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2001-04-11 Council Packet
Kenai City Council Work Session April 11, 2001 City Manager Search Linda L. (Hawthorne} Snow P.O. Box 1270 Petersburg, AK 99833 Home: (907) 772-22,52 Office: (907) 772-4,511, ext. 22 Home: leesnow~a!aska, net Office: llsnow _~.petersburg. ak. us March 10, 2001 Ms. Kim Howard, Assistam to City Manager City of Kenai 210 Fidalgo Avenue, Suite 200 Kenai, AK 99611-7794 Dear Ms. Howard: RECEIgED I ~uul -' _ CITY OF KENAI __ ADMINISTRATION i l! ! Thank you so mUch for talking with me about the City of Kenai and the position of Kenai City Manager. My conversations with both you and Mr. Ross were very informative and helpful in understanding how the community has changed over the years. As I may have mentioned, Kenai is where I first fell in love with Alaska and first began a more professional career in public administration. For these and many other reasons, I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to enclose my resume and several letters of reference in consideration for the City Manager position. In a former capacity as Administrator of the Central Peninsula Mental Health Center, I once had a unique and fortuitous meeting with a former Kenai City Manager. While the meeting didn't accomplish what I thought was its purpose at the time, we did engage in a highly entertaining' and general conversation about local govemmem. Shortly thereafter, I took one of those giant leaps in life by relocating to Anchorage, continuing my education, and embarking on a career path in local government administration. Little did I know at the time what a terrific impact that one single conversation would have on my future. Today, after nine incredible years in McGrath as City Administrator and six deeply rewarding years in Petersburg as City Manager, I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity of returning to the spectacularly beautiful and diverse community that once gave so much to me. With eager anticipation, I look forward to hearing from you about the selection process. Sincerely yours, · Enclosures Linda L. (Hawthorne) Snow P.O. Box 1270 Petersburg, AK 99833 Home: (907) 772-2252 Office: (907) 772.4511, ex~ 22 Home: leesnow.~.,alaska.netOffice: Ilsnow.~.,ci. petersburg, ak. us EDUCATION University of Alaska, Anchorage: BA May 1984, With Honors Major' Political Science/Public Administration Minor: Economics EMPLOYMENT Ci.ty Manager, City of PetersbUrg, AK, 1994-Present._ Employed by the City Council as chief administrative officer responsible for the management of all municipal functions including departments of administration and finance, public works (water, wastewater, sanitation, motor pool, streets and roads), police, fire and emergency medical services, harbors and port, electrical, parks and recreation, community development, engineering library, and semor citizens housing. Duties include the implementation of council policy and directives; the enforcement of municipal law; activation of the Emergency Preparedness Plan as Incidem Commander; the hiring, firing, and supervision of all administrative officers; the negotiation and implementation of collective bargaining agreements with two labor unions; responsible for annual budget preparation, presemation, and oversight, including the Capital Improvement Program; liaison with elected advisory boards and commissions, state and federal elected officials and agency personnel; coordination with political consultams; represents local government at community organizations and at a variety of civic and social functions. Ci~ Administrator~ City, of McGrath~ AK~ .1985-1994. Employed by the City Council as chief administrative officer responsible fbr managing all municipal functions including departments of administration, public health, public safety, public works, water and sewer. Duties include all aspects of fiscal control, budget planning, preparation and reporting; community .and economic development;. capital projects planning and implementation; grant writing and administration; statutory and regulatory compliance monitoring and reporting; legislative, legal, and technical research and reporting; authoring municipal ordinances, resolutions, comracts, policy and proc~ure manuals, bid documems and cooperative agreements; personnel managemem; land use planning; liaison with local, regional, state and federal agencies and elected officials; public relations information and education; cross cultural communications and liaison with local, regional, and Alaska Native organizations. Pe, rmanent Fund Dividend Specialish Alasl~_ Department of Revenue~ Anchorage, AK~ 198~-85~ Researched statutes and regulations; convened informal conferences with dividend applicants whose claims required investigation; rendered written eligibility decisions; accessed and maimained computerized claims data; responded to public inquiries. Proiect Coordin,ator, Conference on the Political Theol3/of the American Constitution, 198~84. Coordinated a federal grant project, which convened a University of Alaska, Anchorage conference of constitutional scholars from a cross section of the United States. Selected papers presented at the conference were later published in The Revival of Con.stimtionalism, with a Foreword by William J. Bennett, U.S. Secretary of Education and a conference participant. Re..search Assistantshius. Universi.ty of .Alaska, Anchorage, (A) Graduate School of Public Administration: {B) Department of Philosophy~ 1982-83, (A) Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Grant: conducted interviews with state and local officials; collected and organized research materials; summarized legislative and local governmem assembly and zoning documents. (B) Collected and organized research materials; proofed and edited professorial papers. Administrative Director, Central Peninsula Mental Health Center, Kenai~ AI(, 1977-1980. Employed by the Board of Directors as chief administrative officer. Duties included all aspects of fiscal control, budget planning, preparation and reporting; personnel managemem; legislative research; conflict resolution; grant writing, acquisition and project implementation; providing public information and education; cross cultural communication; liaison with other social service agencies and organizations; design and management of new facility construction; developed and implemented the fa'st agency computerized management information and accounting systems; authored administrative policies and procedure manuals, contracts, cooperative agreements, and amended by-laws; established a fee structure based on the ability to pay; monitored compliance with statutes and regulations; developed and implemented a full employee benefits package. VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES Member, International City/County Managemem Association (ICMA), 1989-present. Past President, Board Director and Member, Alaska Municipal Management Association, 1994-presem. Past Presidem, Board Director and Member, Southeast Conference, a regional economic development organization and a federally designated Resource Conservation and Development Council, 1994-presem. Member and Board Director, Petersburg Rotary Club, 1994-present. Member and Board Director, Kuskok~m Public Broadcasting Corporation, McGrath, Alaska, 1985-91. Firefighter, Volumeer Fire Departmem, McGrath, Alaska, 1985-91. Clerk, McGrath Community Library, 1985-86. Member, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Alaska Advisory Committee, 1985-88. Tutor for Handicapped Students' University of Alaska, Anchorage, 1983-84. Founding Member, Past Presidem and Board Director, Women's Resource and Crisis Center, Kenai, Alaska, 1977-80. REFERENCES Professional: The Honorable Theodore (Ted) M. Smith, Mayor, City of Petersburg, P.O. Box 841, Petersburg, AK 99833; [Home Office] (907) 772-4429. David Carlson, Petersburg City Councilor and former Mayor, P.O. Box 669, Petersburg, AK 99833; [O] (907) 772-4203 or IH] 772-3765. JeffMeucci, former Petersburg Mayor and City Councilor, P.O. Box 1086, Petersburg, AK 99833; IH] (907) 772-4669. Patricia Curtiss, former Petersburg City Clerk, P.O. Box 887, Petersburg, AK 99833; [HI (907) 772- 4756, [O] 772-3015. Brace Jones, Public Works Director, City of Petersburg, P.O. Box 329, Petersburg, AK 99833; [O] (907) 772-4430, ext. 35; IH] 772-3649. Dale Stone, Chief of Police, City of Petersburg, P.O. Box 329, Petersburg, AK 99833; [O] (907) 772- 3838; IH] 772-2225. Mary Francis, Ph.D., Superintendent, Petersburg City Schools, P.O. Box 289, Petersburg, AK 99833, [O] (907) 772-4271; IH] 772-3450. Patricia Grantham, District Ranger, U.S. Forest Service, P.O. Box, Petersburg, AK 99833, [O] (907) 772-3871; [H] 772-4364. Paul Turner, Ph.D., P.O. Box 270, Kenai, AK 9961; [H] (907) 283-4326; [O] 283-7015. Tom Boedeker, City Manager, City of Soldotna, 177 North Birch Street, Soldotna, AK 99669; [O] (907) 262-9107. Personal: Fran Jones, P.O. Box 498, Petersburg, AK 99833; [H] (907) 772-3649; [O] 772-3015. Kris Norosz, P.O. Box 805, Petersburg, AK 99833; [HI (907) 772-3520; [O] 772-4294, ext. 112. Glcnda Landua, 39918 Dawn Drive, Kenai, AK 99611-6705; [H] (907) 283-3851; [O] 260-4897. Will Peterson, P.O. Box 856, Homer, AK 99603; [HI (907) 235-2176; [O] 258-8901 Carol Swartz, P.O. Box 248, Homer, AK 99603-7624; IH] (907) 235-6837; [O] 235-7743. [%tricis Curtiss · 7~o No~th Nordic Drive * I~.O. [~ox ~7 ~etersbur~ (,qo7) 77Z-+7~ February 1 O, 2001 Kim Howard Assistant to the City Manager City of Kenai 210 Fidalgo Avenue, Suite 200 Kenai, Alaska 99611-7794 Dear Ms. Howard: It is with pleasure to have the opportunity to write this letter for Linda Snow, a candidate for City Manager ofKenai. ! was fortunate to work with Linda for about six years as her assistant and as City Clerk. In this brief letter I will only touch on Linda's personal and professional qualities. I could write pages on what she has done for this community. Most descriptive of Linda's management style is her ethical and honest approach, both personally and professionally, to every issue, incident and problem that arises in local government. Linda is a deeply compassionate person, which gives her the ability to resolve so many of the conflicts that come before a city manager on a daily basis. She is always direct and candid with members of the Council, the employees and the public. Linda accomplishes tasks and goals she sets for herself and those set for her by the City Council. Linda maintains an open door policy and still completes projects on time with excellent results. Complememing Linda's management style is a terrific sense of humor and deep compassion for her fellow man. She recognizes the importance of working with, as well as laughing with employees, Councilors and members of the public. She enjoys the challenges that local govemmem administration offers and the comact with the citizens of the community. I will hate to see Linda leave Petersburg. She has given this community her heart and soul for almost seven years. Kenai will be lucky to have her and will benefit from her amazing enthusiasm, professional abilities and warmth. Sincer?iy, Patricia Curtiss Dale ~ttone Chief of Police PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT Bruce Westre Captain Phone (007) 772-3538 P.O. Box 329, Petersburg, Alaska 99833 FAX (907") 77~2-3504 10 March, 2001 City of Kenai .. x+::::::i:i~:::.¥:~.:~¥.;::~:~:¥'¥i:~:':~:::':'~':~:~:~:'~'~'~:¥:::¥:::::U:¥:U;¥:~'!'¥'~':':'~ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: .:... .. ;:;.:.:::;:;:;?:'J;::'::;:':':" ' ' . .'.'.,:.:...¥..:-....:... Greetings' · ........... ?":':: .............. ' ............... , ..:,:-:;::::-: ' ....:.-::::::':'" ..... .::.:...:.:.:::i ::i:::):'.': ...... 'ii!!:i:i:. ' ...... :: · ... · - ' ..... .....:::i:!i:::::::'"'" .::.ii:!!iiiiiiiii;i!i:::::':':'"" 'Z'ii!'i '::::::: ...:::.:." ":':':':':':': .... ' ' .':.:i'i · !:i:i:!.:.: ..... ======================= · ........:.:::: .::......- .:.:..:-: ..................... ....,-.............. ... . :.:-:-:... It is a distinct.:~:::i~:'~ivilege.tOi~?~C0mmenti~:~!:?~heii~ar.:k~:~ib P'~::0f~ssi0nal:..abili~i:::and per::~:na.i character of .... . ........ !:;:!.:. ...:. ":':::: . ::... . !'!::: ...... -:: .. As Chief::::. of Police:::;~'l: Petersburg, l have kno.wn.... Linde. ...... for approximately?:~e~enl. .....:..i~ears.:. During this time .she has been '~imployed as:CityiManage~iii~orO~[iilCommunity;':;ii.: l have had:' ~::~ple opportunity to obserVe her management style...and the resultant eff~ it has had::'on city operations. ... Linden.:.. Snow is, first and foremost, a person of the highest honesty and personal integrity. She is intelligent, educated, and articulate. She is an.'expe:rienced, highly motivated, extremely hard. wor~ing City Manager, willing to put in:.:the:i...!0~g.i~h0Ur.':§...Often required in her chosen career field. AlthOugh a real "people-person" and a l waYs.l W ill ii .~g ' .to take time"for someone, she manages her time wel[iii::and~:~.~ is usually found hard at .work;..in:"he:r'i0:ffice," making the'most of the work day and setting an Lind~!s natural leadership ability is eviden.t, to.:..:..... ~..... all, ..andshe'ihandies: the.. :.............:...... demands of leadership .:With confidence. She is decisive :a:n.d:::::~.r..k..:s;::~eil .............. unde.r.-!i;s~(ess:?' .She. eXpects much from department heads and appropriately monitors C!:~i;i:~;e~ig~!~,~;::.iWithoU:t:i::~!C~0!y..managj.n..g those departments. Department headsi;~recognize.:..., and respect:!:he.'"'~::::hO~e~y:i:ia~d, abiliW:.':..'::i::::Linda., enjOyS,a well_earn:ed?:r:eputation among city employees for fairness an'd:.-:~0.nsiS~tenC¥::..;:::.-:.... ......... :-':. · ..... - .... ......~ ...... · :::., . ..: ..: ..; ..: ...::.,:;:.:::.:::., :;.: :.: :.:.: ..: ===================== '.- ' ." .:: :!:-.:.-... .. · ' - ' ':':'"':' ":-': :' ": · ".- ".'-':':-':':": :' .: :-. :.. '. '-. '.- '.. - · . '- .. :'. i !:!::-:.:... Linde is'!ili~xtremely loyal to her:'c0un~i!.a~d.ii:Com:m:un.i:tY: She. does.not a~.emP{iii~:O usurp council authorityi~., and fully understands th:e..i:diSti~.CtiOn i'n;.fe~'Ponsibility -betweelniii~h6!~e!i!~'iected to gOvern and those ap¢".O, inted to manage city 0Per::.a. tions,..' She is dedicated and:".effe~ti~;~i:!;:~'nd her style.;i°f city managem~.n.t truly c.0mplimentsthe.'::r0'le 0;f.i~i..'t.'.y.....::.::~.0. uncil... ' -"::..:-..-:..........?ii;ii'::::~':.:.:'i:":.:::;.::::.~. Along with ~::e.r professional skills, ~i~i~!~!~i~!~iiii:~i~~~:i.:th.eiiiii~~!!:~itive; O~ii~iO.k and?Personable demeanor of '~":~yone I have ever Council Memb~iiS, citizens, and suborai~~iiiii~i~i~ej~; ~b:spec~i!ii~nd~;!.li~iiilher' W;~" attending various federal, state, or'~:;.t:ocal meetings, she pr~~iiii~iiiii~!