The Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Affairs in Dallas signaled a preference Tuesday for using a cooperative purchasing agreement to recruit a full-time inspector general and asked staff to return with a full list of vendors available under cooperative contracts.

Nina, a city staff member, presented a memorandum outlining four recruitment approaches, noting a standard 12-week recruitment timeline for an executive-level search and providing estimated costs for outside firms. “The estimate the estimated cost will be up to 75,000, but most likely it will be more in the 50,000 range,” Nina said, adding that the final rate depends on options such as testing or community engagement.

The committee discussed four options: (1) engage a recruiting firm already under city contract (named in the memo as Polyhire and Korn Ferry under SENSA), (2) issue a new RFP or use a cooperative purchasing agreement, (3) invoke warranty/search provisions under prior GovHR/GT contract (described in the memo as limited to advertising and logistics, estimated $2,500–$5,000), and (4) conduct an in-house search using city staff. Committee members repeatedly said they did not favor an internal search or reuse of certain prior firms; one member summarized that those choices left option 2 as the preferred path.

“Which leaves me with option 2 … my interest is in utilizing a cooperative purchase agreement,” said Chairman Middleton during the discussion. Several other members expressed similar preferences, emphasizing speed, professionalism and efficiency as selection criteria.

Staff explained that using a cooperative purchasing agreement would still require administrative steps—generally 30 to 45 days to identify a vendor and execute contracts—before the standard 12-week search process could begin. Nina told the committee that if staff proceeded immediately, that schedule would likely push the substantive recruitment timeline into mid-November or later because of contract setup time.

Legal and administration staff clarified the committee’s role. Bert Vandenberg of the City Attorney’s Office said the posted item was “a briefing just to discuss the option” and that staff could return with a list of vendors from cooperative agreements and then post an action item so the full council could receive the committee’s recommendation. Willow Sanchez, an assistant city attorney, and other staff were asked to check contract details related to prior searches so the committee could determine whether warranty or replacement provisions applied to earlier contracts.

The committee directed staff to provide a full list of cooperative purchasing agreement vendors that perform executive searches, to post that information in advance of the next committee meeting, and to return with an action item so the committee may narrow the list and recommend firms to the full council. Committee members discussed interviewing two to three shortlisted firms and whether such interviews could occur in executive session; staff noted interviews of companies are typically public and that some logistics or proprietary concerns may require additional steps.

The committee also approved minutes from its Jan. 21 meeting at the start of Tuesday’s session; the motion was moved and seconded and the chair announced the motion carried.

Next steps recorded in the meeting: staff will compile and post the full cooperative-agreement vendor list before the committee’s next meeting, present two to three recommended firms for interview, and post a formal action item so that the committee may make a recommendation to the full council.