Milford council rejects month‑to‑month contract for Management Essentials after heated public opposition

Milford City Council declined to authorize a month‑to‑month contract with Management Essentials for executive coaching and leadership assessments after extensive council discussion and more than an hour of public comment. The motion to allow the city manager to enter a six‑month, month‑to‑month agreement capped at $5,500 per month failed on a 4–3 roll call.

Council members said they broadly support investing in leadership development and succession planning for the city manager and department heads, but several said they had specific concerns about Management Essentials’ track record, public conduct and whether the company’s experience is a fit for municipal government. Opponents repeatedly cited social‑media mistakes, use of AI in city posts, missed commitments to appear at meetings and a lack of independently verifiable performance metrics.

City Manager Benjamin Gunderson told the council he has worked with Management Essentials and referenced letters of recommendation (Child Focus and other examples) and case studies presented in the packet. He framed the contract as a finite professional‑services engagement — an E3 leadership assessment, behavioral interviews, individual leadership coaching and executive coaching — intended to improve operational efficiency and prepare the organization for upcoming retirements among upper leadership.

Several council members asked for a pause or narrower scope. Some proposed splitting the marketing work (which Management Essentials currently performs under a separate, month‑to‑month marketing agreement) from the leadership/coaching work; others urged the administration to seek vendors with long municipal experience. Multiple residents and business owners who addressed council urged council to vote no, arguing the contractor had already shown poor judgment and that the contract could give a private firm excessive embedded influence across departments.

Gunderson said the contracts are month‑to‑month and can be terminated at any time, and he repeated that the intention is to coach staff and then step back. Council members who voted against the ordinance said they could support leadership coaching provided it comes from a different vendor or after a more robust vetting process.

Outcome: the ordinance authorizing the Management Essentials professional‑services contract did not pass (failed 4–3). The city manager said he will continue evaluating options and that council retains authority to revisit professional‑services procurement for coaching and organizational work.

Next steps: Council members and the administration signaled they will seek alternative firms and comparative proposals. Some council members asked for clearer scopes, independent metrics and public reporting to accompany any future coaching contract.