~!~.eii!i!.".can~d'~ii~ii~;i~i~an spiri't"th;at reflects so favorably on the city she represents. ~::?::;~!!;;i!i~!;i!iiii~!i~iiii!!;~i}i!i~i~i~i!;;;ii!ii;~i!i~i~iii;i~i}i~iii~i!ii!~:::~ ::;::;::.':..::i~ i !} !;i::'i"';::;;;i;;;ii;:;ii!;i;?!iiii;;iiii!iii?:ii? While I would hate to:tgse......, her as our City M'a~ager, I highly recommend Linda'$now to you. Should the City of Kenai select 'binda as Cit¥~Manager~you~:will::::flnd,..-in:..:very.: .:...:: .:....: ...:.:.. .:::-: .:.:.:. ....: short older, that you made an excellent choice for both Your city:opeirationS~ and yOur/community. ....:::':" ' '.:::i: ..... ::'.' "' :.:.:-:-: '-' ..... .. ,!:i:ii!i!!i!i " If I may be of further assistance';~:please do not hesitate to call. . : ':ii::!:::!!i!!:ii.:..' .::::::.. . ....- ' :::::::::,.. ' !:::i:: "' .... ::::::.. · .i::::i.: .:.'.-. ' '"': !::i:::::!:i'!:::i: ::i ,:... · .:.:.....:i:.':'":" ' I)'al~ Sl::~n e - ~ ': '..: ............ · : ::!::::.:., - ~ 907.772.4271 Fax 907.772.4719 Petersburg City Schools P. O. Box 289 Petersburg, Alaska 99833-0289 Mary A. Francis, PIt D. Superintendent 22 November 1999 To Whom It May Concern: City Manager Linda Snow has asked me to provide a letter of recommendation for her. I am very pleased to do so. In the ten years that I have been Superintendent of Petersburg City Schools, our city has employed four different city managers. Linda Snow is by far the best city manager that I have worked with here for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that she stayed the course the longest~ This longevity not only shows that she is committed to her job and profession, but also demonstrates her ability to endure and thrive within a very political environment. Linda has been Petersburg's City Manager for several years now and, during that time, the two of us have enjoyed a most productive working relationship. In our respective positions, we must cooperate on many matters impacting the city and the school distr,,ct, some of which are potentially contentious. In my experience, Linda is highly capable in approaching challenges -- she does her research well, she provides balanced advice, and she follows through on recommendations. The school district frequently benefits from her expertise. Additionally, I have observed her public presentations, her preparation of support material, her interactions with the public and her relations with other city staff. In each of these Linda is extremely competent. Among noteworthy personal skills are the following: she is good-natured and lively, fair minded, she is a good listener, a consensus builder, and a logical thinker. All of these attributes contribute to her success as a community leader. Liada donates her time and talent to community service through her membership in civic organizations. She works tirelessly for local government in attending council meetings, advisory committee meetings, municipal government meetings, public forums on issues of importance to the city, lobbying m Juneau, to name a few. Her colleagues in municipal govemmem have elected Linda to positions of leadership within their organizations as well. She is definitely a credit to our community.' I can recommend Linda Snow without reservation for any position she chooses to pursue. She will work long and hard to get the job done, and if she were to leave Petersburg, there is no doubt her absence will be abundantly evident. Please do not hesitate to contact me ff you would like additional information or have any questions. Sincerely, .. ~ A. Francis Superintendent United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Alaska Region Tongass National Forest Petersburg Ranger District P. O. Box 1328 Petersburg~ AK 99833 File Code: 1500 Date: December 3, 1999 To whom it may concern: I am writing this letter as a reference for Linda Snow. I have known Ms. Snow for the entire length of her tenure as City Manager for the city of Peters- burg. Through Ms. Snow's leadership, the City and the Forest Service have forged a strong relation- ship in jointly delivering programs and services that are common to the missions of our organiza- tions. We have worked cooperatively to save scarce dollars through combining efforts to provide high quality visitor information, recreation site planning and design, and public lands and parks maintenance. In all of my dealings with her, I have found Ms. Snow to be professional, organized, and honorable. I have worked for the Forest Service for the last twenty years, the majority of which have been spent in small communities in the western United States. Without hesitation, Ms. Snow is the best City Manager I have ever worked with. Her professionalism, candor and strong ability to work with a wide variety of people have made her a well respected and effective City Manager. Petersburg has benefitted tremendously by having Ms. Snow as our City Manager. Quite frankly, for my sake and the sake of this community, I hope Linda never uses this letter. Please feel free to contact me at the above address with any questions you may have. My work telephone number is (907) 772-3871 and my home telephone is (907) 772-4364. Sincerely, A. G~AM District Ranger Caring for the Land and Serving People Print~l on Reeyoled Paper Linda L. Snow P.O. Box 12 70 Petersburg, AK 99833 Home: (907} 772-2252 of Jtce: (907} 772-4511, ext. 22 Home: leesno~._. !as..k,~ net Office: llsno.w _~ci._~etersbu~,..ak. us_ March 22, 2001 Kim Howard Assistant to City Manager City of Kenai 210 Fidalgo Avenue, Suite 200 Kenai, AK 99611-7794 Dear Ms. Howard: Enclosed please find the two signed and notarized consent forms to release information that were requested to further my application for the position of City Manager: As we discussed by e-mail, I will be sending the supplemental discussion information by e-mail to meet the March 30~ deadline. Thanks for your prompt attention to my inquiry, and I look forward to cominuing the application process. , Sincerely, Supplemental Information Requested by the City of Kenai Submitted by Linda L. Snow 1. Submit a discussion of any incidents or issues of public controversy that a background investigation could reveal. Signed and notarized authorizations to conduct background and reference checks have been previously returned to Kenai by mail. A background check of my credit history will reveal an excellent repayment record with one exception, which I would like to explain here. My former husband and I were separated in 1996. At that time he returned to McGrath and resumed living in our jointly mortgaged residential property there. Unfortunately, although he agreed to do so, Mr. Snow did not continue to make timely mortgage payments on that property. ! continued living in the jointly mortgaged residential property we had acquired in Petersburg and continued to make timely mortgage payments, as well as continuing to make timely payments on all of our other financial obligations. Ultimately, the divorce granted the McGrath residential property to Mr. Snow and the Petersburg residential property to me. Due to the nature of the joint obligation, however, my credit history now reflects Mr. Snow's unfortunate failure to make timely payments on his residential property. 2. Discuss your areas of strengths and weakness as a manager. My strengths as a manager include the ethical conduct o£ highly developed administrative, organizational, and human relations skills and abilities. In addition, ! have a very strong work ethic, patience and optimism, a good sense of humor, and a love and respect for people and community. ! don't give up~ easily on people, projects, or ideas, although I'm open to new ones. I have excellent communication and conflict resolution skills. With respect to the practice of local government, my background in political science precipitated a deep understanding, appreciation, and tremendous respect for democracy and the deliberative process of government. This background and understanding allows me to deal more effectively with the tensions inherent in local government. In terms o£ weaknesses as a manager, I am sometimes more direct and "to the point" than some people are comfortable with, and I prefer to confront people sooner rather than later if I sense a problem between us. It's also true that I dislike non-productive meetings and wish that I was better at extemporaneous public speaking. I'm mindful of a tendency to focus more intensely on the administrative aspects of the job, without giving a fair share of time to visiting other work and project sites. In addition, although I've improved in this area as well, sometimes I don't take sufficient personal time to completely avoid work-related stress, tension, and fatigue. 3. Discuss your philosophy of the roles of a City Manager and a Council in the Council-Manager form of government. Include a discussion of what you believe are the Manager's responsibilities to Council, as well as the Council's responsibilities to the Manager. In the council-manager form of government, elected officials are legislators, and they determine policy and make decisions as set forth in municipal charter and code. To carry out that role, elected officials have been given the necessary trust and confidence from the electorate to exercise their own independent judgement, yet they must often decide between the use of' their own best judgement and the perceived preferences of their constituency. Council members have a direct relationship with the electorate, arising out of close ties within the community, from which they are obligated to define and clazify a community visiOn. Another of their primary responsibilities is the appointment, evaluation, and retention of the manager, who has a subordinate relationship with the council. Good communications can be well maintained with a manager when council members are prepared in advance for' meetings; when council members do not embarrass the staff in public, but rather discuss any problems or concerns with the manager before or after the meetings; when councilors recognize that sometimes last-minute or unpredictable items may arise just prior to meetings; when they arrange meetings with other staff members through the manager; and when cOUncil members keep the manager informed about whether the supporting information for agenda or other items is meeting their expectations, and if not, what changes need to be made. To help develop a strong and effective council- manager relationship, the council has a responsibility to: (1) support the manager during times when his or her office may become a focal point for the natural tensions of local government; and (2) evaluate the manager's performance based on a clear set of criteria, mutually agreed upon in advance. In the event the manager's performance is unsatisfactory and unlikely to improve, the council bears the responsibility of making a decision to change before the situation reaches a crisis point. If that happens, the council is generally able to arrange a smoother managerial transition. Typically, the manager has more of an indirect relationship with the electorate than the council, yet he or she will also have a more direct relationship with the administrative departments of the city government. The primary role of the manager, therefore, is to be a link between the council, as the legislative branch, and the administrative departments in order to focus organizational assets in such a way as to assist the council with implementation of policy and the transformation of its vision into reality for the good of the community. The manager has a responsibility to facilitate council effectiveness and to help strengthen their policymaking capabilities by insuring that materials submitted by staff are formatted in such a way as to identify the issue and the problem, discuss feasible alternatives, including the pros and cons of each, and the delineation of potential implications of the various alternatives. The manager's obligation is to work with the council consistently to achieve its goals. Communications with the city council can be well maintained if the manager insures that elected officials have prior knowledge and information related to meeting agenda and other issue items, when all informative materials, including those requested by a single councilor, are delivered to every council member at the same time, when key issues are informally discussed before formal meetings within the parameters of open meetings laws, and when the manager makes recommendations. While the manager must be politically astute and sensitive to the political concerns of council members, he or she is generally much less involved in the political aspects of local government and much more involved in the administrative aspects~unless, of course, the council has defined the manager's position differently. Both the council and manager have a moral obligation to follow their conscience in protecting the basic human fights of individuals, regardless of any constituency preference or direction or order to do otherwise. Selected Bibliography: Management Series, 1983. The Effective Local Government Manager, ICMA Municipal -2- CITY ?F PETERSBURG P.O. BOX 329 FEI'ERSBURO, ALAS~ 998~ TB.EPHONE (907) 772-4511 'I'IR.EC~PXI~R (907) 772.3759 March 23, 2001 City of Kenai 210 Fidalgo Avenue, Suite 200 Kenai, AK 99611-7794 To Whom It May Concern: LINDA SNOW has been City Manager of Pelersburg since 1994. I was a City Councilman at tl~t time and had the distinct pleasure of being n member ofthe selection committee when she was hired. I have never once regretted our decision to hire her. Although I chose not to mn again for election to a council position between 1995 and 1999, I followed her progress closely and couldn't be more pleased to be working with her again since the Mayoral election .of 1999. Linda was the first City Manager that I ever recall being successful in getting the Council to identify a set of goals, objectives, and strat, eg/es, which we committed to writing and are still useful today. She challenged the City to complete an updated and revised Comprehensive Plan, even though we knew it would be controversial and, of course, it wa,~. We are now in the process of achieving an Economic Analysis and Strategic Development Plan, which we will use far into the future to strengthen the local economy. Linda has stuck with Petersburg through some low points and has camed the City into some of its very high points. Her excellent grasp of governmental budgeting and accounting provided her with the background necessary to completely revamp the annual budget document and, in fact, the entire budget process. Her budget