ITEM 7.3 Appointment of Interim City Administrator0
asTe F o
MINNESOTA g
DEPARTMENT INFORMATION
Request for
City Council Action
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT:
REQUESTOR:
MEETING DATE:
Administration
Lori Johnson, City Administrator
October
PRESENTER(s):
REVIEWED BY:
ITEM #:
Mayor Jessica Stockamp
7.3
Lori Johnson, City Administrator
AGENDA ITEM DETAILS
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommend discussion of appointment of an Interim City Administrator and the desired search process
to fill the City Administrator position.
ARE YOU SEEKING APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT?
IS A PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED?
No
No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
As I stated above, the purpose of this agenda item is to initiate the discussion of the two items the
Council needs to consider related to filling the City Administrator position following my resignation: 1.
Appointment of an interim City Administrator. 2. Determining the recruitment and selection process for
filling the position.
No action is requested at Monday's meeting unless the Council so desires. These are important
decisions for the Council that shouldn't be rushed. Therefore, if the Council prefers, a work session can
be scheduled to allow more time for discussion; a 6:00 meeting prior to the regular October 24 meeting
is an option.
You will recall that at the September 26 meeting, Mayor Stockamp suggested that Finance Director
Adam Flaherty be appointed interim City Administrator. His position description already includes acting
on the City Administrator's behalf in her/his absence; thus, it is the most logical position to appoint as
acting City Administrator. If both parties agree, the interim appointment can be made effective October
28.
Additionally, the Council needs to decide how to proceed with the recruitment and selection process.
The Council may choose to use an executive recruiting firm to fill this position. If so, the Council should
begin the request for proposals process for that service soon. There are three firms that do the majority
of executive government recruiting locally: Brimeyer Fursman (Hue Life), David Drown and Associates,
and Waters and Company, a Springsted Company. David Drown and Associates already contacted me
with a proposal for these services. Plan on the entire process from time of selecting the search firm to
having an employee on board to take a minimum of four months.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: ❑ ATTACHED X NONE
POSSIBLE MOTION
Please word motion as you would like it to appear in the minutes.
No motion is requested unless a special meeting is called, an interim appointment is made, or direction
is given to solicit proposals from executive search firms.
BUDGET INFORMATION
FUNDING BUDGETED: ❑ YES
N/A
❑ NO
Faribault Office:
D DA 1327 Merrywood Court
t Faribault, MN 55021
' David Drown Associates. Inc. (612)920-3320 xtn 109 I fax (612) 605-2375
aarvO-daviddrown.com
David Drown Associates
Citv Administrator Search Information
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Councilors
Group meeting with Department Heads
X
At the beginning of the search
Develop position profileµ
rr„rcX
W NvProfessional document used for marketing the position,'LL
organization and City. Approved by Council prior to
advertising
Review job description
X
Reviewjob description and make recommended changes to
the City Council
Review salary
X
Review salary range and make recommendations to the
Council if changes are suggested
Candidate recruitment
X
Extensive advertising, marketing and direct outreach
Receive applications
X
Use David Drown Associates onlineapplicationsystem or0. ._...
City system if preferred
Screening of applicants
X
Review all resumes etc.
Select semifinalists usually around 10)
X ;
Rank based on qualifications, experience, etc
Talk to semifinalists m�
X
Phone consultation with each semifinalist
..
Personality
_sIndex for all semifinalists rrP N Mwn
Xm
._�.u... �..r�
9FY y pAApersonality:. index designed for selecting leaders -is used
Questionnaire for all semifinalists
X
Each semifinalist completes a position related
questionnaire
Selection of finalists
X
The process is facilitated by'DDA but selection of finalists is
done by. the City Council_ M _
Background check of all finalists selected
X
Verify education and employment history, criminal and civil
for interviews by the Council
legal history, driver's license, credit check, etc
References an aUfinalists
X A
Discussions with current and former employers .. _
�
Intellectual Testing on all finalists
X
l
bal
will administer a measuring verbal
DDA inister an intellectual profile
reasoning, mathematical and logical reasoning and overall
_
mental aptitude
Facilitation of all interviews
X
Develop process, questions, etc_ _
Facilitation of other activities such as a
X
The final interview process typically involves more than just
tour, meet and greet, etc.
�X
interviews and can take two days
Offer and agreement
Make' he offer and develop a draft agreement for review
by City Attorney and City. Council > ._.._._,.._._.._..
