Ferndale holds interviews for three city manager finalists; council to meet Monday on selection

Ferndale — The City of Ferndale interviewed three finalists for the city manager position during a public session that included candidate presentations, council questions and public-facing events organized this week. The council will reconvene on Monday to discuss the interviews and may identify a preferred candidate for hire.

The interviews, which the facilitator said were allotted roughly 55 minutes per candidate, were the final step in a recruitment that included closed-session resume review, employee Zoom open houses, tours of city facilities and a public meet-and-greet earlier the same day. The facilitator said feedback from the employee session and QR-code responses from the evening’s events will be provided to council members before the end of business Friday.

Each candidate described experience and priorities they said they would bring to Ferndale. Vester Davis, a candidate for Ferndale city manager, emphasized a “humble leadership” style focused on listening to staff and residents, collaborative problem solving and practical financial tools. Davis cited fleet replacement and bonding as examples of past financial planning: “We increased contributions from other departments to the vehicle fund… and that set us up for success,” he said, describing a multi-year approach to modernizing equipment and spreading costs across funds.

Colleen, a candidate whose last name was not provided in the transcript, described nearly nine years as a city manager in Michigan and experience stabilizing municipal finances. She said she has led multi-year strategic planning and adopted asset-management approaches to capital planning, and noted large infrastructure work — including an $80 million wastewater-treatment plant project she is overseeing in her current role. On transparency she said she uses forward-facing tools such as ClearGov to let residents see projects, budgets and progress in real time.

An internal candidate identified as James (last name not recorded in the transcript) told council he has worked closely with Ferndale staff and emphasized continuity and relationship-building: “I love this city. I love this organization,” he said, adding that he wants to serve as a stabilizing force after recent leadership turnover and the failed Headley millage.

Council members asked candidates about leadership style, communication with council, equity and inclusion, building employee culture, and approaches to aging infrastructure and housing affordability. Candidates described a mix of tactics including weekly reports to council, office hours or community coffee hours for residents, detailed capital improvement planning, pursuing grants and bonds, and using renderings or community engagement to explain development and preserve neighborhood character.

The facilitator and council members noted the process steps that led to the interviews: resume screening in closed session under the open meetings rules, staff tours of facilities, employee and public meet-and-greets, and the recorded interviews. The facilitator told council members to watch recordings and said he will provide compiled feedback from the employee Zoom and QR surveys before Friday’s close of business.

No hiring decision was made at the meeting. Council approved the evening’s agenda at the start of the session and then proceeded to the interviews; the facilitator said council will meet Monday to discuss the candidates and, potentially, select a preferred candidate to whom the city might offer the job.

The interviews, the facilitator said, were intended to give council members a chance to ask standardized questions of each finalist while also allowing follow-up queries. Council members and the mayor repeatedly highlighted communication and availability as top priorities for their next manager.