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College Place council begins city administrator search, appoints interim and OKs short contract with outgoing administrator
Summary
The College Place City Council authorized a recruitment contract with GMP Consultants, approved an interim administrator contract and approved a professional-services retainer for outgoing city administrator Mike Rizzitello to assist with grant writing and project management during the transition.
The College Place City Council on June 24 authorized a professional search for the next city administrator, appointed an interim city administrator under contract and approved a short-term consulting agreement with outgoing City Administrator Mike Rizzitello.
Search and interim
The council approved a recruitment services agreement with GMP Consultants to lead the city-administrator search and established a recruitment budget not to exceed $35,000. The same consultant’s interim-placement service was approved to bring an interim city administrator—contracted through GMP at an hourly rate—while the permanent search is conducted.
Council discussion noted the city’s desire for a prompt process: staff noted comparable searches can run 12–16 weeks. In the interim presentation, the candidate indicated he would spend most of his time on site and expected to work about 80% in person.
Outgoing administrator’s consulting arrangement
The council also approved a professional-services contract with Mike Rizzitello’s LLC (doing business as Whiskers and Puzzles LLC) to provide grant writing and project-management services as needed while the city completes recruitment and onboarding. The contract sets a billable rate of $90 per hour, billed in quarter-hour increments; the agreement was presented as open-ended and will be used only if Rizzitello is available and there is no conflict with his next employment.
Why it matters: continuity and project completion
Council members and staff stressed continuity: Rizzitello’s tenure included multiple capital projects, events and grant efforts, and council members repeatedly credited him with securing significant grant funding during his service. The post-employment consulting contract was presented as a tool to preserve institutional knowledge and complete work already underway rather than to create a new long-term obligation.
Votes and procedure
The council passed the recruitment contract and the interim placement contract after public discussion and adopted the professional-services agreement for Rizzitello. For the recruitment contract the council established a $35,000 recruitment budget; for the interim placement they approved GMP’s proposed hourly arrangement; the consulting contract with Rizzitello was approved at $90 per hour.
Evidence: motions and adoption of resolutions authorizing the mayor to sign contracts with GMP Consultants for recruitment and interim services and authorizing a professional-services contract with Rizzitello LLC for grant writing and project management.