...p
Follow up
X
Follow u with new Administrator for at least one year
Y
Assurance
X R
DDA will do another `search, Twithout professional fees, if
Cost $16,000 Includes mileage, advertising, personality testing,
intellectual testing, background checking and all other
expenses. The fee is truly all inclusive.
00
LEAGUEOF
MINNESOTA
CITIES
INFORMATION MEMO
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator
Toolkit
Learn the steps to take in hiring a city manager or administrator, including how to manage interim
time, whether or not to use a search consultant, setting position qualifications and attracting,
interviewing and offering positions to candidates. Red toolliit'icons mark linlzs to sample position
descriptions, job postings, evaluation score sheets, requests for proposals for consultant search
services and other tools used in the hiring process.
Take action with Information Memo toolkits. They contain the forms,
Qi
samples, or models a city can use to take action on a process or project.
Look for the toollcit icon so you can download that tool to use or modify it
This toolbox icon marks the
link to a downloadable tool.
for your city.
RELEVANT LINKS:
I. Pre -hiring action steps
Your city is suddenly faced with the prospect of hiring a city manager or
administrator. What should you do? What should you be thinking about?
Maybe even more importantly what should you NOT do? This overview is
designed to address some of the questions you may have about how to go
about hiring the top appointed position in your city.
A. Interim city manager or administrator duties
When there is a vacancy in the office of the city manager/administrator the
usual practice is to designate some other trusted staff member (finance
director, cleric) to seine as interim administrator until a replacement can be
hired. Another option is to divide responsibilities between several staff
during the interim. This can work, but the council must be very clear about
who has specific responsibilities for what functions, and to whom they all
report. Cities with the council-manager form of government should probably
not use this option, since State law or the city charter vest the city manager
with very specific authorities.
Another option is to work with or contract with a neighboring city to have its
city clerk or administrator help out. Or, some cities hire a retired
800.925.1122
administrator to serve as an interim administrator or look for an
651.281.1200
administrator who is in-between jobs to seine in this role. LMC can provide
rlRbenefits a;lmc.urg
a list of individuals who may be available for such interim service.
This material is provided as general information and is not a substitute for legal advice. Consult your attorney for advice concerning specific situations.
145 University Ave. West www.Imc.org 10/3/2016
Saint Paul, MN 55103-2044 (651) 281-1200 or (800) 925-1122 0 2016 All Rights Reserved
RELEVANT LINKS:
B. Using a consultant or doing it on your own
The first decision the mayor and council will need to make is whether to hire
a consulting firm to assist with the recruitment. There are both national and
Minnesota -based firms specializing in the recruitment of city
manager/administrators. The fees vary, but about $15,000 to $20,000 for an
average -sized city, plus direct expenses, can be anticipated. Smaller cities
might be a little less and larger cities might be more. While the consulting
fee may appear substantial up front, many cities have found it to be a very
worthwhile investment in keeping the overall recruitment process objective
and in hiring a manager/administrator who is the best fit for their city.
Search films may also offer some type of "guarantee" if the employee
doesn't work out or doesn't end up staying in the position for a specified
amount of time. Please contact the League for sample Request for Proposals
for Executive Search Consulting Services.
If the council decides not to retain a consultant, but to handle the recruitment
on its own, it is usually necessary to designate a trusted member of the
existing city staff to manage the details of the process — the individual
responsible for personnel matters would be an obvious choice, with the city
clerk or finance director being other viable options. If the city is too small to
have a staff member available for this purpose, the council will probably
need to designate the mayor or a council member to handle it. The city
attorney will also be a necessary and helpful resource in keeping the process
legal and in finalizing the details of any employment agreement.
The council should agree up front on how it is going to organize itself for
the task ahead — i.e. who will speak on behalf of the council in contacting
candidates, how the final terms of employment are established between the
city and the successful candidate, etc. It should be very clear and agreed
upon as to what roles individual councilmembers will and will not play in
the process.
II. Hiring tasks
The remaining steps outlined in this memo would be similar regardless of
whether a consultant is used. The difference is that in one case, the
consultant would coordinate most of the tasks, while in the other, it would
be the designated staff member in consultation with the mayor or the whole
council.
A. Establishing qualifications for the position
The mayor and council will want to start by thinking carefully and broadly
about the qualifications they would like in a new manager/administrator.
