Fort Pierce commissioners set interviews for seven city manager finalists, schedule Feb. 18-19 special meeting

The City of Fort Pierce Commission voted Feb. 5 to interview seven finalists for the city manager position and scheduled interviews for Feb. 18-19, with a special meeting at 5:05 p.m. Feb. 19 to consider next steps.

Commissioners reached the decision after using a ballot procedure to compile the names they wished to interview. Sarah Hedges, the city’s human resources director, described the proposed process and ballots that listed all applicants categorized as qualified, qualified but without questionnaires, and not qualified. Mr. Sorensen, who reviewed recruitment metrics for the commission, told commissioners the city received 77 applicants and that two withdrew, leaving 75 applicants; of those, 66 listed in-state addresses and nine listed out-of-state addresses, and one was an internal applicant. Hedges told the commission the ballots required each commissioner to write their name at the top and list up to eight candidates they wanted interviewed.

Why it matters: The commission’s interviews will narrow the applicant pool to a finalist for the city manager role, a key executive hire for Fort Pierce government. Commissioners debated how many candidates to interview, logistics for out-of-state applicants, and whether to require in-person appearances.

Discussion and how the shortlist formed Commissioners first submitted ballots listing candidates they wanted interviewed. The names that received three or more votes and emerged as the leading choices were Derek Skrapchanski, William Lawrence, Linda Cox and Richard Chess; later in the meeting staff said Skrapchanski and Cox each received five votes. Candidates receiving two votes included Benjamin Minus, Robert Turlipp and Brian Boethius; single-vote names included Rick Kruglian, Cedric Hill, Scribe Zadofsky and Howard Brown. After debate about the workload of interviewing 11 candidates, commissioners coalesced around a pool of seven candidates (those with two or more votes): Chess, Cox, Lawrence, Skrapchanski, Minus, Turlipp and Boethius.

Commissioners expressed different views about how large a shortlist should be. Commissioner Gaines argued for interviewing any candidate another commissioner had chosen, saying, “I would still like to interview that person to give that person an opportunity.” Other commissioners said 11 was too many to interview and that five or six was more typical; Commissioner Taylor and others said they were comfortable beginning with the top four but would accept a larger group as a compromise. Commissioners discussed concerns that online news accounts or past employment separations could affect perceptions and said those items would be explored in one-on-one interviews.

Logistics, format and timeline Staff recommended 45-minute interviews with 15-minute breaks between slots. The commission approved a plan to conduct five interviews on one day and two on the other; staff will split the seven candidates across Feb. 18 and Feb. 19. The commission agreed interviews would be in person when possible, with a remote option if a candidate cannot travel; commissioners also agreed applicants would be responsible for their travel costs unless other arrangements are made. Mr. Sorensen said staff would contact candidates after the commission confirmed the pool to coordinate availability and travel.

Formal action and vote Commissioner Johnson moved to adopt the HR process as outlined (five interviews on Feb. 18, two on Feb. 19, with a special meeting at 5:05 p.m. Feb. 19 to discuss selection and remote options for candidates who cannot appear in person). Commissioner Broderick seconded. The motion passed on a roll-call vote: Commissioner Broderick, yes; Commissioner Gaines, no; Commissioner Johnson, yes; Commissioner Taylor, yes; Mayor Hudson, yes. The motion directs staff to schedule the interviews, notify candidates, and prepare for the Feb. 19 special meeting.

Next steps Staff will contact the seven candidates to confirm availability, split interviews across the two days, and post the ballots to the meeting record. The commission expects to conduct interviews as scheduled, allow remote interviews if necessary, and reconvene Feb. 19 to deliberate and determine finalists.

Ending The commission adjourned after confirming the interview schedule and the Feb. 19 special meeting time. No additional substantive business was taken at the Feb. 5 special meeting.