analysis and presentations to ih(: Council have always demonstrated a balance between fiscal responsibility and ~he needs of the communily. The budget document is now much easier for everyone io understand and to follow, including citizens. The budget process is now much simpler, less ~ontentious, and yet still provides the opportunity for maximum citizen input. Linda's abilities in this area have enabled the City to navigate wha! might have been very costly and difficult transition periods between Finance Directors and the entire Finance Department. Under her guidance, the City never failed to successfully complete financial audits each year with no diffieultics or serious deficiencies. Linda manages a diverse work force, which includes two labor unions and twelve non-represented administrative officers. I have absolute confidence in her excellent communication and human relations skills. She is Wugh-minded, but also fair and compassionate. She is able to get along with people of differing opinions and political affiliations. We have an excellent working relationship and, while we do not always agree, I nevertheless mast her ~o speak freely With me. Your community would be very fortunate to have her as City Manager, and it would be a great loss for us. Please feel free to contact me if l can be of further assistance. Sinc Theodore M. Mayor March 20, 2001 City of Kenai 210 Fidalgo Ave. Suite 200 Kenai, AK 99611-7794 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter in support of Linda Snow, an applicant far the City Administrator's position in your community. Perhaps a liffle background about myself ancl my professional relationship with Ms. Snow would be beneficial. I am a former Mayor (1993- 1995) of the City of Petersburg as well as a current Council Member (1999- present). I also served on our City Council from 1981 - 1985 and from 1990 - 1993. I have served witl~ several City Managers during this time and was the Mayor when Linde was hired as our City Manger in '1994. Petersburg has hacla long I~istory of a "revolving door" in the City Manager's office. City Managers seldom retain their position for more than 3 or 4 years. Linde has served as our City Manager since June 1, 1994 and, let me be very honest; I regret to see her leave Petersburg as our City Manager. Her tenure in Petersburg Is the longest for any City Manager since the City Manager form of government was adopted around 1960. I believe the reasons for this are fairly simple. Linde has a unique ability to work with everyone on the City Council regarclles$ of his or her political persuasion, She is also able to work with the staff within the city to bring out their 'best', all the time being mindful that the City works for the citizens of the town and not 'vice versa'. Tenure in the City Manager's position in any community or borough is, in my opinion, vital. I believe Linda has changed the 'paracltgm' in the City of Petersburg where it was formerly perceived that City Managers 'come and go' and that's OK. I believe the community now believes that longevity within that 13osition is crucial to the well-being of the community. Linde Is one of the most cheerful, pleasant, optimistic, and upbeat people I have ever met or worked with, Nothing seems to 'get her clown' and she takes on new problems and challenges with that same attitucle. Her door is always open and she is always willing to take a few minutes of her valuable time to talk about any issue, regardless of it's. significance. Petersburg has been suffering through some difficult economic times recently. Because of our declining economy, tax revenues have been falling or fiat at the very best. School enrollment l~as dropped significantly. City budgets had to be cut and staff hacl to reduced. Frankly, it's tough to make those decisions but Linde always can'ied with her the 'can do' spirit and made the tough decisions when she was requested to do so by the City Council, I would highly recommend her for this position. I know you will not be disappointed with your decision should you decide to hire I~er. I regretfully acknowledge that Petersburg cannot ~etain a person of Linda'$ ability, qualifications, and credentials forever. She will be missed by our community! Please call if you have any questions. Sincerely, Dave Carlson PO Box 669 Petersburg, AK 99833 (907)772-3765 CITY OF PETERSBURG PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT P.O. BOX 329 · PETERSBURG, ALASKA 99833 TEI.EPI'IONE (907) 772-4430 TELECOP1ER (907) 772-4107. MarCia 19, 2001 City of Kenai 210 Fidaigo Avenue, Suite 200 Kenai, Alaska 99611-7794 To Whom It May Concern: I am Writing this as n letter of refea'enee for Ms. l,inda L. Snow who is an applicam for position of City Manager for the City of Konai. It has b~n my distinct pleasure to work with, and for, Linda for close to seven years. ! have worked for many City Managers over the last twenty y~rs a,gl I ~n say without reservation lhat I.inda is the very bo.~t dust l.have worked tbr. l.inda has the ability to draw out thc bust in t~cr employees. She gives her employees a task and empowers them with the aulhority to see it lhroush. She is a team player and a consensus builder. Linda is an exc¢ilcnt communicalor. She can present informal, ion in such a way that everyone can easily understand the issues. One of Linda's longevity secrets is her abilil.y 1o stay away from the political aspoots of hot job. She loaves tho polities to the politicians while she spends her time seeking information and solving problems. Linda has done a Io! of good for thc City of Petersburg and she will be missed should she accept employmenl, somewhere else. ! know thru I have developed professionally just from lhe privilege of having worked for her, for which I will bo eternally grateful. If I can answer any question concerning ]~inda's tenure here at the City of Petersburg, please feel thee to contact me at your convenience. Sinr.,erely, GITY OF MC GRATH P. O, BOX 30 McGRATH, ALASKA 99~27 PHONE (q[)7) 524-3625 FAX (907)524-3536 Saptuaber ;SO, 1993 TO #HOII IT #~Y CONCERN: Linde Snug haB been City didBJn~stratDr hur~ s~r.e 1985 and, altheugh I au ~urr~n~ly ~bu Bayer, I ~s °lsd a Caunctlman a~ ~be ~jst she ubs selected. Linde uae one DJ tee finaljsts~ and the other uBS a Ban uith a Baster's degree in economics- ~e bad never hired a cuban Jor this posjttonv but b~ proven ability to ~tte~ acquire and administer grants eau the primary reason un selected her. I havp never regretted that deci Gl. on. During her tunure~ Linde has nanaQed a gl. dp variety o~ engineering and construction grant projects incJ~udin~ the ~oJlouinq~ Riverbank Erosion Control Road Inprovemontu Coemuflity Seuer SysteJ Nee Road Construction Landfi Il leprovement, s HUD #ousing D~.vp.l opleflt Dy no means is this a conplet~ )istingv but the poi. n! ! make. J.s that utthuut an engineering education Dr constructioti background, Linde aluays able to. grasp ~ha technical elements ~ many diverse capital teproveeent and public uorku project, s~his has been essential, out Duly ~o acquire grants~ but also to uanage both the engineers and the labor Vorcu, ~o educate and j.n~oro the cooaunity~ to Bake s~nd reports and recommendations ~o the CDunciJv and to succussVuJ, l.y complete prujuct~. LJnda's abilities in public adatnis~rati~ and accounting have ~nablad Ctt~ ~u toepiece the audit process Bach year wj. thout any dtV~iculttes or serious delicienct~., and this alone has saved the city un,Did dollars in auditing and comPLetion costs, She also deeonstrat~ these abilities each year tbr~gb h~ budget presentations to the Council. As ua continue tu struggle under State Revenu~ Sharing and Hunicipal Assistance uith nu local taxation revenuer I..inda. s~tll manages to deliver an essential, basic level el pubXic SoFvicBB- She ~as had ~o make seriou5~ ~ough and unpopular recnnn~ndatJo~s tu tho Co#ncil~ yet maintains a balance betuuen fiscal responsibility and the n~ds of the community. I.inda and I have maintained an oscsll*nt uoFk~ng rpt. atinnship through many agreements and dlsagr*cabots- I aa a surveyor by trade and must leave Bc6rath for uwt~ded periods o? time, but I have never UOrriod about City operations during my absencp as lnn~ as Linde is in charge. To conclude, I gould rate Linde ShOe'S uort aq City Administrator at nothing less than outstanding in every gay. Vms gould bP 4orttmate tO have hor~ and assJ stance. Sinc~rolyw 61efl A. Hanuay Hayer TO: Whom Zt Hay Concern FRO~: Honorable James Jackson D£et. rict Court Mag£st'rato Galena District Court: P. O. Box 167 Galena, AK. 99711 (907) 656-1322 Sepi. ember 30, 1993 REGARDING: Linde Snow It is my special pleasure to be able to offer the following observat l. ons of Ms. Snow's extensive ~l):i'l.'l. ties d~nonstrat, cd over the last. eight years of our professional relationship. Th'is relationshi, p primartly has dealt with the McGrath Circuit Court which ii preside over, but has also enabled me to observe Ms. Snow under many diverse s/rust. Lone unrelated to the Judtc.tal system. Ms. Snow's administrat lye and inter-agency ,~ktlls have greatly assisted the operation of the McGrath Circuit Court. These skills have covered a wide range of situations, from lease, negotiations to accommodation of large numbers of trial participants (up t.o .50+ people) in limited city fmc.[llties. A circuit court's operations are v~ry unpredictable in nature. Yet, no matter what the problem, Ms. Snow was able ~.o facilitate a solution with no lead time to prepare. These problems could fringe anywhere from a Power failure, to frozen restrooms, to the need to reschedule council and committee meetings because of Judicial proceedings. It is entirely aCcurate t.o say that without Ms. Snow's abilities to make sound spur-of-the-moment decisions, and %o imp] ement them quickly and efficiently, the McGrath Circuit Court operation would have been Impossible. When it became apparent tha~ people could only get married while I was in town holding court', Ms. Snow agreed to allow me. to appot'dt hmrm marriage commissioner to perform weddings tn my ~bsence. Not. only did she take on this added task, and the accompsnylug paperwork, hut she did this without any remuneration. Ms. Snow saw a commvnity need that needed full,tiling---and simply did it.. In addition to her ad,,~lnistrmttve skills, Ms. Snow's supervisory skills al.~o greatly assisted the operation of the criminal Justice system since Ms. Snow supervised the various police o~.flcers employed in McGrath. While this may seem simple ou th~ surface, it Is anything but simple tn a small town where - 1- everyone knows each other. ~s. Snow's extraord.tnar¥ public relation skills enabled her ~:o balance professional law enf~.,rcement object,yes with somet£mes irate public comments. Few people have the mediation/diplomatic sk~le needed to bridge the gap between law e,,forcement, and ~he citizenry that' Ms. Snow has continually demonstrated over thc years. Outside o£ my profe.~stona1 relat, ton.~hip with Ms. Shay, I have been able t.o observe her ~n n,a~,y et:her s~t. uat ions lnvo]v.~np, cit'y business. Ma. ~now's special skills et. grant, writing, and even more lmporr, antly, landing grant monies is part. icu]arly evident: t.o me. Since McGraLh has no property tax, nor sales tax, operational funds for [:he c~t7 depend entirely on Ms. Snow's abtlAt, les in these areas. Few c.~ty admin~st, rators face the problem of no local fund raising methane'lams (no t:axat, lon of any k.lnd). Even fewer city administrators, I suspect., are as succcss£u'l at providing cit.7 serv./ces under t.his type of s~:uation, ~s. S,~,',w is one of those rare ones, Ftnal.ly, as alluded to earlier, Ms. Snow has a real aptitude for successful interpersonal relationships. My observations of. her interactions with coun¢.tl members and ~:he publ. ic has left. me .impressed. She does no~ burn any bridges, even under enormously stressful sl.l.~a~ions. ~er diplomatic skills and abi3. i ty t.o get people to find a middle ground never ceases to amaze me. Likewise, Ms. Snow's abil../Ly t.o motivate the diverse group of employees she supervises impresses me. I suspect that this stems not. from her position o£ authority, but rather by the example of dealt, cat lan and hard work she cent inually exhibits. The Judlcal Canons prevent me from malc'Jng a specific character reference. Had the canons not. precluded s,~ch a reference, I would have no difficulty in doing so. Perhaps the reader could draw some inferences of Ms. Snow's character £rom the fo] ] ow'!ng anecdote... Several years ago I wa'.