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 10/312016
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 2
RELEVANT LINKS:
For a moderately sized or larger community (e.g., population 2,500 and
above), it would be very reasonable to expect previous experience as a city
manager/administrator in a somewhat smaller community, or as an assistant
city manager/administrator in a similar -sized or even larger city. Ideal
candidates would hold a bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant field
(e.g., public administration, public affairs, business administration,
leadership, urban affairs).
Smaller communities (e.g., under 2,500) have often reported better results
attracting less experienced city administrator candidates, including
candidates with limited previous work experience (e.g., someone who has
served as an assistant in a larger city, a candidate with experience that is not
directly related but still generally relevant, or someone who has just
graduated from a master's level program but has no experience).
Beyond that, the council will want to think about specific demonstrated
skills they may desire — i.e. staff leadership, policy work with the council,
media relations, financial management, community and economic
development, intergovernmental relations. No candidate is going to be
strong in all areas! What skills are most important to the city at this time? It
will be helpful to assess the strengths of existing staff, and then think about
what skills the manager/administrator should bring in order to create a well-
rounded staff team. Also remember managers and administrators are usually
trained as generalists; if a particular skill is important, but not highly critical,
most can learn quickly and apply those generalist skills in addressing
particular issues and problems
On the more intangible side, the city manager/administrator is a critical
position for setting a "tone" for the city. What personal traits will work best
for the city at this time? What "style" is needed to earn the confidence of the
council and effectively lead the staff? What values does the community
expect to see in its city manager/administrator?
Two basic core values any manager/administrator should bring to the job are
a keen understanding of the public purposes and obligations of the city
(which would be different than those for a private corporation) and a strong
commitment to highly ethical behavior. The International City/County
Management Association (ICMA) and its state counterpart, the Minnesota
City/County Management Association (MCMA), are the professional
Minnesota City/County associations for city and county managers ,and administrators. ICMA and
Management Association, MCMA have adopted a very specific code of ethics to guide the behavior of
Code of ; ti,ics. members
While the mayor and council have the ultimate responsibility for hiring and
supervising the city manager/administrator, it can be a very good idea to
gather input from others in this beginning stage. Asking the opinions of key
city staff is an especially good idea.
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 10/3/2016
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 3
RELEVANT LINKS:
Sample City Manager
position description, city of
Moorhead.
Sample City Administrator
position description, city of
Fosston.
Minn. Stat. § 412.651
The council may want to consult with the Chamber of Commerce, key local
industries, school district and county officials, community leaders, or labor
leaders (including city labor unions if appropriate). The key is to carefully
balance the input of the many diverse groups, and to avoid weighing the
input of any one group or any one suggestion too heavily. When asking for
input, it is important to make it clear the council will have to balance the
many suggestions received with its own assessment of the needs of the city;
every suggestion will not be able to be accommodated.
The council will want to complete this phase of the process by drawing up
its list of the main qualifications being sought in the new city
manager/administrator.
B. Job descriptions and position profiles
As with any recruitment, having a good job description is critical. The
council should work with the consultant or staff member to review the
existing job description, incorporating and emphasizing key qualifications
and attributes established in the first step above.
Many local governments go further, creating a "recruitment profile." Such a
profile usually goes into some detailabout the community and city,
describing its strengths, challenges and issues. The profile then describes the
type of city manager/administrator the city would like to recruit to help
address those challenges. Disclosing the salary range and benefits the
council is willing to consider, along with information about the community,
such as schools, recreational opportunities, etc. helps candidates decide
whether to apply for a position. A profile is an opportunity for the city to
"sell" itself to prospective candidates. Good managers and administrators are
sometimes hard to find, so it is important for the city to put its best foot
forward throughout the process.
Finally, in cities with the position of city administrator (as opposed to city
manager which is more clearly defined in state statute — Minnesota Statutes
§412.651) the job description or profile should be clear about the specific
duties, responsibilities, and authorities of the position — i.e. does this
position present a recommended budget to the council, what role does he/she
have in hiring, disciplining or firing employees?
III. Recruitment of candidates
Next, the mayor and council must decide how broadly to "cast the net" for
potential applicants.
