Bloomington council authorizes ad hoc hiring committee to recruit council office staff

The Bloomington City Council on Wednesday authorized an ad hoc hiring committee to lead recruitment for vacant council legal and administrative positions and to advise the full council on the structure of the council office.

The council president said the committee’s first deliverable will be recommendations on whether to retain the current staffing model — two attorneys and a legal researcher — or to separate attorney and administrative duties, and that the panel would draft job descriptions and work with human resources to post openings.

Why it matters: The committee will shape how the council’s legal and administrative functions are staffed during a transition, and members debated how day-to-day supervision and confidentiality should be handled while vacancies are filled.

Council Member Pedmont Smith said the idea of employees reporting to a committee raised concerns about public meetings and staff supervision, calling it “problematic for employees to report to a committee especially because the committee meetings will be public meetings.” Members discussed alternatives including designating a single liaison or supervisor to handle day-to-day oversight.

Several members questioned whether the council itself has the technical expertise to draft job descriptions for all office positions without staff input; Council Member Rosenberger urged the council to consider hiring an outside consulting firm to lead or advise the process, saying a consultant could bring needed expertise and speed. Clerk Balden told the council the clerk’s office has assisted during past vacancies and offered support, saying, “we will also be helping and have already had discussions in the office about what we can do to make sure that you’re actually getting the work of the city done.”

Council Member Stber moved to authorize the delegated ad hoc hiring committee to carry out the draft scope items identified in the packet and to research temporary or external legal support during the transition; the motion was seconded and put to a roll-call vote. The motion passed on a 6-2 vote, with two members recorded as voting no (Council Members Pedmont Smith and Rosenberger). The council president said they would appoint committee members to begin work and follow up with edits and next steps at the council’s next meeting.

The president announced initial committee appointments and proposed Council Member Daly as the staff liaison; members noted the liaison is typically appointed by a council vote and agreed to place the liaison question on next week’s packet for formal consideration. The council also said it intends to schedule an executive session next week to continue related discussions.

The committee’s charge includes evaluating office structure, drafting job descriptions subject to council approval, presenting at least two qualified candidates for each open role to the full council, and exploring options for temporary external legal support. Clerk Balden and council staff indicated they will assist to maintain council operations during the hiring and transition process.

Next steps: The committee is to begin work on the specified scope items and report back with recommendations and proposed job descriptions; the liaison appointment will be addressed at next week’s meeting and an executive session is tentatively scheduled for further discussion.