GMP presents city administrator profile, schedules Sept. 22 special meeting to review semifinalist candidates

Dave Zabel of GMP Consultants reviewed the candidate profile, advertising plan and timetable for hiring a new city administrator at the Aug. 5 workshop and confirmed a special meeting to review semifinalist candidates on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. Zabel said GMP completed interviews with elected officials and staff and assembled an applicant profile that highlights College Place’s strengths, leadership team, opportunities and challenges. He said the recruitment will be advertised nationwide with emphasis on the Pacific Northwest — Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana — and in West‑Coast trade outlets and government job boards. The planned advertising period is about one month; Zabel said he would monitor applicant flow and advise the council if additional outreach is needed. The profile emphasizes a strong senior leadership team, expectation for a manager who can “refine priorities and maintain organizational momentum,” and traits including political astuteness, negotiating skills and financial acumen. Zabel told council members he expects the city’s current pay ordinance may be less competitive than the market and suggested the council be prepared to evaluate compensation if applicant response is weak; he mentioned roughly $190,000 as a market benchmark during the discussion and recommended monitoring the response before changing the posted level. Council members confirmed they prefer the Sept. 22 special meeting time of 7 p.m. for a workshop to review semifinalist candidates and narrow the slate for finalists. Zabel and GMP explained that the Sept. 22 session will present semifinalist packets (candidates who meet minimum qualifications and have been initially screened and interviewed by GMP); later steps — finalist interviews and reference checks — typically include an executive‑session component to protect applicants’ privacy. Zabel said staff and department heads may be invited to portions of the executive‑session process if the council deems their participation helpful. Zabel said GMP planned to publish the recruitment by the end of the week and would circulate links and materials to city officials; he will monitor the applicant pool during the advertising window and report back to the council. No formal hiring decision was made at the Aug. 5 workshop; the special meeting and subsequent finalist interviews will precede any appointment.