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 10/3/2016
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 4
RELEVANT LINKS:
Given the specialized nature of a city manager/administrator position, it is a
Qi
good idea to advertise at least statewide. Both the League of Minnesota
Cities (LMC) and the Association of Minnesota Counties (the shills between
Sample city administrator
position announcement, city
city and county managers are often transferable) will place advertisements
ofMosquito Heights
on their websites. The Minnesota City/County Management Association
League ofMinnesota cities
(MCMA) is also willing to distribute information about positions via its
city jobs posting.
listsery of nearly 250 members around the State. Many cities choose to
Association of Minnesota
Counties, employment
advertise their position nationwide through the International City/County
listings.
Management Association (ICMA). For some cities, it might make sense to at
International City/County
Management Association Job
least advertise the position in the nearby states. LMC can assist you in
Center, Employer overview.
placing notices with the municipal leagues in those states. The city may also
want to consider sending the advertisement to universities and colleges with
graduate degree programs in relevant fields such as public administration or
public policy. Many can bring the position to the attention of alumni, as well
as current students.
Another decision is whether to place the advertisement in local or statewide
newspapers of general circulation. The disadvantage is you may be deluged
with applications from individuals who are not really qualified, and most
professional local managers will see your notice in association publications
from LMC, MCMA, and others. On the positive side, there is always the
possibility of finding a great candidate you might not otherwise have
reached!
If you use a consultant, he or she will actively recruit applicants they believe
might be a good fit with your position. If you do not use a consultant, the
council may want to direct staff as to specific individuals to whom they
would like to send the position announcement. There is also nothing wrong
with individual council members and even staff bringing the position to the
attention of potential candidates. That said, it is critical everyone
RESPECTS THE ESTABLISHED PROCESS. Individual contacts should
be solely an encouragement to consider applying, with no implication
whatsoever the person is being promised a job, an interview or any other
special consideration. Interested candidates should be directed to the
consultant, city staff member, mayor, or whoever has been designated to
coordinate the process.
Interested applicants are usually asked to send a professional resume, along
See LMC sample
with cover letter of interest, to the designated recruitment coordinator. Some
Finpla}'j cni Application.
cities require applicants to complete the city's employment application form
or another standardized form called a "supplementalapplication" that
requests specific job -related information and allows for the applicant to elect
Veteran's Preference points, if appropriate.
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 10/3/2016
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 5
RELEVANT LINKS:
A. Evaluation of applications
LMC information memo,
Veterans Par4irence in
Cities may need to comply with veterans' preference laws when hiring a
Hiring, section)-s-3,
manager or administrator. The law does not require cities to give preference
exception for department
head positions.
to department head positions, but cities should use caution in applying this
exemption and consult an attorney before assuming an employee will be
considered a department head.
You may receive resumes and applications from more candidates than you
wish to interview. The agreed upon process should include deciding who is
LMC sample, Evaluationgoing
to narrow the list to a reasonable number for further consideration. If
scare sheet for city
you have hired a professional recruitment firm, they will do this for you. If
administrator or manager.
not, it may be done by the designated staff member, or perhaps the mayor or
a small council committee working with the staff member. You will likely
end up with at least three candidate groupings those clearly not qualified;
those that seem to fit the bill; and a third middle pile of strong potential
candidates but lacking in some area. If you and the city attorney determine
the position is subject to the veterans preference law, you will need to rate
all candidates and veterans on a 100-point scale.
Otherwise, at this point it is usual to come up with a list of about 15 — 20
semi-finalists for further consideration. Copies of the resumes/applications
of these top candidates are sent to each councilmember for their review and
evaluation. It is very helpful to have some type of rating sheet to help the
councilmembers score each candidate on key criteria. The scoring sheet can
be based on a numerical rating system, but also allow opportunities for more
subjective reactions. It is important everyone keeps in mind the identity of
applicants is still private information at this point in time, and, thus,
complete confidentiality must be maintained.
The council will then meet to discuss their ratings of the semi-finalists and
attempts to reach agreement on typically five or six finalists to be
interviewed. As a prelude to this discussion, the consultant or designated
staff member may compile the councilmembers individual ratings into some
type of integrated report that helps council more quickly see where there is
agreement as to the top candidates.
LMC information memo,
Data Practices: Analyze,
At this point in the process, the city must begin to balance the somewhat
Classic Respond, section
conflicting demands of the Minnesota Data Practices and Open Meeting
vi l-A,c, Applicants for
employment.