~ asked by Ms. Snow t:o marry her. I was pleased and accepted. The weddl,~g was set. The entire town was invited. Everyone from town showed up on time for ~.l',e wedding except me. I was in a Jury t. rial. On top of that, .T. had two of her wedding part. y members on the Jury panel (who I refused to excuse). The 6 PM wedding was de].eycd for an hour...then snot. her hour. Ms. Snow held t. he ret. apriori while $1,~., and the entLre town waited patiently for me and the missing wedding party. The rrial dragged on. FOUR hours later the t. rtal was still in progress. Finally I had to appoint someone else to do the wedding (minu~ ~.wo of the weddLng party members at. ill on the jury)... On a day when even a Small glich can ~ee,n a disaster to a bride. Ms. Snow took everything I did (or failed to do) l,~ stride, even to having the reception before rhe actual wedding, Never once did she make me fee]. responsible for a ].ess that perfect outcome to her most specJ, al Of special days. Never once did she let. it. lnt.erfere with our professional.,, or personal relationship in the years that. followed... If I can be of any f.t,rt'her assistance please do not hesitate t.o call me. '- 2" From: Linda Snow [llsnow@ci.petersburg.ak.us] Sent: Wednesday, March 21,2001 10:48 ,AM To: khoward@ci.kenai.ak.us Subject: Releases & Info Kim: I received the request for releases and information---also received the budget. Thanks! I can send off the signed releases by the end of this week, but I'm wondering if the requested "discussion" information will be acceptable by e-mail. Not only do I have the usual Alaskan mail concern, but my Work schedule is crazy at this time of the year. Will e-mail be ok? Linda CITY OF KENAI 210 FIDALGO AVE., SUITE 200 KENAI, ALASKA 99611-7794 TELEPHONE 907-283-7535 FAX 907-283-3014 ~ CONSENT TO RELEASE OF INFORMATION I hereby authorize the City of Kenai to conduct a thorough investigation of my past employment, personal and professional background and activities, including, but not limited to, a search of any criminal records I might have. I agree to release from all liability or responsibility all persons, companies, corporations, or governmental entities providing such information. I have read and understand the above Con~"'ent tD Release of Informatioti and voluntarily consent to all its provisions and contents. (print) .... ~ t~s ~/%ayof ~~'~,, 2001, before me pe=onally appe=ed ~J ~ ~. ~~p~ , ~o~ to me to be ~e person whose n~e is subscribed on the foregoing Consent to Release of Info~ation, ~d ac~owledg~ that he/she executed the s~e as hisser ~ee will ~d deed. N6tary Pub li~ i~ and fo;-- ,,. - My C CITY OF KENAI 210 FIDALGO AVE., SUITE 200 KENAI, ALASKA 99611-7794 TELEPHONE 907-283-7535 FAX 907-283-3014 ~ CONSENT TO RELEASE OF CREDIT HISTORY FOR EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES I hereby authorize the City of Kenai to make any investigation of my personal history and financial and credit record through any investigative or credit agencies or bureaus of its choice. I agree to release from all liability or responsibility all persons, companies, corporations, or governmental entities providing such information. I have read and understand the above Consent to Release of Credit History for .. Employment Purposes, and voluntarily consent to all its provisions and contents. By: / I J ~~~'~ ~~ ~ ~ ) ss. . On t~~ )S day o f~/~ , 2001, before me personally appe~ed ~,'~' L. ~~ o ~ , ~om to me to be ~e pemon whose n~e is subscribed on the foregoing Consent to Release of Credit Histo~for Employment Purposes,' ~d ac~owledged. '. that he/she execmed ~e s~e ~ ~s~er ~ee will ~d deed. publ My Commiss: ~ Chris Hladick P.O. Box 1132 Dillingham, AK 99576 (907) 842-4836 March 12, 2001 Kim Howard Assistant to the City Manager 210 Fidalgo Avenue, Suite 200 Kenai, AK 99611-7794 RECEIVED CITY OF ~ ~ON Dear Ms. Howard: In response to the Anchorage Daily News advertisement, please find enclosed my resume for consideration as Kenai City Manager. I certainly welcome this opportunity and hope the City Council will find my profesSional and personal experiences very well suited for the position. Seeking to meet professional goals, I am particularly interested in Kenai because of the full range of public services provided to a diverse population. Kenai also presents a myriad of unique and ongoing challenges as it continues to manage and develop the infrastructure necessary to support both its permanent and seasonal population base. My ten years experience as city manager in Alaska coupled with my communication skills and ability to provide organizational leadership is some of the assets I would bring to the position. I have a reputation for possessing a strong work ethic and the ability to solve problems. AdditiOnally, I have good teambuilding skills having a good rapport with the public as well as maintaining good working relationships with council members, mayors and other organizations and agencies involved in the public Process. The Kenai area is exceptionally appealing at a more personal level as well. My wife and I first came to Alaska in 1990. We have always admired the Kenai area. Your advertisement has conveyed the oppommity to meet both professional and personal goals. I would be available to meet with you at your convenience to fianher discuss my background. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Chris Hladick OBJECTIVE Confidential Resume of Chris Hladick PO Box 1132 Dillingham, AK 99576 (907) 842-4836 Seeking a position in management level where past experience in providing guidance in finance, organization, and operations is required, in a progressive community with a high quality of lifo. EMPLOYMENT City Manager CITY OF DILLINGHAM Starting Salary $74,000/yr. (July 94 to present) DILLINGHAM, ALASKA Current Salary $92,000/yr. Responsible for $12M General and Enterprise Fund Budget supervising up to 73 full time employees. The Ciht encompasses the following departments: Police, Fire & EMS, Finance, Planning, Senior Center, Public Works (Water, Sewer, Streets), Dock, Landfill, Library, Museum. Upon arrival the general fund balance stood at a negative $237K. The cash flow was a negative $600,000. The police department had major liability issues. Department Heads had little direction. Capital Projects languished on the drawing board. The employees were organizing with Local 71 as their representative. Water, Sewer, Dock, Harbor, Streets had no maintenance programs, no replacement funds and had m~jor infrastructure problems. The City is now realizing completed capital projects, better organization and improved services to the community. The following are some of the major accomplishments that I have achieved in the last six yearn: Helped author and implement the city's first Strategic Plan, updated Comp Plan, Dock Tariff rewrite, Water and Sewer Master Plan, Long Range Harbor Plan, GIS start up. Obtained $3.6M for Snag Point Erosion Project (1,600 feet of steel sheet-pile) and convinced the Corps of Engineers that the Harbor Entrance Erosion Project ($1.4M) needed to be completed in conjunction with Snag Point. Planning and management of $1.1M in Disaster Assistance Funds for Harbor Improvement Projects (mad improvement, bulkhead replacement, new bath house, ramp repairs) Working cooperatively with Curyung Tribal Council on a $3.1M Cultural Center Two and a half years of Union Negotiations with Local 71 resulted in the union registering a letter of non-interest (the union walked away, from the negotiations after having spent over $100K on the contract). Completed a controversial new landfill site selection process started in 1989, by working through a number of heated public meetings. Permits obtained and construction to be completed summer of 2001. Obtained $4M from ADEC for the project. Working with Corps of Engineers on $1.2 M dredge spoils project Completed planning process for new 1.5 acre $3.5M container dock, $5M in Corps of Engineers projects for additional erosion control, obtained $900,000 for emergency erosion control at Snag Point from NRCS. City Manager/Public Works Director CITY OF GALENA Starting Salary $38,000/yr. (March 1990 to June 1994) GALENA, ALASKA Ending Salary $70,000/yr. Responsible for $4.6M operating budget supervising 57 employees. The city operates a 4.5MW diesel power plant and maintains a 20-year contract with the ~r Force for electrical power. Galena Air Force Station is the most forward base to the former Soviet Union. Two F-15's were stationed them in alert cells. The ciht owns and operates a Public Works Department, Water, Sewer, Roads and performs maintenance on riprap revetment on the Yukon River. A full Medical and Dental clinic as well as a Mental Health clinic were also part of the city sewices provided. Upon ardval the City of Galena was in the final stages of completing the Galena Powerhouse Project. Bid at $1.2M and completed at $6.5M. I was the sixth manager on the project in five yearn. EDUCATION Within the first three months of going on line the project suffered catastrophic mechanical failures. I was able to accomplish the following in the four and a half years in Galena: Responsible for maintaining the Air Force contract while the powerhouse suffered one million dollars worth'of mechanical failures during the summer of 1991. In addition to the failures the 20 year Air Force Contact was underbid by $500K per year. After 2.5 years of claims processing the Air Force agreed to m-negotiate the contract. The m-negotiation included the Air Fome paying off our $2.8M bond issue. The Eiectdc Utility has over $1M dollars in fund balance today. Addressed design flaws in the powerhouse project bY implementing a three-year plan to upgrade the deficiencies after full re-engineering assessments were completed. Upgraded the community electrical distribution system. Disassembled the Police Department due to inadequate funding. Streamlined the Public Works and Electrical Department by implementing organization and efficiency practices. Developed maintenance programs for Public Works and Electric Department where none existed. Developed a rote structure for Water and Sewer that was self- sustaining. Completed a Rate Study for the Electric Utility as part of our claims submissions to the Air Force. Upgraded waste heat utilization. Obtained State or Federal funding for New Water Plant, several Rip Rap Revetment projects on the Yukon River, Planning for New Mental Health Clinic, BIA Roads Project, Electric Utility Upgrades, New Water and Sewer Trucks, and pay off of the city's $2.8M Bond issue. Carpenter ($151hr) Rancliff Construction (June 1983-March 1990) Estes Park, Colorado Carpenter for construction of custom homes. All aspects of building were part of the services provided; carpentry, masonry, cabinets, and fine woodworking. Various Employment (June 1979-May 1983) Snow Cat Driver for grooming and logging operations, Santa Fe Ski Area Firefighter for National Park Service, Everglades Florida Oil Field Employment's: Rio Grande, McAdam, Mgf and Exceter Drilling, Wyoming Signalman trainee for Norfolk and Western Railroad Environmental Biology BS EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY Major emphasis in fisheries biology. (Fall 1974 to May 1979) CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS Geological Engineering FORT LEW~S COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO (1983 to 1985) DURANGO COLORADO BOULDER, COLORADO Reviewed Geological Engineering in preparation for a Masters Degree at Colorado School of Mines. currently taking university classes towards a Master's Degree in Public Administration. Organizations terests Salary Vice President Alaska Municipal Managers Association, Dillingham Boys and Girls Club Steering Committee, Chair of BBAHC Jake's Place Advisory Board (Alcohol and Drug Treatment Facility), Dillingham Tourism Committee, Bristol Bay Long Distance Consortium, Bristol Bay CRP, SWAMC committees: Transportation and Utilities, Fisheries, and Public Safety, AML / Co-Chair of Legislative Committee, Coung Nhu (martial arts, green belt). Fly fishing, camping with family Negotiable MANAGER EVALUATION Date:,. March ,12~ 2000. Definitions: Standard -"anything serving as a rule for malting judgments or as a basis for comparison Judgment - the forming of an opinion (deft a belief that rests on grounds insufficient to produce certainty) Outcomes. - the results; herein refern'ng to the boxes and ovals on a PGS Outcomes Chart detailing results agreed upon to be accomplished during a year ~ ~igh ~amir, ation or esteem Method: IN COMPLETING THIS EVALUATION~ FOR EACH QUESTION WHERE YOU ARE ASI~D TO GIVE A RATING, FIRST LOOK AT THE STANDARD PROVIDED AND THEN COMPARE THE CITY MANAGER'S PERFORMANCE AGAINST THE STANDARD. THEN, SELECT 'THE NUMBF~ FROM 1 TO 10 WHICH BEST DESCRIBES HOW YOU FEE~ Aavtrr THE PERFORMmaCr~ AaA~ST THE STANOARO. IF THE DESC~ON DOES NOT FIT HOW YOU FEEL OR YOU ARE UNDECIDED BETWEEN TWO OF THE DESC~ONS, THEN SELECT A NUMBER IN-BETWEEN THOSE WHICH HAVE A DESC~ON, FOR EXAMPLE, NUMBERS 1,3,5,7,9. FOR EACH QUESTION PROVIDE ANY COMMENTS THAT. WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE C1]~ MANAGER IN MAKING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AREA COVERED BY THE QUESTION. EvalUation Scale: 10 9 8 7 6 4 3 2 Consistently exceeds my expectations Occasionally exceeds my expec~tions but always meets them Cons/stenfly meets my expectations Occasionally falls below my expectations Always falls below my exp~ons, performance clearly not satisfactory Continuing at this level of peEfonnance would be grounds for terminating the relationship version 1.4, rev. 12/20/94 ©PG$ Page 1 1. ACHIEVING CITY COUNCIL VISION: The primary responsibility of the City Manager is to lead the corporation in achieving the outcomes set out by the City Council. At this meeting, the City Council will hear progress on the strategic plan adopted in May of 1999. However, the City Council cannot use the Outcomes Chart as its sole basis for evaluating the City Manager in this area. You will also need to recall any assignments made to the City Manager or commitments to you made by the City Manager since his hiring and use progress on these items as the basis for your evaluating progress on "Achieving City Council Vision". Standg. rd: 'Comple~o~'of outwmes agreed to b!/ Oty C°unci~' and MANAGER for the past year Items not completed were the result oJ drcumstances outside the control of the MANAGER. The City Council understood throughout the year the progress being made, problems encou, ntered an..d.impo~ant ~. ssons .~. r the organization.. ........ a. Overall progress on City Council assigmnents/vision (give evaluation score) 8 - Council assignments are completed in a timely manner, even when we are limited with staff/department head vacancies. - Adequate job on critical Council assignments and maintaining daily operation. b. Quality of reports to the City Council on progress (give evaluation score) 8% - Chris turns out reports that everyone can understand. - Has effective delegation t° staff. - Appreciate willingness to listen and does a good job on answering questions. - Appreciate thorough information on issues and how it will impact City operations and future assets. c. What specific accomplishments have been made that were important to you? (no evaluation score) - Landfill permitted and project funded with majority of State and ~ederal $$$. - Erosion walls at Snag Point and Boat Harbor completed. - Hiring a Finance Director. - Reduce employee turnover. version 1.4, rev. 12/20/94 ©I~S Page 2 - Building a productive and cooperative management/employee team. - Starting water and sewer master plan. - Effort put forward on Cold Storage & Dock analysis. - MOU that City and Tribe are working ore - Stayed on track with LBC borough issue. - Uses lobbyist effectively (Jim Ayers) to secure funding landfill. - A~sisted Living Facility. - Mana§er'~ report. d' From what you know, what should have been accomplished ( i.e. failing to accomplish it was the responsibility of the MANAG~ rather than the result of conditions outside the organization that could not be controlled) by this time that has noff (no evaluation score) - Bathhouse off schedule. (not yet) - Delegate to each department head that each department will submit a policy and procedm:e manual (unique to that departmem) for approval of the Com~¢il. (not yet) - Created Deputy Clerkflntem position to assist VI. (not yet) - A~sess Naive employees by Department numbers & percentages. (not FINANCIAL CONDITION: · have prepared a budget clearly laying out expectations re. revenues and expenses for the year · achieved targets for profitability/rovings Jbr operations (i.e. exclusive of non-operational funds · operated within the expense amount authorized by the Gty Council in the a~rrroed or amended budget · ac.~unts receivable are minimized · report, d to the Ci~ Council in a.