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Home My WebLink About1993-05-10 Council Packet - Work Session, ManagerKenai City Council Work Session May 10, 1993 City Manager Search COUNCIL PRESENT: Williams, Swarner, Monfor, Bookey, Smalley, Measles, McComsey. STAFF PRESENT: Graves, Howard, Freas, DeForest, and Kornelis. OTHERS PRESENT: Dirk Vinlow (Peninsula Clarion) and Ethyl Claussen. DISCUSSION: Swarner stated she spoke with Dave Soulak (Palmer). Swarner added Soulak told her when he worked in Minnesota, he knew Manninen. Soulak stated Manninen was active in the manager's association and did a good job. Williams stated Council/City had nice visits with both Manninen and Zenor. Williams stated he believed they approached the hiring awkwardly. Williams stated he believed they should check into the candidates' backgrounds more. Williams stated he spoke with Ashley Reed's secretary regarding the use of a computer program to check backgrounds. Williams believed they should determine how they want to check backgrounds, i.e. telephone calls, computer, etc. Williams suggested Council needed to determine how to vote -- either secretly or on the table. Williams suggested they discuss this first. Swarner stated she spoke with the City Manager in Ashland, Oregon regarding Zenor. She found out that Zenor was the President of the manager's organization in 1987. The person she spoke with stated he felt Zenor is a "people" person, capable, and maybe too strong-willed for that community. Swarner added she spoke with the Director of the Oregon League (like AML). She received the same kind of information -- nothing outstanding, but nothing bad. Williams asked Vinlow if he had called anyone in checking backgrounds. Vinlow stated they made some preliminary calls. -1- Vinlow stated he knew of Zenor from Koosbay. Again, he heard nothing outstanding or derogatory. Vinlow found Zenor quit and started building houses. There was no scandal when he left and is not infamous in Oregon city managers. Vinlow added the area from which Manninen is from have very small papers and they are politically biased. One thing he checked which he found strange was the fact that everything Manninen faxed was done after hours from city machines. Williams stated Manninen told him he spoke to his mayor prior to coming to Kenai. Graves stated that employees of the City of Kenai also use the city fax machine. They mark the log that it is personal and they are billed. Williams asked Vinlow if he found any closets filled with mysteries. Vinlow stated he found no bombshells in local media. Smalley stated he spoke with family members, and others in Long View, etc. Smalley stated he was told nothing overwhelming or bad. His brother-in-law knew of him and was involved with him through his work in the police department. However, he had no dealings with him. No problems. Williams stated he was concerned the council could split their vote 3/3. Williams asked if any council had any strong feelings about hiring someone with a split vote. Bookey stated no problem. Swarner stated it would be like any other vote. Williams asked if council felt they did a good enough job and felt comfortable with the candidates. Smalley stated they both had good ideas regarding economic development, etc. Bookey stated both the candidates were in his "top 5." Bookey stated, looking back, there may be some things they could have done differently, but he felt comfortable. McComsey stated he felt they went as far as they could. If they do it again, he would make changes. both have been in the finals. Both have good common sense. Tom Manninen is not as outgoing as Zenor. McComsey stated he believed Manninen is more of a worker. McComsey added he did not believe Zenor would take the job if he were offered it. Monfor stated she felt the process was good. Monfor added that maybe at 15 candidates, more background information should have been received. However, it was in the middle of budget work sessions, etc. and they had less time. Monfor added they have -2- two excellent candidates and she feels pretty sure they have clean backgrounds. Both had strong interviews. Zenor said some things in the interview and during the visit that makes her think he would not make the total commitment. Swarner stated when she asked Zenor how long it would take for him to move here if he was offered the job, he talked for about 20 minutes about things he had to do first. Monfor stated that what impressed her about Manninen, aside from being a city manager now, were some of the programs he has set in place. They are not big deals, but she felt he will continue many of them, i.e. the hotline into his office, visiting with factions of the community, etc. Monfor added they were both strong with economic development and had good ideas. Measles stated he feels good about both candidates and the process. Measles added that Council are not human relations experts. Life doesn't work looking back and knowing. Measles added he did not like the headhunter idea. Kenai will be who will have to live with who they hire. Measles added Council knows both candidates better from the process. Measles stated he feels good about that part of it. McComsey agreed. Measles added they will not know if the right man is chosen, until he is in the job. McComsey asked Williams how he felt about the process, etc. Williams stated the processed ended well. Williams added there were a couple of times things should have been done differently. Second guessing is a lot easier. Williams stated he wanted to make sure the council was comfortable. Williams wanted to know if they do not feel comfortable with the two candidates, and if they have concerns about looking at other people. Williams added he would like a real strong, unified approach to hiring the person. Williams added he is concerned there could be a split vote. Williams would like to see a heavy one side or the other. Measles stated that would be nice, but it would not bother him at all with a 4/3 vote. Measles added all of the council are comfortable with both persons. With a 4/3 vote, they would still be able to get together because they know each man very well. Williams asked which candidate should be voted on first. Swarner asked if a person is selected, will they be hired right away. Measles stated reference checks will be needed. Williams suggested that be done before the May 19, 1993 meeting. Smalley stated if they all feel comfortable, maybe it would be in the best interest to check on both of the candidates. Smalley -3- added he had a gut feeling that they will go through and make an offer and be turned down and all of it will have to be done over again. Williams stated that would present a whole new set of questions. Williams added if they are in favor of one and not the other, is one a second choice. Measles stated if that is what it is, they should not vote on it tonight. Williams stated a resolution can be ready for the May 19, 1993 meeting to hire the man or make the offer. Council will probably have to discuss salary with the man. Williams suggested they make a decision now. Measles stated they could be turned down by both candidates. Measles stated for discussion purposes, he would move to select Tom Manninen and McComsey seconded the unofficial motion. Williams asked if any council wanted to speak in support of or against. The vote was called: McComsey: Yes Bookey: Yes Smalley: Yes Swarner: Yes Monfor: Yes Williams: Yes Measles: Yes Vote on the unofficial motion was unanimous. Williams suggested council spend the next nine days making telephone calls, etc. Monfor asked if the references would be checked. Answer was yes. Swarner stated someone had mentioned to her when they were hiring a person was they relied too heavily on the references. Williams stated he left a message for Ashley Reed to call him back. Williams suggested that's what staff could do is the search. The city attorney could call someone. Graves stated he had planned to do that. Graves asked council if they wanted Chief Morris to call Manninen's police chief. Consensus was Yes. Graves stated Manninen had requested to let him know before calling references in order that he could tell people what was going on. Williams urged the newspaper to call. Williams stated the paper could state council, on an unofficial vote, had recommended to -4- hire Tom Manninen by a unanimous vote. They will spend the next nine days checking references, etc. and offer a resolution at the May 19, 1993 meeting. Williams stated he did not personally think council or staff needed to travel to Michigan to check into the community. Williams asked if council felt strongly about it. Graves asked if they wanted Kim to call Manninen and tell him they will be making calls. Yes McComsey asked if Zenor should be called. Williams stated to send out a letter. Bookey stated he should be made a courtesy call as well. Howard telephoned Manninen and reported Manninen will contact his references. Manninen added he was happy to hear from them. Williams stated Zenor should be sent a letter as soon as possible. The letter should state something like "although a decision was made, they were pleased with his application and his interview, etc." Williams is to sign the letter. Howard asked if letters should be sent to the other 15 candidates. Answer was send a nice letter to them as well. WORK 8388IOW ENDED AT 6:50 P.M. -5-