Law statutes. The council discussion to select finalists for interviews must
be done in a public meeting, but the identity of applicants must still be kept
LMC information memo,
,Veetings of City Councils,
private! Therefore, the council discussion should be general, and with
Section 11-G-2, interviews,
reference to specific candidates being something like "Candidate Number 4"
or "Candidate D" rather than by name.
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 101312016
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 6
RELEVANT LINKS:
Minn. stat. s 13.43 subd. 3.
Once candidates are chosen for an interview, they are considered "finalists"
and the names of finalists are public data. Therefore, a good last step is to
have the consultant, or designated staff member contact the finalists to
advise them that they are going to be invited to interview and their identity is
now public. This gives the applicant an opportunity to notify his or her
current employer of their application before it comes out in the newspaper.
B. Interview process
In order to realistically compare candidates, it is best to complete all
interviews in a relatively compressed timeframe, often over a one or two day
period. Some cities choose to keep the candidates separated from one
another, while others opt for a group event, including tours, receptions, and a
group dinner with the council. As noted above, the identity of all finalists is
public information at this point, and most candidates will understand that
they are only one of several individuals being evaluated and considered. It is
a nice idea to give all of the candidates a tour of the community, and perhaps
even an opportunity to meet department heads, either one-on-one, or as a
group. The candidates are evaluating you and your community at the same
time you're evaluating them, so it is important to be open and provide a
setting for them to ask questions and get honest answers. No one benefits by
unpleasant surprises later.
It is then typical and preferable for the full council to meet as a group to
Call HR for sample interview
questions for a city
interview the candidates, although some councils may appoint a
administrator.
subcommittee to conduct initial interviews. If either the full council or an
See LMC information memo,
official committee of the council conducts the interviewing, the interviews
Akerings of City Councils.
are subject to the Open Meeting Law.
Council members should be prepared with a list of preset questions and
some type of evaluation sheets to help them keep track of what they hear. At
the end of the day, individual responses can begin to blur into one. Be sure
all of the candidates leave the interview with an understanding of
approximately when a decision will be made, and how they will be
contacted.
LMC HR Reference Manual,
You can find out more about the interviewing process, including questions
Chapter 2, Hiring, Section V,
Interviewing.
you should not ask, and whether you are asking the right binds of questions,
in the League's Human Resources Reference Manual as well as the E-
See LMC Online Training/ E-
Lcarning.
«
Learning session titled Select for Success: Effective Interviewing and
Hiring."
After all interviews are completed, the council usually tries to agree on a top
candidate for further consideration. They may also want to agree on a
second candidate in case something doesn't work out with their top pick.
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 10/3/2016
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 7
RELEVANT LINKS:
1. Covering expenses
Candidates may have expenses for traveling to your city, either by car, or
even by plane, if necessary. There might also be overnight lodging and meal
expenses. It is customary for the city to fully reimburse such interview
expenses, provided detailed receipts are received from the applicant. Many
cities also invite the candidates' spouses to be present at city expense with
the idea that the city is selling a family, not just an individual, on the idea of
moving to the community.
2. Reference and background checks
Never make a final job offer without this last, critical piece of due diligence;
reference checks! There is no better tool for evaluating how a candidate is
Sample re/ease awha,•iaartan
likely to perform in your city than his or her past track record with other
for reference steaks.
employers.
From time to time, cities express an interest in completing the employment
reference check stage early in the process on all potential finalists prior to
inviting them to an interview. This, however, is very time consuming, can
pose legal issues, and some candidates may not be interested in letting
current or past employers know they have applied for your position before
they even know if they will be offered an interview with your city.
Minn. state. § 364,021.
Potential legal issues can arise when considering Minnesota Statutes prohibit
nR Reference Manual,
employers from requesting or considering an applicant's criminal history
Chapter s.
until an applicant has been selected for an interview. Thus, the city's
employment application should not include any criminal history type
questions. For additional information, refer to the Background checks
section included in the Hiring Chapter of the HR Reference Manual linked
to the left.
A less time-consuuning practice is to complete reference checks on the
council's top one or two candidates. However, the city should avoid making
an offer of employment contingent upon employment and personal reference
checks. Instead, let the candidate know that at this point, they are under
serious consideration for the position, and with their permission, you will be
continuing the evaluation with reference checks. Let the candidates know
you will be calling the references they have listed, and likely a few others
who would be in a position to comment on their past work record.
