Mayor Mark Behnke announced that the City of Battle Creek has scheduled a public meet-and-greet with finalists for the city manager position and a special commission meeting to hold final public interviews in early August.

The meet-and-greet will be Wednesday evening, Aug. 6, at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 50 Capitol Avenue SW in downtown Battle Creek. The City Commission has tentatively scheduled a special meeting for Thursday evening, Aug. 7, in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall, 10 North Division Street, for public final interviews of the candidates. The commission selected a group of finalists after its regular meeting on July 15.

Behnke said the meet-and-greet will be an informal opportunity for neighbors to “meet and chat with the finalist candidates about their vision for the city of Battle Creek and our future.” He said more details would be available next week and urged residents to subscribe to city alerts for updates.

The mayor's remarks indicate the meetings are intended to be public opportunities for residents to see the finalists and hear their priorities before the commission completes the hiring process. Additional specifics about times, candidate names, and the interview schedule were not provided in the mayor's report and will be announced by the city website and alerts.