~'mely, accurate and complete ° contributed positivel~t to well-managed investments Evaluation Score and Comments: 7 - Provides budget in a clear format. - Chris has been able to operate efficiently under financial limitations keeping bottom line in focus. Finance Department performed well and information continued to flow even though we did not have a Finance Director. version 1.4, rev. 12/20/94 Page 3 3. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: [Standard: ' a~' efficient 'organizational' s[mctu're in 'Which each person understan,~. ~.thei,r responsibility and authority q.n.d minimu.,m, waste exists. .Evaluation Sc°re and Comments: - Chris runs a good ship. - Chris is well respected by his staff and this shows through the production levels and how well everyone is working together. - Appears to me. Chris has a well organized' management style and holds individuals and Departments accountable for production. 4. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT:. 'St'andard:, Performance of the organizatiOn is continuously improving as seen in the effidency (cost and productivity) and quality of work. There are methods for evaluation of performance of individuals and systems. There is a cooperative ~eam spirit among working team& Employees e,xhibit a positive attitude t, owara leadership of the organization. Evaluation Score and Comments: 7.4 - Staff will bypass Chris to speak before the Council to under minding the vote. Needs to be worked out with Chris and staff should not speak negatively at a public meeting. - Some employees have a negative attitude no matter what. 5. PUBLIC RELATIONS Standard; The Public has_ sufficient unddrstanding of the Plans aha, progress of the organization to be able to knowingly support the City. Constituent con~s are addressed quickly and ~~factoril¥. The relationships with organizations and individuals with whom cooperation ,is., consi,d~, ed ~ to our su. cc~ss are soun. d. , , , Evaluation Score and Comments: 7 % -, Newsletter is a well-constructed CommunitY. information package to the - City/Community relations seem to be good, continue the education of public. - You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. - Did a good job of weeding through the constructive and negative comments from the city constituents. version 1.4. rev. 12/20/94 ©PGS Page 4 6. COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE CITY COUNC~ Below are listed a series of standards for the quality of communications from theCity Manager to the City Council. The quality of the written and verbal communications to the City Council will determine much of the City Council's success in directing the organization. Please provide an evaluation score and comments on each of the standards below: Timeliness ,Standa. rd: Information received is current and in time for the City Council to take corrective action and/or make a quality decision Evaluation Score and Comments: 7 ¥2 - Information provided in packet allows for good decisions to be made. - Council should be informed before the press. - We have had some probIems' receiving packet information prior to meeting. I feel Chris might have an almost impossible task in providing up to the minute information before meeting and some leeway should be afforded. - Still getting information before meeting and the timeliness is such that I can't make a good quality decision sometimes. Honesty .Standard: TI~ MANAGER shares his true opinions rather tlmn what is safe. Needed information is not withheld from the City Council Evaluation Score and Comments: 8 - This is one of Chris's true strengths. - We trust the City Manager's honesty. - Chris maintains a high degree of integrity and honesty. Quantity/format of information S..,tandard: The Ca'ty Council is given enough information to make a quality decision but not too much as to fed ovenohelme~L The information is presented in such a way as to ease decision-malting rather than make it more difficult. The format is consistent for all maten'al gi~,n to the C_J't~ Couml. The mix ofumi~ verms ~erbal ~tation i$ good. Evaluation Score and COmments: 8 - Information sufficient but not overwhelming. - He does a good job. Obj~vity of information Standard: On an issue, all sides and possible alternatives are presented. I do not feel as if I ant bet'ng mid a deci~on or that the information is ~lanted ~ paint me in # ~ecific direction version 1.4, rev. 12/20/94 ©PGS Page 5. Evaluation Score and Comments: 8 - Chris is objective and his insight is valued. Proper measure of guidance vs. control or manipulation .S..tondard: City Council members are clear on the opinion/advice of the MANAGER but do not feel that hisflter presentations push them in a certain direction or create an "us" versus "them" feeling. Rat/~,r, it is a team atmosphere examining the best course to follow. Evaluation Score and Comments: 8 - He is clear on his opinion to Council, but still understands that the decision is ultimately ours. - Chris never appears to be motivated by a personal agenda, only what is good for the City. aa ty Standard: understood Both the written and verbal presentations to the City Council are easily Evaluation Score and Comments: 8 He and staff need to be consistent with preparing draft motions of proposed action. Good use of time Standard: The MANAGER respects the time being donated by Ca'fy Council members and does not waste time with information tlmt is not ~ or by not being prepared which delays City Council action Evaluation Score and Comments: 8 ~/4 - Time well spent. - Does not waste time with unrelated materials or conversation and this is appreciated. Information is to the point. - Impressed on how Chris uses his time while at worl~ Respect for City Council authority Standard: The role and authority of the City Council to direct the organization is respected. Viewpoints of City Council members are respected. Evaluation Score and Comments: 8 ¥~ - Consistently respects Council authority. - Supportive and respectful. version 1.4, rev. 12/20/94 ©PGS Page6 Amount of individual attention to City Council members S~rd,,: The MANAGER finds time to address questions and hear the co~ of City Council members outside the meetings Evaluation Score and Comments: 8 - Time is made for any concerns and he always schedules time for Council when we have input from the public, comments or questions. - Always accommodating. 7. PROGRESS SINCE LAST YEARS EVALUATION: Last year, the City Council defined areas in which it wished to see improvement in the performance of the City Manager. Below are listed each area in which improvement was wanted. For each, write score (using same evaluation scale as on page 1) and comments showing whether improvement has been made or not;, the basis for your iudgement; that is what specific progress did you see; and other improvements you would like to see. 1. Note: Comments for this reflected in l d of this evaluation. 8. SUMMARY: Overall performance rating of MANAGER. Evaluation Score and Comments: 8 - Chris does an excellent job. He truly has the City's financial condition as a priority. He manages staff well with high expectations and should continue to demand excellence. a. What was the basis for your evaluation? - He has done an excellent job managing the City. b. List the major strengths of the City Manager and how they were demonstrated over the last year? - Took pride in improving Dillingh~'s image in state wide promotion of capital improvements. Took pride in capital projects and hand- providing and managing projects productively. - Networks well with other communities at SWAMC and AML and utilizes those to the advantage of the City. version 1.4, rev. 12/20/94 ©~ Pa~e 7 - Brings us his knowledge and expe~ence. - Good people skills. Ce Name three steps your City Manager could take that would increase your personal commitment to him and the organization? d. If you could advise the City Manager on three areas for personal/professional growth that would benefit himself and/or the . corporation, what would they be? - Delegate staff to attend more meetings and report back to you, instead of trying to cover them all. - Keep a po,itive attitude. - Stay focused on the needs of the community as a regional center. - Continue to provide the excellent leadership in building and maintaining the City's infrastructure to accommodate future fishing, shipping, education and tourism. - Don't hesitate to sit at: the table when invited to joint meetings. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE version 1.4, rev. 12/20/94 ©PC~ Page 8 Supplement to resume of Chris Hladick Prepared March 23,2001 City of Kenai, City Manager search The following information is submitted in response to Ms. Kim Howard's letter of March 15, 2001. The letter asks for additional information in three areas. 1. Issues of public controversy: There has been public controversy with respect to a lawsuit between the City of Dillingham and a former council member concerning his disregard for following the City Ordinances in regards to Sales Tax. This individual happens to own a FM Radio Station with the call sign "KRUP". In his words, "Corrupt radio for a corrupt little town". Fred Jackson McCormick owns the radio station and has been very verbal in his opinion about the City, my management of the City, the Mayor, other council members and anyone who disagrees with him. The controversy began in February of 1995. The council asked me to clean up the accounts of those businesses known for non-compliance in regards to the Sales Tax Ordinance. Some 35 business were identified including the one Mr. McCormick owns, Hillbilly Enterprises. The council's approach was to provide for a two-month period of amnesty for those businesses who came in voluntarily. In return, no penalty or interest would be applied to their accounts. Over a period of a year the list of non- complying businesses shrank with only Mr. McCormick's business remaining. His company was taken to court. The courts found that Hillbilly Enterprises was a sham corporation and the City prevailed on all counts. Mr. McCormick appealed to the State Supreme Court. A ruling was made recently by the Supreme Court upholding the decision of the lower courts on all counts. At the beginning of the lawsuits Mr. McCormick ran for City Council and won. He eominued his venomous attacks on council members others and myself in the community throughout his tenure on the council. His term was up last fall. He ran for Mayor but was defeated by a margin of two to one. Throughout Mr. McCormick's personal attacks I have remained professional and continued to perform my duties in the best interests of the City of Dillingham. Mr. McCormick continues his tirade on his radio station during his 8:00 p.m. editorial every night of the week. Mr. McCormick's contempt of the State's legal system, the City's Code of Ordinances, and his lack of ethical conduct continues to erode his credibility in Dillingham. o I have attached a copy of my evaluation from last year. The City Council is currently preparing my evaluation covering this past year as well as a synopsis of my achievements during my tenure since 1994. I have let council here know that I am looking for other opportunities. I had been asked to renew my contract for another three years. I will be leaving here on a positive note. I can provide copies of the recent evaluation and the overall evaluation when I receive them from the mayor. ge I believe my areas of strengths lie in communication, leadership, and honesty and integrity. The accompanying city council prepared evaluation validates my beliefs. I feel that I have the ability to communicate with people from all walks of life. I feel that my varied life experiences have allowed me to gain skills in this area. I am comfortable in a cross-cultural environment as proven by my performance in Galena and Dillingham. Recently the City of Dillingharn and the Curyung Tribal Council signed a "Memorandum.of Understanding" that will bring the two organizations together to work on common goals. In both places I believe I set records for length of tenure. I have proven that I can take an organization that is in turmoil and mm it around to one that works well. My honesty and integrity are characteristics that have enabled me to be successful where others have failed. I am a good listener with the ability to remain calm through heated debate or conflict. Areas of weakness: In my last evaluation the council pointed out that I need to delegate staff to-attend more meetings instead of trying to attend them all. I feel that one of my weaknesses is that I will inherently take on more work than can be accomplished to see if it can be done. I expect more from staff than they can ever deliver. And, I tell my staff there is no slack time of the year, only time available to get more done. Over the years I have tried to temper my expectations because burning om employees, or myself, is not the goal. And in this day and age not many employees are willing to work as many hours as I am used to working' The third question asks for my philosophy in regards to City Management. I will assume for purposes of discussion, that the reader is familiar with the duties and powers of a city manager contained in Title 29 of the Alaska Statutes. The manager is the Chief Executive Officer of the municipality and is responsible for the day to day operations of the city. The City Council sets the policy for the City and the manager ensures the policy is followed. The role of the City Manager in the Manager form of government is to coordinate the operations of the City. With respect tothe City Council, the manager coordinates and distributes information for decision making. This information is in the form of reports and research. The manager presents the information, usually in the form of options ~for making decisions along with a recommendation to the city council. The city council debates and votes on an issue or requests further information. Once an issue is decided the manager must implement the policy. The manager must support the decisions of the City Council to staff and the public once a decision is made. The manager also must represem the best interests of the City in meetings with relevant agencies in regards to topics that impact the community. The manager cannot speak for the city council but can represent what the council's position is on an issue. The manager must be clear on the difference between a council decision and a manager's decision. The manager must be continually conscious of the public process and make appropriate recommendations to the mayor and council concerning that process. The manager cannot withhold information from the City Council