Council votes to seek outside candidates for city manager position

Tecumseh city council voted Monday to not only look outside city staff for possible city manager candidates but also procure the assistance of the Michigan Municipal League (MML) for an estimated $15,000 to $18,000 to assist in the search. Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch, who is resigning next month, said he would have a contract from the MML ready for a vote at council’s next regular meeting on July 6. Council voted on two motions Monday evening. The first was to open up applications to outside candidates, made by councilmember Gary Naugle and seconded by Gary Fox. The motion passed 5-2 with council members Stephanie Harmon and Vicki Philo dissenting. “I believe we have one excellent candidate right now,” said Fox. “To feel confident in my decision — to feel I’d made the right decision — I would like to see what else is out there.” On June 8, Tecumseh Economic Development Director Paula Holtz and Tecumseh Police Chief Troy Stern were both interviewed for the city manager position after council decided to open the position to internal candidates. The decision was made at the May 18 regular city council meeting after returning from closed session. Philo said she looked over the city’s strategic plan, highlighting one name multiple times, to help make her decision on the direction council should take with the position. “It was one of the candidates that already has the vision and is working on these things,” Philo said. “That kind of told me this is the strategic plan council approved and planned, and that kind of tells me we have that person already here. The vision and route that we’re on is already here.” Harmon agreed with Philo, adding, she doesn’t want to lose Holtz or Stern as candidates. “I don’t want them to pull away,” she said. “I agree with Vicki [Philo] that we do have someone already trained — already up to speed with what the city needs.”Naugle said it would be a service to the city to seek outside candidates. “We went through a ton of them [applicants] for Kevin [Welch],” he said. “We narrowed it down and we got someone that’s excellent and done very well. I think it’s the best interest of the city to do that again.” After voting to open up the position to outside applicants, council voted to have Welch and Tecumseh City Attorney Scott Baker prepare a contract with the MML to help the city accept and narrow down outside applicants for the position.The MML is one of several organizations that could assist the city, Welch said. In 2003, when the city went through the hiring process for Welch, council received bids from four recruitment companies before agreeing to go with the MML. The MML will help in the whole process, bringing in a stack of candidates, narrowing down applicants and helping council conduct interviews, Welch added. “I would suggest you move as quickly as possible,” Welch said. “I don’t think you’d have to select tonight. I would suggest you possibly decide at the next city council meeting.” Documents provided to council by Welch on the MML suggest a typical hiring process takes 90 to 120 days through the league. Under the Tecumseh’s charter, council has 90 days after the city manager vacancy exists to fill that position. The charter continues, “He shall be selected solely on the basis of his executive and administrative qualifications with special reference to his training and experience. If he is not a resident of the city at the time of his appointment, he shall become a resident thereof within ninety days after his appointment and shall so remain throughout his tenure of office.”Mayor Jack Baker asked if council was ready to make a decision Monday night or wait until the July 6 meeting. “I can myself or the city attorney can get proposals from other organizations that do it,” Welch said. “They’re all over the country. Scott [Baker] found the league is typically the least expensive.” The league hires ex-city managers to perform the search as a contractual service, according to Welch, adding they don’t have full time staff performing the recruiting though the league does provided an overseer and provide guidance. “I can’t imagine anybody would do any better job than they do,” Welch added. Before council voted on opening the position to outside candidates, councilmember Larry Van Alstine made a motion to hire Stern as city manager. The motioned received no second and was dissolved.During public comment Margaret Gross, Lisa Hart and Anne Walker, spoke in support of seeking outside candidates. “I would just like to reiterate what I shared will all of you, my concern that you open up the hiring process for our new city manager to external candidates,” said Gross. “Remember, the city manager will work with councils for years to come.” Joan Garrow, questioned if the city should spend money on an outside search firm if a viable candidate was already in house for the manager position.“To keep it home grown more or less because they’re familiar with the workings of Tecumseh and if they’re qualified why go to the extra expense and everything of hiring somebody to look for other people?” asked Garrow. “It makes sense to hire somebody from here as far as I’m concerned.”

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