Lakewood City Council members reviewed a draft recruitment profile for the city manager position and asked the consultant and staff to add language about public safety, staff development and the city’s relationship with Joint Base Lewis‑McChord before the city launches recruitment.

Debbie Terry, a consultant with GMP, told the council the profile “is a reflection of the things that I’ve heard from talking to many stakeholders, including each of you” and that the document is intended to attract qualified candidates. Terry said the draft recommends a salary range of $240,000 to $275,000 and that the recruitment will be distributed both in hard copy and electronically, concentrating outreach in the Western United States while notifying a national mailing list.

The profile lists priorities the council wants a new manager to address in the first 12 months. Council members suggested edits, including adding explicit public‑safety language and a bullet about the city manager’s responsibility to mentor and develop staff. Councilmembers also asked staff to add links to local public‑safety data and to information about Joint Base Lewis‑McChord (JBLM) so candidates can better understand Lakewood’s regional partnerships.

Why it matters: The city is preparing to replace long‑tenured City Manager John Caulfield when his tenure ends; the recruitment profile and compensation range set expectations for who will apply and how the council will evaluate finalists.

Key points from the meeting
- Compensation: Terry said her firm benchmarked Lakewood against Puget Sound city manager salaries and recent recruitments, noting a median in the low‑$260,000s; she recommended the council publish a salary range of $240,000–$275,000 in the profile to provide negotiation flexibility.
- Candidate priorities: The draft emphasizes the first 12 months’ priorities and lists opportunities and challenges for a new manager. Councilmembers asked that the draft better highlight the manager’s role in mentoring and developing staff and include clearer language about public safety as a cross‑departmental responsibility, not solely the police department’s work.
- Outreach and materials: Terry said the profile will include links to city videos and suggested candidate resources; councilmembers asked staff to add public‑safety statistics and JBLM relationship materials.
- Next steps: Terry said she will produce an updated draft the following Monday and the city aims to launch the recruitment the week after the retreat.

Council feedback and notable remarks
- Councilmember Branstetter questioned language on the “Welcome to Lakewood” page as too aspirational and urged trimming wording that overstates the current condition of Lakewood Town Center.
- Several councilmembers asked the consultant to add a bullet describing a manager who “mentors and develops key staff,” a change Terry said she would add.
- Councilmember Pearson and others urged that the profile emphasize Lakewood’s partnerships with JBLM and neighboring jurisdictions.

What the profile will show candidates
- The recruitment packet will present Lakewood’s priorities, opportunities and challenges (noted by Terry as appearing on page 5 of the draft), the recommended salary range ($240,000–$275,000), and links to local resources and videos to orient finalists.

No formal action was taken. Councilmembers provided direction to staff and the consultant; an updated draft was expected the Monday after the retreat and staff said the recruitment launch was planned for the next week.