nor should they manipulate information to advance personal interests. Additionally, the manager should maintain neutrality during city council elections. The City Council has the responsibility to the manager to give clear direction. In the best ease scenario they would provide a vision for the community. There is a simple model that I like to use for illustrating the visioning process. The model depicts a ship (the City) heading in a direction (toward the vision). The manager is the captain ofthe ship and the staff is the crew. It is the manager's job to report to the Council on the condition of the ship. The Council provides the destination for the ship. They would also provide the parameters (policy and fiscal restraints) that the ship should stay within. The Council asks the captain and crew how long it will take to get to the destination and the captain and staff set dates for achieving the milestones on time. At every council meeting, the manager repons on the progress of the City towards the City Council's vision of the future. This is a simplified approach that we have used in Dillingham for three years. This process provides a tool for the council to focus on what is important for the community. It gives management and the council a "dashboard" so that everyone knows where a project is at a given time. And if a milestone is not met, there needs to be an explanation why. Obviously this is a protracted version of the process and I would be happy to elaborate if chosen for an interview. · The council must give the manager feedback concerning their performance. If the manager is not aligned with the Council then a change must be. made. If the manager is going in the right' direction, that information should be relayed to the manager as positive feedback during the evaluation process. I like to think that running a City works best as a team approach. It is the Mayor and the City Council that have to answer to their constituents. The manager and staff should be part of that team but also remember that the Elected Officials are responsible for the policy decisions. Thank you for the opportunity to give you more information about my abilities as a city manager. CITY OF KENAI 210 FIDALGO AVE., SUITE 200 KENAI, ALASKA 99611-7794 TELEPHONE 907-283-7535 FAX 907-283-3014 ~ CONSENT TO RELEASE OF CREDIT HISTORY FOR EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES I hereby authorize the City of Kenai to make any investigation of my personal history and financial and credit record through any investigative or credit agencies or bureaus of its choice. I agree to release from all liability or responsibility all persons, companies, corporations, or governmental entities providing such information. I have read and understand the above Consent to Release of Credit History for Employment Purposes, and voluntarily consent to allBy:its provisions(~_ (print) sTATE OF/~~~9'-o/~'~~ On this,~,~0 day of ./~4~'/~C/-/Z, 2001, before me personally appeared , ~own to me to be the pe~on whose nme is subscribed on the foregoing Consent to Release of Credit Histo~for Employment Purposes, ~d ac~owledged that he/she executed the s~e ~ hisser ~ee will ~d~ ~ ~ =- . . --,-- . =-~MyCo~issionExpires: ,/-/6~ Ca°~ I/IIIIIIIIB~x~ CITY OF KENAI 210 FIDALGO AVE., SUITE 200 KENAI, ALASKA 99611-7794 TELEPHONE 907-283-7535 FAX 907-283-3014 ~ CONSENT TO RELEASE OF INFORMATION I hereby authorize the City of Kenai to conduct a thorough investigation of my past employment, personal and professional background and activities, including, but not limited to, a search of any criminal records I might have. I agree to release from all liability or responsibility all persons, companies, corporations, or governmental entities providing such information. I have read and understand the above Consent to Release of Information and voluntarily consent to all its provisions and contents.By: DATE: On thi~ day of ~~~~01, before me personally appeared , known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed on ihe foregoing Consent to Release of Information, and~a,cknowledged that he/she executed the same as his/her free will and deed. · / ~lq~ary eubl~ in and for~~~ ~ My Commission Expires: Recruitment Guidelines Handbook expected but it should be coordinated with the applicant. The local government must avoid jeopardizing an applicant's current position. Thorough background checks and references are usually conducted after the council has narrowed down the group of applicants and after the candidate has been informed that references and others will be called. 4. Resumes should be evaluated against the criteria fOr the position that were developed at the outset of the recruiting process. Here are criteria to look for in the review process: Has the applicant had experience working in a local government of comparable size? Has the applicant had experience with the variety of services delivered by the local government? Has the experience been comparable in terms of budget size and number of employees? Has the applicant worked in a similar geographic area? Is the applicant ~ely to be comfortable in a rural or urban setting and familiar with the usual problems faced by the local government? . . What specific responsibilities has the applicant had, and what has the applicant accomplished? How does this compare with the objectives and priorities of the local government? Has the applicant had broad administrative and supervisory authority, or has the experience of the applicant been limited to research or administering activities in specialized areas? · Has the applicant worked directly with the local government in the past? Does the applicant have experience working with citizen and other groups? What is the emplo3nnent history of the applicant? Does it suggest a pattern of broad experience and increasing responsibility? Does the applicant have good tenure with each employer, or is there a pattern of frequent movement from one position to another? Whereas a short tenure in the previous position may or may not be significant, a series:of short terms should be a warning that more thorough inquiry is needed. By the same token, 10 years of experience is not necessarily preferable to five, or five to three. In fact, a person with a long tenure in one position may £md it difficult to adjust to another. Similarly, age also does not necessarily correlate with maturity of judgment or adaptability. Is the applicant concerned with continuing professional development and participating in training programs and professional organizations? What is the current salary of the applicant? Does it fit within the parameters of the local agency? ,. How have the resume and letter of transmittal been prepared? Do they suggest a real interest in the posi~0n? What does the resume itself tell about the person? Determining Finalists When the resume review process has been completed, it should be possible to n~ow the total group of applicants to a smaller group of perhaps 15 to 25. This group will be subject to more thorough background checks and ulti- mately narrowed to an even smaller number of applicants. The latter group will be designated as finalists and invited for interviews. These considerations are ~portant when determining finalists: .,. 1. The council should resist the temptati°n'to select finalists before background checks have been completed. One of the resume reviewers may suggest, for example, that based on the resume alone, the council should select . finalists and move fight ahead to the interviews. However, while resumes are helpful as an initial screening device, they also can be misleading. They reveal nothing about the management style, personality, or interpersonal skills of the individual in terms of his or her ability to work effectively with people. They also can create an exaggerated impression of actual work experience, responsibilities, and accomplishments. It is neither prac.tical nor necessary to conduct background checks on all February 24 March 1 March 8 [1 March 11 1[ March 15 [[ March 18 [[ March 22 l[ March 25 43.0 45.0 45.0 44.0 44.0 45.0 47.0 46.0 48.0 · 47.0 ~._a_rg.h_29 43.0 April 1 !1' 44.0 Aprils Ii 46.0 April 8 Il, 47.0 April 12 I[ 45.0 April 15 43.0 1998 ice measurements February 5 45.0 February 18 Il 43.0 February 25 38.5 March 4 Il 38.5 March 8 Il 46.0 March 18 II 42.3 April I l[ 34.3 April 3 38.0 Recruitment Guidelines Handbook applicants, but an important interim step is to conduct background checks on a smaller group as a prelude to and basis for selecting fmalists. 2. Be sure the background checks are work related. The purpose of the background checks is to provide a solid reading of the candidate's ability to handle the job and to work with people. Consequently, background checks should be conducted primarily with people who know local government, understand the job of a local government manager, and have a firsthand knowledge of the performance of the applicant in this area. Such work-related background checks would normally be based on conversations with current and former members of the local government, including the mayor and councilmembers; smffmembers with whom the applicant has worked closely and/or supervised; and others who have worked closely with the applicant, including the chamber of commerce director and the superintendent of schools. Background checks also can be conducted with state/provincial association officers, institutes of govermnent staff members, and state league directors. As indicated previously, confidentiality is extremely important, and the local government should be sure to coordinate with the applicant in terms of any background checks that are undertaken. 3. When conducting background checks, these guidelines are important for ensuring consistency and thoroughness: Have one person perform all the background checks. This can be difficult for one person to handle, however, especially if three background checks are desired. Also, it can be helpful ff two or more people compare notes on the same candidates. Address similar issues and questions to each applicant to provide a good basis for comparison. · Talk with enough people to get a consistent reading as to the strengths and weaknesses of the individual. If a person can say only good things about the applicant, ask him or her directly what weaknesses the applicant has. · Use the background checks to learn about the applicant's ability to work effectively with people, to develop a more complete understanding of the applicant's work experience and specific accomplishments, and to see if the applicant's qualifications match the criteria for the position. · Include verification of educational credentials in the background check process. There is another possible step to use to narrow down the list of £malists. The candidates can be asked to respond in writing to a limited number of questions that members of the governing body agree on. These might include asking how the person would handle a particular situation or asking if he or she has had experience dealing with specific situations. 4. The group of finalists should be large enough to expose the council to an army of personalities. In most cases, a minimumof five candidates should be interviewed as finalists. The local government also may wish to establish a backup group in case some of the finalists decide not to pursue the position arty further. Interviewing Finalists Once finalists have been selected, the interviewing process begins, and the local government can proceed with these steps: 1. Confirm with each candidate that he or she has been selected as a finalist. Each finalist should be congratulated and made to feel that the council is pleased to have reviewed his or her resume. At the same time, the continuing interest of the individual in the position should be confirmed. 2. Advise each finalist of the nature of the interview process, including date and time. Confirm for the fmalist now 1997 ice measurements February 4 46.0 February 19 46.0 February 25 46.0 March 4 ![ 44.0 March 11 !i 44.5 March 18 44.5 April 1 [[ ~43.0 April 4 42.5 1996 ice measurements February 10 41.0 February 23 February 29 March 6 March 12 March 19 March 25 March 27 il 44.0 46.0 46.0 44.0 45.0 46.5 45.5 April 1 46.0 April 4 45.0 April 8 45.0 April 16 45.0 April 19 I! 43.7 April 22 [[ 41.5 1995 ice measurements William B. Elliott 1220 Jacquelyn Street MiltonoFreewater, OR 97862 Home Phone: (541) 938-9159 E-Mail: belliott@innw.net Kim Howard, Assistant to C~M CITY OF KENAI 210 Fidalgo Ave. Suite 200 Kenai, AK 99611-7794 February 21, 2001 ___RECEIVED ADM ION RE: Position if City Manager Dear Ms. Howard: Please consider this letter and attached resume as application for the Kenai position of City Manager. I learned of your opening through Your ad in the International City Managers Association newsletter. My experience and education appear to qualify me to assume the City Manager position. Having successfully managed cities in two states, I am able to orient to new state and city. regulations quickly and easily. I have over 20 years experience in City Government, 17 as City Manager. I have a prior history in finance and accounting that allows me to prepare various styles of budgets for the cities I have served which are comprehensive, yet readable and understandable with var.~ng degrees of detail. I have negotiated with major union bargaining units including IBEW, Teamsters, OSEA, OPEU, AFSCME and private attorneys representing police and supervisor units. I have always been able to maintain positive relations and avoid serious litigation with these entities. I have also authored new or revised personnel policies in several cities. While my attached resume points out many accomplishments over my career in municipal government, it does not reveal who I am. I have an open, participative management style and I value honesty and integrity above all else in dealing with Councilors, staff, citizens, and the media.' These values have consistently won the respect of the people for whom I work and the people who work with me. In dealing with Boards or Commissions of va~.ing sizes and perspectives over the years, I have quichly gained the confidence of these members and earned their respect by performing my duties competently and professionally. ~)c~cje I ol~ ? Kenai, Alaska 'February 21, 2001 On a personal note, my wife and I were privileged to attend the Western Region City Manager's Conference in Talkeetna last April. I was serving my second year on the Oregon City/County Managers Association Board of directors. This was our first encounter in Alaska and we were hooked. We both committed to seriously pursuing openings that may come available. The people are warm and friendly and the panorama is not to be believed. But then, you already know all that. I am available for an interview at your convenience. I can be reached at my home almost any time at (541) 938-9159. You may contact any of the attached references when a mutual interest is determined. