Council asked for fast action on search for Bobkiewicz’s replacement

June 26, 2009
Santa Paula City Council

Recommending that the City Council “move expeditiously forward,” departing City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz asked that the interviews and selection of an executive search firm be finalized at the end of the month.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesRecommending that the City Council “move expeditiously forward,” departing City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz asked that the interviews and selection of an executive search firm be finalized at the end of the month.Bobkiewicz, who led City Hall for seven years, will leave in mid-July to become City Manager of Evanston, Illinois.At the June 15 Council meeting Bobkiewicz asked the Council how many executive firms they would like to consider. “We can start tomorrow and have the selection process completed by the June 29 Council meeting,” when the Council could consider the finalists. Bobkiewicz also suggested the Council create a committee or sub-committee to work on the issue.Councilman Bob Gonzales asked how many California firms “would you put in the category of top notch... a dozen?” There are only about four to six executive search firms that Bobkiewicz said specialize in city management.
“If we limit it to a certain number, not say those that are fly by night,” Gonzales said he would envision as many as eight firms for consideration. Councilman Fred Robinson asked if all such firms are “reputable.”Bobkiewicz said, “I’m going to choose my words carefully... some executive search firms” specialize in certain positions such as police chiefs for “one stop shopping,” while others specialize in city managers. “I think you would want to look at the top tier firms to get a top tier candidate.”Robinson suggested the field of executive search firm candidates be limited to five or six; and Bobkiewicz suggested the motion be for eight firms, then narrowed down to five to six for consideration.Bobkiewicz asked how the Council would like to study the proposals from each executive search firm. The City Council agreed to have brief presentations - perhaps limited to about five minutes - from each search firm to outline their services and proposals at the June 29 meeting.The session will start at 4 p.m. in the Council Conference Room, and Bobkiewicz said interviews are expected to last about two hours when the Council goes into closed session. The regular Council meeting will then start at 6:30 p.m.



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