Melbourne Beach reviews two executive-search proposals as town manager contract lapses

Melbourne Beach commissioners met in a special session Aug. 4 to review two responses to the town's request for proposals seeking an executive-search firm to recruit a new town manager. Commissioners heard a presentation from MGT and discussed scoring criteria, public-comment procedure for the related agenda item and the legal effect of the town manager's notice under the existing contract.

The meeting opened with roll call. Commissioners and staff agreed to hear presentations from the two firms in succession and to ask similar questions of each candidate to allow consistent comparison. MGT, whose presenter said he lives in nearby New Smyrna Beach and that the firm maintains offices in Chicago and Tampa, described its experience and told commissioners it has completed about 1,500 recruitments since 2009.

Commissioners asked for printed materials to follow the packet: a single-sheet scoring worksheet summarizing the RFP's five scoring criteria plus the full RFP/RFQ packet for reference. Commissioners directed staff to provide six printed copies so each commissioner and the public table would have one copy.

The commission clarified public-comment procedure after a submitted comment related to the search raised a timing question. Commissioners agreed that comments submitted to the clerk that relate specifically to an agenda item should be read during the public-comment period for that item, not during the general public-comment period for matters not on the agenda.

Town Attorney Ryan Knight reviewed the status of the town manager's notice under the contract. Knight confirmed the contract labels the notice as a resignation in contract provision 7 and said the position becomes vacant on the sixtieth day after the notice expires. "The notice itself, it is it is a resignation, but with the notice," Knight said.

No formal vote on selecting a firm or awarding a contract was taken at the session. The commission proceeded with presentations and a question-and-answer format, and commissioners discussed time limits and consistent questioning for each candidate.

The commission scheduled no further action in the transcripted portion; commissioners asked staff to prepare printed scoring sheets and the RFQ/RFP packet for use during evaluation and to follow the practice of reading submitted comments at the time the related agenda item is considered.