Again, an agreed upon process is important. Who will conduct the checks?
Who will they talk to? If you are working with a professional recruiter, they
Sample release authorizationwill
perform that task for you. If not, then the references should probably be
for reference checks.
checked by the mayor or a designated council member. But whatever you
do, make sure the reference check process is objective, professional, and
completed the same way for all candidates being given final consideration.
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 1013l2016
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 8
RELEVANT LINKS:
LMC HR Reference Manual,
Chapter 2, Hiring. Section
V11, Background checks and
bonding.
Work with your human resources staff and city attorney regarding what are
and what are not allowable topics to be discussed during those reference
checks. It is also a good idea to make sure candidates have signed an
authorization and release form allowing you to verify the information they
provided— i.e., their backgrounds and employment references
It is best to check with multiple references, including some who the
candidate has not listed, to make sure you are getting a true, complete, and
accurate picture of past performance. Then carefully evaluate and balance
what you are being told. Remember, any one reference you talk with may
have really liked, or really not liked, the candidate; you need a broader
picture. Also be on the lookout for inconsistencies in what the references
shared and the candidate shared in his/her application and interview
responses. Inconsistencies are something to check on but don't necessarily
mean you shouldn't hire a candidate. Often there is a good reason for an
inconsistency. It is good to check with both elected officials, and trusted
staff in the candidate's current city or county. And it is fine to talk with
others, such as the Chamber Executive Director, or even professional peers
from nearby cities.
As with any position, it is also a good idea to complete a criminal history
and financial background review. Many cities have also started to do a
simple public Google search on all finalists for city employment. Ideally, the
city will have a trained person conducting this search who is not a decision
maker, so in the event protected class information is found under this public
search, it will not be passed along to the decision makers.
C. Making an offer
Once everything looks good for your preferred candidate, a contact should
be made to tentatively offer him or her the position. If you are using a
professional recruiter, they will handle this for you. If not, it should probably
be done by the mayor. The administrator will be working for the mayor and
council, so you owe it to him or her and to yourself to establish that
relationship right from the beginning. You may or may not choose to include
a specific salary and benefit package in that initial discussion; however, both
parties should be aware of the range you are considering.
1. Establishing the compensation package
Once the council and candidate have agreed they are mutually interested in
pursuing an employment relationship, there are a number of benefits and
terms and conditions of employment your candidate will likely want to
discuss. Beyond salary, candidates with a number of years of experience will
probably expect to receive some credit for that experience when it comes to
the vacation and sick leave schedule — i.e., they will not want to start at the
bottom of the schedule.
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 10/3/2016
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 9
RELEVANT LINKS:
See LMC Salary and Benefits
Sun,ev.
See LMC information memo,
Govemors Salary Casa.
See LMC information memo,
Local Government Par=
Equity, Act., An Overview.
The manager/administrator may also expect to be reimbursed for
participation in civic organizations, and for the considerable expense of
moving to your community. An automobile allowance or mileage
reimbursement arrangement should be expected. And professionals will also
be looking for financial support for their on -going professional
memberships, involvement, and continuing education programs in
organizations like the International City/County Management Association,
the Minnesota City/County Management Association, and, of course, the
League of Minnesota Cities.
The Survey Navigator for Minnesota Salary & Benefits Survey, link
provided to the left, can help you evaluate what similarly sized cities around
Minnesota are currently paying.
Frequently, the council will want to agree on an initial salary offer but will
give some latitude to the mayor or other designee to negotiate with the
candidate. The council should also discuss in advance what is acceptable as
far as other types of compensation, such as moving allowances, but again,
needs to leave some flexibility to the designee for negotiating the offer.
A best practices tip is to ensure the salary not only falls below the
Governor's salary cap (link provided to the left) but also maintains
compliance with the City's pay equity reporting since Minnesota Rules
require a jurisdiction to "maintain equitable compensation relationships."
After the city makes its initial offer, the candidate will likely ask for some
time to think it over, and will more often than not come back with a request
that is somewhat higher, at least in some areas, than the city's initial offer.
Be flexible and realistic in considering the candidate's counterproposal. It is
unlikely the council will want to approve a compensation package wildly out
of line with community values or what similar cities are paying. On the other
hand, the manager/administrator position is extremely important to the
overall success of your city government, so the council should weigh the
cost/benefit of losing a preferred candidate over small differences, after
spending so much time, effort and money recruiting the candidate. And
"haggling" over small differences can start an important relationship off on
the wrong foot. If both the council and the candidate maintain
professionalism and mutual respect, differences can usually be worked out
and an agreement reached that everyone can feel good about and defend.
