Title
Recommendation to Direct Staff to Establish a Process for Recruitment of a New City Manager. (City Manager 2210)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: John A. Russo, City Manager
Re: Recommendation for the City Council to Direct Staff to Establish a Process for Recruitment of a New City Manager.
BACKGROUND
The current City Manager resigned effective May 1. This report is intended to apprise the City Council of the steps and general timeline in the process to recruit a new City Manager.
DISCUSSION
1. Overview
Pursuant to the City Charter, the City Council has the power to appoint a City Manager outside of the Civil Service Process of the City of Alameda. A recruitment may be performed either internally through the Human Resources Department or, externally, via an Executive Search firm working with the Human Resources Department. Typically such a search is performed through an Executive Search firm working with the Human Resources Department.
All decisions regarding the recruitment process are made by the City Council in open session, which will require agenda notice. Alternatively, the City Council may appoint a hiring committee comprised of two City Council Members to make day to day decisions regarding the recruitment and work with the Human Resources Department to then report on progress of the recruitment in open sessions.
If the City Council decides to work with a search firm, the City will enter into a contract with that search firm. Based on City Council direction, staff will work with representatives from the search firm to develop a scope of services, a final preferred candidate profile, along with an expected compensation package.
This position would then be widely advertised by the search firm for a period of between 30 - 45 days to attract the most qualified and experienced candidates. The search firm would also contact strong candidates via email, letters and phone calls. The search firm would screen the applicants and proffer the most qualified candidates to the City Council for interviews, which may include one or more interview panels such as elected officials, community representatives and/or City Executive Management or staff. After panel interviews, the City Council will meet to determine to whom they wish to make an employment offer.
Some of the major search firms performing City Manager recruitments in California are Avery & Associates, Ralph Anderson & Associates, Peckham & McKenny, CPS Consulting, Teri Black and Associates, Municipal Resource Group and Bob Murray & Associates. A typical fee for a City Manager recruitment is upward of approximately $19,000, plus another $7,500 in expenses, mainly for the development of a color brochure and advertising in various publications.
2. Steps to be taken. (Dates in parenthesis indicate when these decisions might be made):
a. The City Council decides to perform an internal recruitment or choose a search firm (March 17).
b. The City Council decides whether to appoint a hiring committee to make day to day decisions regarding the recruitment process. (March 17).
c. If City Council decides to use a search firm, a firm will be selected. Because the amount is within the amount authorized for the City Manager, City Council may direct the City Manager to hire a search firm from the choices presented, based on experience, quality, price and availability. (March 17). If City Council would like to select the search firm themselves, they must do so in open session, which would extend the timeline by approximately five (5) weeks. During this session, the City Council advises staff on the candidate profile they are seeking and compensation (April 21 - May 5).
d. Once a search firm is chosen, a contract must be approved and signed. Contracts of less than $75,000 may be approved and signed by the current City Manager, without going through the City Council agenda process. A contract may be prepared for signature within two weeks. (May)
e. The search firm should meet with City Council or the City Council subcommittee and the Human Resource Department to discuss the details of the recruitment, the candidate profile and compensation (June 2015).
f. Development of search materials should take approximately two to three weeks and advertising for the position should begin by mid-July 2015, and close by the end of August or beginning of September.
g. After the recruitment period closes, the search firm will perform initial screening and interviews and present the best candidates to the City Council. The interview process will then begin. (30 - 45 days), (October 2015).
h. The City Council will decide on the best candidate and begin negotiations. If an offer is accepted, background checks are conducted. Depending on a prospective candidate's availability, an appointment could be made and the candidate could be expected to start sometime by the end of the year.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Existing appropriations in the City Manager's budget are sufficient to cover the cost of the selected recruitment firm.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action does not affect the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity is not a project and is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to section 15378(b)(4) of the CEQA guidelines, because it involves governmental fiscal activities which does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation for the City Council to Direct Staff to Establish a Process for Recruitment of a New City Manager.
Respectfully submitted,
Stephanie Garrabrant-Sierra
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director