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Council schedules public meet-and-greet and closed interviews in administrator search; appointment requires 3/4 council vote
Summary
The council outlined the final steps in its City Administrator search: a public meet-and-greet Wednesday evening and closed interviews Thursday morning, with appointment requiring an affirmative vote of three-quarters of full council membership (six of eight).
The West Bend Common Council on June 2 laid out the final phase of its City Administrator search, announcing a public meet-and-greet for Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall and closed-session interviews Thursday morning beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Mayor Joel Longert asked residents and staff to attend Wednesday’s open session and asked council members and staff to wear red lanyards to help gather immediate feedback. Council members and department heads will interview candidates in separate sessions; department heads will also tour the city with candidates and report their impressions back to the mayor and council.
City staff said the closed interview session for council members is properly posted and will be conducted under Wisconsin’s open-meetings statute exception for deliberating or negotiating the purchase of public properties and investing public funds, cited in the meeting as Wis. Stat. § 19.85(1)(e) for closed-session procedures related to candidate interviews. The council also referenced a local appointment requirement that the city administrator be appointed by an affirmative vote of three-quarters of the full council membership (six of eight), a procedural requirement discussed on the record during the meeting.
Officials described the next steps after interviews: the council will identify a candidate they wish to pursue, department heads and the mayor’s office will negotiate a contract and perform a background check, and the formal appointment and contract approval will come back to the council for a public vote once negotiations are complete. City staff cautioned that an announcement does not become final until background checks and contract negotiations are complete.
Council members encouraged public participation in the Wednesday meet-and-greet and said feedback gathered at that event would be used in the selection process. The city said it expected to schedule a special meeting or take up the formal appointment at a future council meeting likely before the regular July session if negotiations proceed quickly.
The council also noted that department heads will consolidate their feedback through Chief Dearing and that the mayor and staff will coordinate communication to candidates and the public following Thursday’s interviews.
