager for the City of Fort Walton Beach and also advise the City as to what compensation and other expenses we might incur (e. g., housing, travel, etc.). Staff contacted Mr. Richard Simmons who is with the FCCMA Range Rider program and he advised that in the past he has assisted in the placement of a retired City Manager for a jurisdiction seeking an interim manager. Mr. Simmons advised that compensation in these instances typically includes a salary similar to that of the previous manager and expenses including a housing and auto allowance. In-House - A third alternative would be to appoint an Acting City Manager utilizing a current department director. Potential internal applicants might include the Administrative Services Director, Utility Services Director, or some other Department Director City Council may desire to serve in this capacity. The advantage of selecting an internal director to serve in this capacity is cost. Utilizing this alternative would be minimal, if any, cost to the City. Outside - Another alternative would be for the City Council to appoint an Acting City Manager with someone from the community who may have the expertise to fill this role on an interim basis. The City Attorney has advised that at the December 22, 2008 special City Council meeting the City Council could appoint an Acting City Manager with an effective date coincident with the last day of employment of Ms. Shanahan as our City Manager. Per Section 13 of the City Charter, the City Council can appoint an acting city manager to two consecutive terms of ninety ( 90) days. Decision Point- City Council move to appoint an Acting City Manager. RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE OPTIONS Given the current situation that, due to the upcoming election in March 2009 which could change the makeup of City Council, it appears there are 2 alternatives in the timing of the recruitment process. These are identified as follows: 1. The fltst alternative would be to, immediately following the December 22, 2008 Special Council meeting, begin the recruitment process to fast track the process to ensure that current Council members appoint the new City Manager. See attached Recruitment Schedule Alternative # 1. 2. As an alternative, the recruitment schedule could be designed to advertise and recruit for the position and provide for the selection process to occur after April 1, 2009. This alternative would provide that the City Council members seated at that time would participate in the selection, appointment, and contract negotiations. See attached J.{. ecruitment Schedule Alternative # 2. 2- Staff has developed 2 recruitment schedules which are attached to this report that summarize the activities that would take place under either of the options listed above. Decision Point- City Council move to direct staff to proceed with Recruitment Schedule Alternative # 1 or # 2 or an amended version of either. RECRUITMENT PLAN OPTIONS Regarding the actual recruitment plan, the most viable options for securing the services of a City Manager is discussed as follows: A. Internal Recruitment This option would require the City Council, City Manager' s office and the Administrative ServicesDepartment to undertake the process of advertising, summarizing qualifications, completing background investigations, scheduling interviews and other tasks associated with the process. 1. Advantages Cost. Although costs of the recruitment would be less than hiring an executive search firm, the City would incur some costs associated with advertising and background investigations ( criminal and credit checks). We anticipate the costs of advertising and background investigatiop.s to be $ 325. 00 and $ 272. 00 respectively. 2. Disadvantages Length of time to complete search. Typically a search firm can complete the process in a shorter period of time as they have the advantage of knowing managers who might be interested in our position and therefore develop a shortlist of qualified candidates quicker. Limited pool of candidates due to lack of confidentiality of applications. Applications submitted to a recruiter are not subject to public record laws until they are transmitted to City. Some applicants are not anxious to have their applications made public information unless they are a finalist. If this option is selected, the following considerations would need to be addressed: 3- A. Qualifications The attached job announcement identifies the recommended qualifications the candidate would need possess for consideration in the selection process. We to suggest these at a minimum and can add other qualifications such as: Strategic Planning Skills Budgeting/ Financial Analytical Skills' Interpersonal Skills Development/ Redevelopment B. Contact/ Liaison It will be necessary for the City Council to identify a contact/ liaison person for interested applicants to obtain relevant documents requested and respond to applicant's inquiries. Options for this responsibility might include the Acting City Manager, the City Clerk, or the Public Information Officer (PIO). Staff suggests the PIO would be the best resource for this effort. C. Scope of Recruitment The attached Recruitment Schedules provides a summary of advertising publications which, if approved, would engage the City in a national search for the City Manager position. Should the City Council