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to hearing from you at your first opportunity. Sincerely, William B. Elliott AT~: Resume RESUME William B. Elliott 1220 Jacquelyn Street Mflton-Freewater, Oregon 97862 (541) 938-9159 e-mail: belliott@innw.net PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE CITY MANAGER, Milton-Freewater, Oregon (pop. 6,700) from May, 1996 through January, 2001. Beginning Salary $60,000; Ending Salary $70,956. With an annual budget over $20 Million, Milton-Freewater is a full-service City with eight departments, 80 employees and five bargaining units covering 100% of staff. Operations include administration, city clerk, police, volunteer fire, electric distribution, public works, water, sewer, trash, landfill, golf course, streets, parks, engineering, buildings, fleet management, library, community development, planning, building inspection, finance and personnel. The following goals and/or program objectives were accomplished during my tenure as manager: * Successfully recruited 600 job call center (Sykes Enterprises) to town. Purchased, annexed and re-zoned land, constructed all infrastructure including streets, electric, water and sewer lines. Secured 41% of $3.5 million project costs from outside sources (State, County & Private). Involved close working agreements with neighboring jurisdictions and state Community Solutions Team. * Added new million gallon reservoir with upgrading of well for creation of 50 acre business park. Negotiated gifts of 17 acres for infrastructure plus additional10 acres to City, for future development from property owners. * Completed major sewer treatment system renovation master plan to provide adeqUate treatment and capacity for 20 year planning period. Secured $750,000 CDBG grant and accumulated over $1 Million over three years to complete first two phases of project. Entire project required only a $5/month rate increase. * Several major plan amendments to Urban Renewal Agency to allow tremendous success in recruitment and business development within the URA district. Included the addition and deletion of properties. * Reorganized severaldepartments including Community Development, Planning, Engineering and City Clerk. * Complete rewrite of many City ordinances including: purchasing policies, travel policies, personnel policies, water, electric and sewer ordinances and all utility administrative procedures. * Successfully negotiated renewal contracts with Electric (IBEW), Public Works (Teamsters), Clerical (IBEW), 'Police Association and Supervisor/Technical bargaining units. CITY MANAGER, City of Coos Bay, Oregon (pop. 15,450) from January, 1995 to August, 1995. Beginning Salary $60,000; Ending Salary $65,508. (Negotiated mutual agreement for leaving after such short tenure) I was responsible for all the day to day operations of the City including administration, police, fire, tourism, engineering, parks, streets, sewer, library, planning/zoning, building inspection, personnel, finance/budget, and risk management. Coos Bay has an annual budget of over $20 million. My senior management team consists of seven department heads with a subordinate staff of 100 employees and three bargaining units covering about 70% ofthe total work force. The following goals and/or program objectives were accomplished during my short tenure as manager: * Successful negotiations to resolve four year disputed sewer charges with neighboring sewer district. agreement included mandatory renegotiation of contract. * Negotiated three year contracts with Police and Fire unions with no arbitration after prior bitter negotiations. * Reorganized Public Works and Community Development departments into a single Community Services division. Created true one-stop permitting and inspection program. CITY MANAGER, City of The Dalles, Oregon (pop. 11,300) from November, 1990 to January, 1995. Beginning Salary: $55,000; Ending Salary: $59,850. ~- ~ My responsibilities included administration, police, fire, ambulance, tourism, public works, water and sewer, planning/zoning, airport, personnel, risk management, finance and library. The Dalles' annual budget was $16+ million dollars. I directed a senior management team of nine department heads and a staff of 102 employees. Three bargaining units represented 65% of our employees. The following goals and/or program objectives were accomplished during my tenure as manager: * Complete rewrite and successful election to adopt revised City Charter. * Creation and adoption of a community vision for The Dalles. * Authored exempt employee Personnel Policy manuals for all three classes of union-exempt employees, including department heads. * Successful negotiation of four union contracts and/or extensions of contracts and resolution of many grievances over three years with no reversals in arbitration. * Completion of six year negotiations resulting in consolidation of City Fire and ambulance service with neighbo~g Wasco Rural Fire District. Involved Wasco County and all affected taxing districts in agreement. * Contracted out City wastewater treatment program to OMI, and negotiated new 15 year lease of City owned office building to State of Oregon. CITY MANAGER, City of Safford, Arizona (Pop. 7,500) - November, 1983 to November, 1990. Beginning Salary: $38,000; Ending Salary: $49,860. The City's annual budget was $14+ million dollars. My management team consisted of eleven department heads (over 140 employees and 28 volunteer firemen) including Electric Distribution, NatUral Gas Distribution, Garbage and Trash pickup, an 18-hole municipal golf course, Airport, Planning, Police, Volunteer Fire, Library, Public Works, Streets, Water, Sewer, Engineering, Warehousing and Fleet Management. Notable accomplishments include: * Complete overhaul of the City's salary/classification plan including new apprentice employee advancement programs in all utility divisions. * Over $10 million of major construction including $2 million of airport runway/taxiway improvements; $3 million in new roads and/or overlay construction; $2 million in water system improvements; $1 million in electrical system upgrades; $1.5 million in City building additions/improvements including consolidation of warehouse/vehicle maintenance yards into newly constructed facilities to accommodate utility headquarters, fleet management facilities and a new 20,000 square foot library/City Council building. .* Implemented and funded for seven years comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan for all utility and public works infrastructure to save millions of dollars worth of capital items that had suffered years of neglect. Other positions held at City of Safford include: ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER/TREASURER from June, 1982 to November, 1983, and FINANCE DIRECTOR/ACCOUNTANT From April, 1981 to June, 1982. BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR, Christian Unified Schools of San Diego- Sept. 1978 to April, 1981 Beginning Salary: $12,500; Ending Salary: $23,000. C.U.S.S.D. is a private school district in San Diego County with seven campus facilities and 2,500 students. Total district budget was approximately $2.3 million. My work was on the District level dealing with fiscal policies affecting the administration of all schools. I reported directly to the School Board concerning these policies and coordinated implementation with the Superintendent and school principals. I left to pursue goals in Governmental Accounting. ASSISTANT CONTROl, Grace Schools, Winona Lake, Indiana - June, 1974 to Sept. 1978. Grace is a fully accredited private Liberal Arts College and Graduate School with a Christian Seminary program sharing one campus. Total enrollment is about 1,800 students. Total budget was $4.5 million. I reported to the Controller and had very little dealings with the Board. I left this position after completing the design and installation of a computerized accounting system, bringing the School into the 20th Century. ASST. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR, New Cuyama, California - June 1973 to June, 1974. New Cuyama is an unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County with a population of 1,000. The ARCO Oil Company butt the town in the 1950's for its employees. When they pulled out of the area, they donated their interest in the town to a Christian Relief Agency called Foundation for Airborne Relief. I was hired by this agency to set up a utility accounting system to handle their water billings and rent revenues. Once the system was in place, there was no work so I left. This was a donated year with no salary. OWNER/MANAGER, Foothill Motorcycle Center, Inc. - December, 1969 to June, 1973 Together with my brother, we financed and bought a Honda Motorcycle dealership. We set new sales records for the Pomona area the three years we owned and operated the franchise. I left to go into full-time Christian service using my abilities as an accountant and a_d~inistrator. BUSINESS MANAGER, Parkwood Chevrolet & Eddie Peyton GMC. - 1964 to 1969 I spent four years at Parkwood. I was Office Manager, Lease Manager, Used Car Reconditioning Manager, and Finance & Insurance Manager at one time or another. I was offered a part ownership opportunity with Eddie Peyton and went there for almost a year before buying my own business with my brother in December, 1969. I handled all financial areas through monthly statements and handled the auditors annually. All flooring checks were my responsibility along with used car inventory and reconditioning. EDUCATION Bachelor of Science, 1978 from Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana Business Administration major with Accounting emphasis. GPA 3.8 Associate of Arts, 1964 from Cerritos College, Norwalk, California; Business Administration major PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS. International City/County Managers Association since 1983 Oregon City/County Managers Association since 1991 (Board member 1999 - 2001) Arizona City Managers Association from 1983 to 1990 Municipal Finance Officers Association from 1981 to 1984 National Association of College and University Business Officers from 1974 to 1981 Rotary Club International since 1991 PERSONAL PROFILE Birthdate: Married: Daughter Son Height: Weight: Health: Hobbies & Interests June, 1942 - Long Beach, California 1963 (Barbara) Christie, Married (4 grandchildren) John, deceased, 1982 6ft. 185 lbs. Excellent Bowling, Tennis, Golf, Flying (Private Pilot Certificate) Wil!iam B. Elliott 1220 Jacquel.vn Street Milton-Freewater, OR 97862 Home Phone: (541) 938-9159 E-Mail: belhott@innw.net Klm Howard, Assistant to C/M CITY OF KENAI 210 Fidalgo Ave. Suite 200 Kenai, AK 99611- 7794 RE: Additional Information February 21, 2001 RECEIVED' I IAR I 2 _uut CITY OF K'ENAI -- ADMINISTRATI .O,N Dear Ms. Howard: Enclosed are the two notarized forms required for your recruitment process. Additionally, I submit the following in response to the three questions asked: _Ouestion 1. Past incidents/issues of controversy. A city manager involved in public controversy??? Perish the thought. It has certainly never happened to me (ha ha). Outside of the normal disgruntled citizen that does not like the Council's decision on an issue, and who takes aim at the most visible target, the City Manager, there are no skeletons that I know of hiding in my closet. I have been asked to leave by two councils, but there is not any issue of impropriety or wrong-doing associated with these changes. Rather, they were just the normal course correction of one council wanting another manager to direct their ship. Ouestion 2. Strengths and weaknesses. I would identify my strengths as financial and budget, negotiating, labor relations (including contra~ negotiations, human resources, grievance resolution~ and benefit issues), open honest dealings with council, staff, citizens and the media, absolute integrity, and finally I would add delegation and loyalty to this list. Weaknesses??? What is that?? I have gone to city manager school where all those W-words have been purged from my being. One of my listed strengths has caused me problems in the past. That being loyal to the Council that has hired me. When the council . changes faces and I am perceived as being one of "the old group", some new councilors may believe I cannot worh for them as I did the previous member. This has recently caused me to be back in the job-seeking market. I am willing to live with that. [])~je i o'~ ? .Question 3. Council-Manager philosoph~ and mutual responslhilities. I believe that the Council has the authority and the responsibility to set policy for the city. I believe the manager's role is to create the administrative rules to carry out the Council's policies and then make sure those policies are adhered to. While this simplistic statement sound~ so easy, it can only be accomplished with a team spirit and candid two- way communication between council members and the manager. I believe all councilors should receive the same information from the manager, not just those who support all issues pending before the Council. I believe that as much as possible, the Council should ' never be surprised by what they read in the paper. If I know something that could them or has the potential to require them to respond, I will make every effort to get that information to the Council before it sneaks up on them. If communication breaks down, I will take responsibility for that. Having said that, I will need open access to all councilors to call or meet when necessary to keep everyone current on issues that may be coming up. I will also provide a weekly written report of activities and happenings that may be routine, but will help to prevent sunrises. I will make myself completely available to the Council at work and home for calls about anything, anytime. I will be totally honest and open with the Council and I will expect the same from them. If something is bugging a councilor, I will expect a call or visit to help me get on the right track. If I don't know something is wrong I can't fix it. In this regard, if there is a divided opinion on the Council I will not be able to solve that problem. My job will be to do the will of the majority. This can sometimes get me in trouble with some individual members on the Council if they perceive I do not support them because I am carrying out the will of the majority. I hope we all understand