The Longwood City Commission voted 3-2 on a motion Tuesday to appoint Leanne Cardenas as interim city clerk and directed the city attorney to negotiate an interim employment agreement for consideration at the commission’s next meeting.

The decision followed a lengthy discussion that split the commission between hiring an outside, contracted municipal clerk and selecting an internal candidate. Commissioners who favored an external hire cited the need for an experienced records professional to handle audits and ongoing state-level reviews; commissioners who favored an internal appointment argued that internal staff already know Longwood’s systems and that pulling someone from a lean city department would be disruptive.

City Attorney (unnamed) recommended that each commissioner offer brief remarks on the three internal candidates before a motion, and cautioned commissioners to be sensitive in public remarks because the nominees are current city employees. HR Director Bridal Redor provided pay and cost details for both internal and external options. She said the city’s posted pay band ranged from $107,000 to $143,000 annually; using a 5% minimum adjustment produced a base hourly rate of $54.32 and a total-compensation hourly equivalent of $70.62, or about $12,243.18 per month when employer benefits are included. For an external interim through a vendor (Strategic Government Resources, SGR, was discussed as an example), Bridal Redor gave an estimated monthly all-in cost between $15,588 and $16,454 if housing and travel stipends were required. She also said SGR charges a one-time setup/background fee of about $900 and a one-time $10,000 fee if the contractor is later hired as a permanent employee.

Fire Chief Troy Feist and City Manager spoke to operational impacts during discussion of staffing coverage; the manager told the commission he believed one internal candidate could be spared with minimal operational disruption. Commissioners described the three internal finalists as: Leanne Cardenas (current city employee with prior experience in the clerk’s office), Molly (last name not specified in the meeting transcript; described as working closely with the clerk’s office), and Richard Paris (listed with experience in regulations and banking and currently assigned to public works). Several commissioners noted that public-works coverage would be more difficult if Richard Paris were moved.

A first motion, to hire an outside contracted clerk, was made by Commissioner Matt McMillan and seconded by Commissioner Morgan; the motion failed on a roll call vote recorded in the meeting as: McMillan — yes; Deputy Mayor Abby Shoemaker — yes; Commissioner Tony Boney — no; Commissioner Morgan — no; Mayor Sackett — no. After that vote, Commissioner Morgan moved to nominate Leanne Cardenas to the interim clerk role; Commissioner Boney seconded the nomination. The roll call on the appointment was: Commissioner Morgan — yes; Mayor Sackett — yes; Commissioner Boney — yes; Commissioner McMillan — no; Deputy Mayor Shoemaker — no. The motion carried 3-2.

The commission’s motion authorized the city attorney to work with the selected candidate to draft an interim city clerk employment agreement and to place the final appointment and associated agreement on the next commission meeting agenda. The city attorney noted that, unlike a charter provision that sets a 120-day interim limit for an interim city manager, there is no comparable time limit for an interim city clerk in Longwood, so the commission can set the interim term by agreement.

Next steps: the city attorney will draft the employment agreement with parameters the commission discussed; the formal appointment and the interim employment agreement will be brought back to the commission for approval at a subsequent meeting.

Ending: The commission did not set a specific duration for the interim appointment during the session; commissioners said they expect the attorney and HR to prepare a draft agreement that reflects the commission’s direction and returns for final approval at the next meeting.