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Council debates interim hire for city administrator, tables final approval for vetting
Summary
Council debated whether to hire an interviewed candidate as interim city administrator ahead of a May charter vote; supporters framed the hire as a "test drive," while others pressed for advertising, background checks and a public candidate pool. The council ultimately tabled the approval pending further vetting.
Councilmembers debated whether appointing an interim city administrator would undercut an upcoming May ballot measure on a city-manager charter or simply provide a temporary fix. One councilmember proposed hiring the interviewed candidate on an interim basis so the council could "take your car for a test drive" before making a longer-term commitment; another argued a public posting and applicant pool were required to ensure fairness.
A motion to offer the interim position to the interviewed candidate was made and seconded. Supporters said the interim arrangement would allow the city to evaluate the candidate while preserving voters'9 ability to decide the charter question in May. Opponents asked for a background and reference check and proposed tabling final approval until the next meeting to allow due diligence. The transcript records motions, several speakers calling for vetting, and a final decision to table the approval until a later meeting pending background checks and further discussion.
Mayor and staff emphasized that policy and hiring steps would remain under council control and that any background checks or references would be conducted as part of an interim offer process. The transcript does not record a definitive, final hire vote at the meeting; the action was tabled to allow more information to be gathered and to permit members to vote at a subsequent meeting.
