The Board of Aldermen on July 15 approved a plan to share applicants for the open city‑administrator position with aldermen and to hold a special (closed) meeting to select semi‑finalists.

A recruitment firm, SGR, provided 30 total applicants; staff reported seven were judged "highly qualified," and additional candidates merited review. Alderman Cleave moved that the clerk obtain application packets and distribute qualified and semi‑qualified candidate materials to aldermen via a shared folder for review. The board approved the motion; Attorney Carr confirmed personnel matters and applicant materials will remain confidential and be handled in closed session as appropriate.

Staff outlined next steps SGR recommended: select semi‑finalists, distribute questionnaires and video-interview prompts, review responses and pick finalists (three to five), conduct background and reference checks, and schedule on‑site interviews.

What comes next: City Clerk Barfield will provide candidate materials to aldermen, and the board will schedule a closed special meeting to review and select semi‑finalists, followed by the SGR‑facilitated steps.