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Sheldon council discusses recruitment options for vacant city manager post
Summary
Council reviewed options for filling the vacant city manager role — retaining duties among staff, hiring a recruiting consultant, or using a headhunting firm — and asked staff and councilmembers to review the job description and cost estimates ahead of a decision.
Sheldon City Council held an extended discussion about filling the vacant city manager position, weighing three primary options: maintain day-to-day operations with existing staff; hire a recruitment consultant similar to a firm the council used previously; or engage a headhunting/recruiting firm.
Councilmember Pete Hamel summarized guidance he had received from the League of Iowa Cities, telling the council that the city is required to have a mayor, council, clerk and legal counsel but that other positions (including a city manager) are optional. Hamel said the League contacts he spoke with indicated that most Iowa cities do employ a city manager but emphasized that the city has discretion on structure and staffing.
Members noted prior local experience: past searches used a consultant arranged through the Iowa League of Cities; that engagement previously cost in the mid-to-high teens of thousands of dollars, and one participant said more recent searches in other organizations have cost around $25,000. Several councilmembers suggested circulating the updated job description (last revised in August during the job-description project) and asking staff or prospective vendors for preliminary cost and timeline proposals before committing to a specific approach.
Council discussed process options including an RFP or targeted outreach to known municipal recruiters. One councilmember recommended that staff ask the firms mentioned to provide price structures and timelines for consideration at an upcoming meeting, so the council could compare costs and scopes before selecting a path forward.
Next steps identified by council members and staff included reviewing the current job description, requesting preliminary proposals or fee estimates from recruitment vendors, and deciding whether to handle recruitment internally or through an outside firm after receiving those proposals.
