South Lyon council votes to make conditional offer to interim city manager after interviews

The South Lyon City Council voted Jan. 28 to extend a conditional offer of employment to interim City Manager Doug Bakke, contingent on successful contract negotiations.

Councilmember Bogart moved the action and Councilmember Hansen seconded; the motion carried on a recorded roll-call vote in which councilors voted in favor. The council instructed the city attorney to draft an offer for consideration at the next meeting in early February and directed members to consult the finance director about salary and benefits before finalizing terms.

The decision followed interviews with four finalists: Christina Laszlo, Doug Bakke, Eric Woody and Susan Barkman. The council spent more than three hours questioning candidates about leadership, budget stewardship, communications and how they would support downtown businesses during the Pontiac Trail/Lafayette reconstruction project.

Mayor and council members framed the selection as a judgment of technical skills versus local knowledge and staff continuity. Councilmembers who supported Bakke cited his long experience in the community, existing relationships with staff and stakeholders, and recent, hands-on engagement with the road project and related meetings. "I was appointed city manager... I have been working extensively with the staff at City Hall," Bakke said during his interview, describing efforts to coordinate with the Oakland County Road Commission and DDA to mitigate construction impacts.

Bakke, who has served as interim city manager since Dec. 9 and previously led the police department, told the council he had met with contractors and county officials and had participated in an S&P bond discussion to better understand the city's capital program. He emphasized frequent, clear communication with residents and businesses: "First is communication," he said when asked how he would support downtown merchants during the reconstruction.

Several council members praised Susan Barkman for her municipal management background and community-engagement experience. Barkman suggested using subscription construction alerts, text-based notices and a coordinated downtown gift-card program to support businesses during extended construction. Christina Laszlo and Eric Woody highlighted grant-writing and marketing strategies respectively, including business support campaigns and increased social media outreach.

The Pontiac Trail/Lafayette project — repeatedly raised in the interviews — was described by multiple candidates as the immediate priority. Candidates and councilors said the reconstruction would run through the downtown and could last months, creating a need for a manager who could be operational immediately and coordinate mitigation plans with utilities, contractors and the DDA. Woody described the project as an $11,000,000 undertaking; candidates referenced a projected spring start with work running into fall and council staff described planning meetings with stakeholders.

At the conclusion of the meeting the council voted to authorize the city attorney to prepare a conditional offer to Bakke based on contract negotiations. Councilmembers said they would return to the issue at the next council meeting to discuss specifics of compensation, benefits and any performance expectations tied to the offer.

The council also noted resources the city can use while negotiating an employment contract, including the recruitment firm's executive-coaching services and financial information from the finance director. The motion does not finalize employment; it directs staff to draft the offer and return with details for formal approval or amendment at a future meeting.