2. Employment agreement
You will need to decide how the salary, benefits, and other terms and
conditions of employment will be documented. Your city may choose to rely
on standard city personnel policies in all or many of these areas. In this case,
you will at least want to provide a letter of appointment to the candidate.
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 10/312016
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 10
RELEVANT LINKS:
You should be prepared, however, that your candidate is likely to ask for an
employment agreement. Hiring a city manager/administrator is different
than hiring any other city employee. While other city employees may be
covered by a collective bargaining (union) agreement or civil service rules,
the manager/administrator generally serves "at the pleasure" of the council,
and should be considered an "at will" employee (i.e., the council can
discharge him/her for any or no reason — except as prohibited under federal
or state law, i.e. protected class status such as ethnicity or gender). Granting
the council such discretion preserves the democratic underpinnings of the
council-manager plan and others form of local government where a chief
administrative officer, appointed by the elected officials, exercises a
significant amount of influence and discretion on city policy and
administration.
While as a general principle LMC does not recommend that cities enter
separate employment agreements with individual employees, the top-level
administrative position in the city is very well an exception your council
may wish to consider. In exchange for agreeing to be an "at will" employee,
many, perhaps most, professional managers and administrators will expect
the employment agreement includes a severance clause establishing what
compensation will be provided should the council choose to terminate the
Minn. Stat. § 465.722.
manager/administrator's services. State law generally limits such severance
See HR Reference Manual,
compensation to no more than the equivalent of six months wages. Entering
Chapter 3 Section III K 4
Severance pay.
a well -crafted agreement can help avoid a lot of conflicts in the future,
including the chances of a messy and very public dispute or even litigation
should the council terminate the manager or administrator. Refusing to grant
an employment agreement may also mean your city is not able to attract the
desired candidate.
The Minnesota City/County Management Association, in cooperation with
the League of Minnesota Cities, developed and reviewed sample
employment agreement for possible use. If you choose to enter this, or any
MCMA and LMC sample
other agreement, please be sure to consult extensively with your city
emploYmenr a�=reetnent.
attorney to understand the obligations being created on both parties. Once
the terms of your employment agreement have come together, it is best to
have the city attorney draw up the final document for signature by both
parties. The candidate is likely to have his or her own attorney review it as
well so don't be surprised or offended if there are still a few details to iron
out.
IV. Declined offers
It is possible you won't get your first choice of candidate. That's why the
city council will want to agree on a second candidate up front. Sometimes,
things just don't work out, and you'll need a second choice.
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Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 11
RELEVANT LINKS:
If number two doesn't work out, the city can go on to number three, and so
forth, as long as the Council feels good about the candidate and believes
he/she will meet the city's needs well. If the city council is not satisfied with
anyone else intet viewed, the council can always go back to that "middle"
pile for another look, and conduct more interviews. Deep in mind selection
of these additional candidates will need to be in accordance with Veteran's
See LMC information memo,
Veterans Prefererpce ire
Preference, if applicable, just like that which was undertaken for the first set
Hiring.
of interview candidates. Or if that doesn't work, many cities and counties
have had positive experiences completely opening up the process again.
Someone really great who didn't apply the first time just might be available
now, or be willing to give your city another look. Probably the worst thing a
city can do is to settle for a candidate the council really is not enthusiastic
about. Whoever is serving as your interim city manager/administrator can
probably handle the job for a few more months while the city takes the time
to get the right person.
Hiring a new city manager/administrator is one of the most important
decisions your council will ever make for the city. It will cause the council
to come together in focusing on what's really important to your community
and to your city government right now. In finding the right person for this
key position, you'll be well on your way to forging a council -administrator -
staff partnership that will undoubtedly lead to great results for your city.
Take whatever time is necessary to do the job right, keep your perspective
and sense of humor, and be professional. You and your constituents deserve
the very best manager/administrator you can find.
V. Further assistance
800.925.1122
651.281.1200
Please feel free to call on us at the League if we can be of further help.
HRbenefi tsCrz.imc.org
League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 10/3/2016
Hiring a City Manager or Administrator Toolkit Page 12