Council debates city manager hiring process
Questions about how to replace outgoing
city manager Bill Shaw were ironed out during the Columbia Falls
City Council meeting on Monday.
City finance director Susan Nicosia,
the only candidate lined up for Shaw’s job, earlier told the
council she could serve in both her current capacity and as city
manager for about four months before it became impractical. For
that reason, she recommended the city appoint an interim city
manager.
Shaw noted that his last day on the job
will be May 27, although he was willing to appear at the June 6
council meeting as the city planning director and would provide
advice and information to the city after he left.
The council was unanimous in its praise
of Shaw’s performance. Barnhart said he’s worked with every city
manager the city has had and Shaw was clearly the best.
With Nicosia’s husband, Mike Nicosia,
serving as School District 6 superintendent, some people in the
community have expressed concern about the couple holding too much
power in Columbia Falls. That wasn’t an issue with the city
council, however.
“Susan is eminently qualified to serve
as city manager,” councilor Mike Shepard said.
“I would be willing to appoint her city
manager right now,” councilor Julie Plevel said. “I don’t want to
spend money on a nationwide search.”
Shepard noted that several people had
asked him if the city would return to a mayoral form of government,
which would be a step backward, he said.
“So many people don’t understand our
type of government,” he said. “Look at the amount of growth we’ve
had in the past 10 years since Bill came here. Where would we be if
we had a mayoral form of government?”
One city resident spoke to the council
about the city manager position on Monday. Dan Schellinger
expressed concerns that the council had already made up its mind
about appointing Nicosia as interim city manager and then giving
her the job after the three months or so were up. He said that’s
what he was hearing at the Columbia Bar and coffee shops.
“I have nothing against Ms. Nicosia,”
he said, “but have you followed all the rules?”
Mayor Don Barnhart responded by noting
that the council had not made up its mind and state law did not
specify how a city should go about replacing its city manager.
The council consensus was clearly in
favor of appointing Nicosia to either the interim or permanent city
manager position, but as discussion continued and they agreed to go
through an interview process, the question turned to whether the
council should close the interview session to the public.
Councilors Doug Karper and Shepard
thought their deliberations at least should be held in executive
session and closed to the public.
City attorney Justin Breck said
applicants had some expectation of privacy, especially when it came
to health and personal matters, but the question of how open a
hiring process for a city manager should be is legally “a gray
area.”
Shaw pointed out that his interview was
open to the public and said he was “skeptical” the council could
close Nicosia’s interview. He advocated keeping it open to the
public, noting that the councilors’ questions would likely be about
professional concerns.
To avoid problems, Breck and Shaw
recommended the councilors submit questions to the city attorney
ahead of time for review.
Nicosia will be interviewed in a
special council meeting on Monday, May 23, at 7 p.m. The council
will have the option of hiring her on an interim or permanent basis
at that time. The meeting will be open to the public and, as in all
council meetings, public comment will be taken.