that this can happen ~om time to time. That's just politics 101. I trust this will satisfy your requirements at this time. You are free to contact any of my former employers. I am enclosing a copy of my most recent evaluation for your review. Sincerely, William B. Elliott Encl: Evaluation (9pages) Consent forms (2) ~¢Ge ? o~ ? CITY MANAGER EVALUATION FORM · CITY OF MILTON-FREEWATER Evaluator' Mark the response you feel best represents the performance of the manager in the entire time period under consideration (since the last evaluation). Make any comments you feel are important for the manager to know. ADM_ ._IN.. ISTRATION le Administers the daily operation of all City departments. ( ) Excellent O~Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable .5-7 e Keeps the City Council well informed on a regular basis and provides Council with all the information necessary for sound policy formation and decision making. ( ) Excellent ( ) Good '(?0Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable 3~ Seeks professional growth and development by dedication to yearly continuing educational opportunities and by participation in professional organizations. ( ) Excellent '~ Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable . Evaluates the programs and services of the City on a regular basis and reorganizes, improves, or eliminates them to meet present needs and financial circumstances. ( ) Excellent ~6~ Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable, . Monitors and reports to City Council, within an established time frame, on the progress and completion of assigned projects and goals. ( ) Excellent ~ Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable 1 Adheres to the highest professional and ethical standards in performing the duties of the job of City Manager. ( ) Excellent (~ Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable II. BUDGET AND FINANCE . Operates the City services within the limits of the yearly budget provided. ( ) Excellent (1~ Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable e Prepares in a timely manner an understandable, well documented budget for the Budget Committee. ( ) Excellent ~.G~ ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable e Establishes effective fiscal management policies for control of budgeted expenditures. ( ) Excellent ~Q. Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable e Provides monthly financial information to Council and department heads. ( ) Excellent ('~Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable e Identifies and evaluates available resources for f'mancing of prioritized projects. ( ) Excellent ~Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) unacceptable III. . L_EAD~RSHIPIIH.~AN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT Hires competent professional department heads and provides staff leadership for delegated responsibility. ( ) Excellent ~ Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable . Has devised and is maintaining a thorough, effective performance evaluation system at all levels of City staff. ( ) Excellent ( ) Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable . Enables and encourages all levels of staff to pursue appropriate educational opportunities which will enhance their professional growth and development and ensure that the delivery of City services utilizes the most effective methods available. ( ) Excellent (~Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable . Administers the personnel policies adopted by the City Council, negotiates labor contracts with bargaining units, and resolves any employee grievances. ( ) Excellent ,(,,) Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable IV. COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT Maintains good public relations for the City throughout the community. ( ) Excellent ( ) Good (~Acxeptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable 2~ Resolves citizen problems in a courteous and timely manner with fairness to all. ( ) Excellent )~Good (')Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable e Has established a mutually cooperative working relationship between the City and other governmental bodies and creatively uses the resources of other agencies to benefit the City and the community. ( ) Excellent '~ Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor · ( ) Unacceptable e Supports economic development strategies of the community and promotes public/private parmerships which will support the continuing growth and development of the City's economic base. ( ) Excellent ~j~ Good ( )Acceptable ( ) Poor ( ) Unacceptable GENERALCOUNCILCOMMENTS: SUGGF~TED AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: , ~"~. , CITY MANAGER COMMENTS: ATTACH LIST OF SPECIFIC C~ALS FOR MANAGER, AS AGREED BY CITY COUNCIL, TO BE COMPLETED BY NEXT EVALUATION. SALARYRECOMMENDATION: Date of NEXT EVALUATION Cot~nc~ Representative Date City Manager Da{e / 6 SUGGESTED AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT: CITY MANAGER COMMENTS: ATTACH LIST OF SPECIFIC GOAI.~ FOR MANAGER, AS AGREED BY CITY COUNCIL, TO BE COMPLETED BY NEXT EVALUATION. SALARYRECOMMENDATION: Date of NEXT EVALUATION Council Representative / / Date Ci'ty Manager Date CITY OF KENAI 210 FIDALGO AVE., SUITE 200 KENAI, ALASKA 99611-7794 TELEPHONE 907-283-7535 FAX 907-283-3014 brlNt-~ CONSENT TO RELEASE OF INFORMATION 1~92 I hereby authorize the City of Kenai to conduct a thorough investigation of my past employment, personal and professional background and activities, including, but not limited to, a search of any criminal records I might have. I agree to release from all liability or responsibility all persons, companies, corporations, or governmental entities providing such information. I have read and understand the above Consent to Release of Information and voluntarily consent to all its provisions and contents. By: DATE: STATE OF Or'E~t~r~ ) d- ) ss. On this day of ~[~~ , 2001, before me personally appeared , known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed on the foregoing Consent to Release of Information, and acknowledged that he/she executed the same as his/her free will and deed. ~lol/ary ~ublic in and for Or~ Or~ . My ?~ission Expires: CITY OF KENAI 210 FIDALGO AVE., SUITE 200 KENAI, ALASKA 99611-7794 TELEPHONE 907-283-7535 FAX 907-283-3014 ~ CONSENT TO RELEASE OF CREDIT HISTORY FOR EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES I hereby authorize the City of Kenai to make any investigation of my personal history and financial and credit record through any investigative or credit agencies or bureaus of I agree to release fi'om all liability or responsibility all persons, companies, corporations, or governmental entities providing such information. I have read 'and understand the above Consent to Release of Credit History for Employment Purposes, and voluntarily consent to .all its provisions and contents. By: LINDA M. HALL (~) k'X,~j7 NOTA Y PR UBUC-OREGON ~ COMMISSION NO. 334660 _ ~ (print) DATE' STATEOF 0rg~0r~ , ) - d )ss. On this ~'~ day of ~,-~ , 2001, before me personally appeared ~0 ;[~i ~n ~3 ~tt;o~4 , known to me to be the person whose name is subscribed on the foregoing Consent to Release of Credit History for Employment Purposes, and acknowledged that he/she executed the same as his/her free will and deed. My C.,~unission Expires: ---- Recruitment Guidelinee Handbook 13 expected but it should be coordinated with the applicant. The local government must avoid jeopardizing an applicant's current position. Thorough background checks and references are usually conducted after the council has narrowed down the group of applicants and after the candidate has been informed that references and others will be called. 4. Resumes should be evaluated against the criteria for the position that were developed at the outset of the recruiting process. Here are criteria to look for in the review process: Has the applicant had experience working in a local government of comparable size? Has the applicant had experience with the variety of services delivered by the local government? Has the experience been comparable in terms of budget size and number of employees? Has the applicant worked in a similar geographic area? Is the applicant likely to be comfortable in a rural or urban setting and familiar with the usual problems faced by the local government? What specific responsibilities has the applicant had, and what has the applicant accomplished? How does this compare with the objectives and priorities of the local government? · Has the apphcant had broad administrative and supervisory authority, or has the experience of the applicant been limited to research or administering activities in specialized areas? · Has the applicant worked directly with the local government in the past? Does the applicant have experience working with citizen and other groups? What is the employment history of the applicant? Does it suggest a pattern of broad experience and increasing responsibility? Does the apphcant have good tenure with each employer, or is there a pattern of frequent movement from one position to another? Whereas a short tenure in the previous position may or may not be significant, a series of short terms should be a warning that more thorough inquiry is needed. By the same token, 10 years of experience is not necessarily preferable to five, or five to three. In fact, a person with a long tenure in one position may find it difficult to adjust to another. Similarly, age also does not necessarily correlate with maturity of judgment or adaptability. · Is the applicant concerned with continuing professional development and participating in training programs and professional orgamzations7 · What is the current salary of the applicant? Does it fit within the parameters of the local agency? · How have the resume and letter of tranSmittal been prepared? Do they suggest a real interest in the position? What does the resume itself tell about the person? Determining Finalists When the resume review process has been completed, it should be possible to narrow the tOtal group of applicants to a smaller group of perhaps 15 to 25. This group will be subject to more thorough background checks and ulti- mately narrowed to an even smaller number of applicants. The latter group will be designated as fmalists and invited for interviews. These considerations are important when determining finalists: · I. The council should resist the temptation to select finalists before background checks have been completed. One of the resume reviewers may suggest, for example, that based on the resume alone, the council should select finalists and move right ahead to the interviews. However, while resumes are helpful as an initial screening device, they also can be misleading. They reveal nothing about the management style, personality, or interpersonal skills of the individual in terms of his or her ability to work effectively with people. They also can create an exaggerated impression of actual work experience, responsibilities, and accomplishments. It is neither practical nor necessary to conduct background checks on all Recruitmant Guidelines Handbook applicants, but an important interim step is to conduct background checks on a smaller group as a prelude to and basis for selecting finalists. 2. Be sure the background checks are work related. The purpose of the background checks is to provide a solid reading of the candidate's ability to handle the job and to work with people. Consequently, background checks should be conducted primarily with people who know local government, understand the job of a local government manager, and have a firsthand knowledge of the performance of the applicant in this area. Such work-related background checks would normally be based on conversations with current and former members of the local government, including the mayor and councilmembers; staff members with whom the applicant has worked closely and/or supervised; and others who have worked closely with the applicant, including the chamber of commerce director and the superintendent of schools. Background checks also can be conducted with state/provincial association officers, institutes of government staff members, and state league directors. As indicated previously, confidentiality is extremely important, and the local government should be sure to coordinate with the applicant in terms of any background checks that are undertaken. 3. When conducting background checks, these guidelines are important tbr ensuring consiStency and thoroughness: ' Have one person perform all the background checks. This can be difficult for one person to handle, however. especially if three background checks are desired. Also, it can be helpful if two or more people compare notes on the same candidates. Address similar issues and questions to each applicant to provide a good basis for comparison. Talk with enough people to get a consistent reading as to the strengths and weaknesses of the individual. If a person can say only good things about the applicant, ask him or her directly what weaknesses the applicant has. Use the background checks to learn about the applicant's ability to work effectively with people, to develop a more complete understanding of the applicant's work experience and specific accomplishments, and to see if the applicant's qualifications match the criteria for the position. Include verification of educational credentials in the background check process. There is another possible step to use to narrow down the list of finalists. The candidates can be asked to respond in writing to a limited number of questions that members of the governing body agree on. These might include asking how the person would handle a particular situation or asking if he or she has had experience dealing with specific situations. 4. The group of f'malists should be large enough to expose the council to an array of personalities. In most cases, a mmimumof five candidates should be interviewed as finalists. The local government also may wish to establish a backup group in case some of the finalists decide not to pursue the position any further. Interviewing Finalists Once finalists have been selected, the interviewing process begins, and the local government can proceed with these steps: 1. Confirm with each candidate that he or she has been selected as a finalist. Each finalist should be congratulated and made to feel that the council is pleased to have reviewed his or her resume. At the same time, the continuing interest of the individual in the position should be confirmed. 2. Advise each f'malist of the nature of the interview process, including date and time. Confu-m for the fmalist now