Homewood ad hoc committee interviews Glenn Adams for interim city manager role

An ad hoc committee of the Homewood City Council interviewed Glenn Adams as a candidate for interim city manager, focusing on budgeting, staffing, community communication and the council-to-manager transition.

The committee chair, Bari Smith, Ward 4 representative, told Adams the city passed a referendum in September to change to a council‑manager form of government and is seeking someone to “bridge the gap” until new officials take office after the municipal election next year. "We are gonna hire somebody in hopes that they can take office on March the first or someone somewhere very close to that," Smith said.

Adams, who described himself as an experienced interim manager and change agent, outlined a hands‑on approach he said he uses in short‑term city management: simplify budget documents for public understanding, meet monthly with department directors until operations stabilize, and provide frequent updates to council members. "Budgets are tricky," Adams said. He urged that the budget present a baseline for current services plus clearly prioritized options for enhancements so citizens and council members can see why proposed spending changes would occur.

Why it matters: Homewood voters approved the government change in September; the ad hoc committee wants an interim manager in place before the next budget cycle and the arrival of newly elected officials so the city has continuity while responsibilities shift under the new structure.

Key details discussed - Timing and process: Committee members said the council plans to pass a resolution at an upcoming meeting to authorize hiring an interim city manager, with a statutory window that requires at least 30 days between resolution and appointment and no more than 60 days. The committee described a two‑round process: remote interviews followed by in‑person visits for finalists to meet department heads and tour facilities. The committee said it hopes the selected candidate could start about March 1 to participate in the runup to next year’s budget process.

- Budget and finance approach: Adams said he would treat the approved operating baseline as the foundation and present clearly labeled options for service changes (for example, road improvements) stacked by priority for council consideration. He reviewed the committee’s budget document and noted it appeared labeled "proposed" rather than "approved;" committee members confirmed the council had approved the FY 2024–25 budget and that the document language could be clarified. Adams said he expects to backstop finance by reviewing execution against the approved budget and by establishing regular reviews with directors.

- Staffing, HR and unions: Committee members told Adams Homewood employs about 350 full‑ and part‑time staff and adds roughly 150 seasonal workers in summer. Committee members said the city currently lacks a full HR department and that some hiring is routed through the Jefferson County personnel board; one committee member said the city pays that board about $400,000 annually. Adams said he would prioritize building onboarding and hiring processes and meeting regularly with union representatives for police and fire to reduce overtime costs and develop internal promotion steps.

- Communication and community trust: Multiple committee members said robust, regular communication to residents is a priority. Adams described doing regular public outreach in prior roles — including daily or weekly updates in a past interim post — and said follow‑through on citizen complaints is essential to build trust. "Give me a few days to get back with that," he said of handling citizen concerns and then reporting back in a regular update.

- Planning and external relations: Adams recommended reconciling separate plans (ADA transition, stormwater, transportation and others) into an updated comprehensive plan so new leadership and the community work from the same baseline. He described prior experience coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions while serving at White Sands Missile Range and said regular outreach to nearby governments is important to prevent encroachment and miscommunication.

Candidate background and availability Adams recounted multiple interim city manager roles, including work in Santa Fe, Texas, and Martinsville, Virginia, and service as chief of staff at White Sands Missile Range. He described himself as a change agent who focuses on mentoring staff and stabilizing organizations. Adams told the committee he is a finalist or semi‑finalist for three other cities and that he is prepared to start quickly if selected.

Next steps Committee members said they will continue interviews over multiple nights, narrow the field to a few finalists for in‑person visits to Homewood, and then recommend a candidate to the full council. The committee expects to pass the hiring resolution at an upcoming council meeting; the appointment must comply with the stated 30–60 day statutory window before a candidate could assume the role.