The Melbourne Beach Town Commission on Nov. 21 voted 5-0 to advance five finalists for interviews in its search for a new town manager and set a Dec. 19 interview day, after hearing a detailed briefing from recruiter Jim Degan of MGT.

Degan told the commission his firm ran an eight-week national search and "got 70, applications from 17 different states. 53 of them were from Florida." He said eight candidates were interviewed by the firm and one later withdrew, leaving seven interview-level candidates. Degan recommended limiting the number of in-person interviews to a manageable group (three to five is common) while leaving the final choice of whom to interview to the commission.

The commission debated whether to interview all seven recommended candidates or narrow the list so the interview day would be feasible. Commissioner Tim Reed moved to adopt a shortened interview pool and, after discussion, moved a formal motion to advance five candidates by name: David Bridal, Sherry Burrows, Lisa Frasier, Marie Smith and Tim Thomas. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously on a voice vote.

Degan outlined the interview format he recommends: sequester (separate) candidates so they do not hear other interviews; provide commissioners with a consolidated set of 10 questions on the morning of the interviews (the questions are collected in advance and held by the town attorney so candidates cannot see them beforehand); allot roughly three to four minutes per question and allow short breaks and a lunch. Degan said this approach is meant to surface candidates' comparative responses, protect transparency and keep the day on schedule.

Commissioners asked for clarifications about how the consultant evaluated candidates. Degan said he considered education (degrees such as MPAs), budget and capital projects experience, communication and public engagement skills, employee supervision, grant experience, and whether any prior "baggage" (complaints or other issues) would be disqualifying. He confirmed his firm conducted reference checks (at least one responsive reference for each candidate) but does not provide commissioners with raw reference contact details to protect confidentiality.

Members also raised specific resume questions during the briefing: items discussed included a 2015 resignation or severance entry on one resume (noted in the packet as relating to an employer in St. Lucie), and whether some local applicants met the minimum qualifications. Degan said meeting the minimum qualifications was not the only test: the firm compared applicants across the full pool to identify those most likely to be strong interview candidates.

Two members of the public addressed the commission before the vote. Terry Wooldridge, who said he had applied for the job, asked that his submission be reviewed against the finalists and expressed frustration that he had not received a call; he said he believed he met the stated criteria. Resident Dawn Barlow urged the commission to consider Peggy Castano (listed in materials) and asked whether any of the top candidates had appeared in prior searches or prior placements by the firm.

Following public comment, the commission voted to advance the five-nominee pool and set interviews for Friday, Dec. 19, beginning at 9 a.m. The commission agreed to submit interview questions to Town Attorney Ryan Knight ahead of time so they could be consolidated and handed to commissioners the morning of the interviews. Commissioners agreed the process would include short breaks and a lunch and leave time at the end of the day for any brief follow-up or recall of candidates.

The vote to advance the five candidates and the scheduling of interviews were the only formal actions taken; the commission adjourned at the end of the meeting. The town attorney and consultant will deliver the consolidated questions and, per Degan's recommendation, manage sequestering and timing on interview day.

Name and packet-note clarifications: the transcript contains minor variations in spelling for several names (for example, David Bridal appears in packet references as "David Bridal" and some notes show alternate renderings). The article uses names as they appear in the commission packet and on the meeting record. Any remaining discrepancies will be resolved using the official candidate packet and the town's public records.