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031708 CC Sp MinCITY OF SHOREWOOD 5755 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONDAY, March 17, 2008 7:00 P.M. MINUTES 1. CONVENE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING Mayor Lizee called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. A. Roll Call Present. Mayor Lizee; Councilmembers Bailey, Turgeon, Wellens, and Woodruff; and Acting Administrator Brown Absent: None B. Review Agenda Acting Administrator Brown requested Item 3, Interim City Administrator Position, be added to the agenda. Wellens moved, Woodruff seconded, Approving the Agenda as amended. Motion passed 5/0. 2. INTERVIEW FIRM FOR CONSIDERATION OF PROVIDNG CITY ADMINISTRATOR SEARCH SERVICES Acting Administrator Brown stated at its March 10, 2008, meeting Council requested that he receive and evaluate the proposals from the executive search firms and provide Council with a recommendation on a firm, Council would then conduct an interview with the fine at this special meeting. Brown explained four firms were contacted. The firn~s were The Brymeyer Group, Inc.; Lynn and Associates; Springsted, Incorporated; and Personnel Decisions International. The City received hard copy proposals from all but Lynn and Associates. He stated after evaluating the proposals, he recommended Springsted, Incorporated, be utilized to assist with filling the vacancy in the City Administrator/Clerk position. He believed Springsted had exceeded the requirements of the proposal. Brown stated Sharon Klumpp, Vice President with Springsted was present to review the Springsted proposal. Ms. Klumpp would be the lead for Springsted on this effort. Ms. Klumpp stated the process of selecting a candidate did not necessarily mean everyone would get their first choice in a candidate; but it should be a decision that each deciding participant could be supportive of. Ms. Klumpp reviewed the benefits of partnering with Springsted in the search effort. - She and her Springsted colleagues had a strong understanding of local government. She had started working with Springsted since 2003 in some form of organizational management work. - Springsted started out by providing financial services to the public sector fifty plus years ago. Over time it was continually asked to provide human resources skills to clients. In 2000 Springsted acquired a company in the mid-Atlantic area which had worked SHOREWOOD CITY SPECIAL MEETING March 17, 2008 Page 2 of 7 primarily in the executive search and organizational management disciplines. Springsted made a concerted effort to concentrate on work in the public sector. - Her career had focused on working with local government. She had worked directly for a number of communities and she had consulted with many local governments. She had a minimal amount of experience with the private sector, - Springsted employees had a great deal of familiarity with the candidate pool for the public sector, They knew how to access potential candidates. Knowledge of the candidate pool helped to accurately evaluate potential candidates. Because she had been working with local governments most of the 30 years she had lived in Minnesota; therefore, if she did not know an individual personally she most likely knew someone who could provide her with some insight. - The requirements and expectations of a city administrator varied between organizations. Therefore, she thought it was important for her to meet with the Councilmembers individually to gather each person's perspective about the requirements for the position (e.g., experience, skill sets, core competencies and qualifications), the City's ongoing needs and expectations, and future issues; she would also want to meet with Council collectively. She also thought it would be important to meet with department heads to gather additional information and gain a broader perspective; that could be done individually or collectively, If she received conflicting input from the Council and staff, she thought it was prudent that be discussed with Council. The input would provide her with better information to respond to questions from potential candidates. - One of the most important services the Springsted team would provide was thorough candidate information. She would develop a matrix of information on up to six applicants identifying things such as educational background, experiences, etc., and then would rank the candidates in the various categories. She would interview all candidates by phone and asked each person the same questions. She would walk through each candidate's resume with them to ensure the particulars were defined. She would present Council with a list of up to six semi-finalists for Council for review and discussion. - Reference checks and background checks were conducted on the candidates Council would select to interview. A type of psychological assessment could be made available if Council desired. She explained she used a former police chief who was now a private investigator to conduct background checks; she had used that individual to provide those services for a long time. She would conduct the majority of the reference checks; some of the reference checks were recommended by the candidates and others were checks she chose to do. - The Springsted team was committed to providing a high quality search. The search must meet Council's needs (Council needs to get the information it needed about a candidate); but the search must also accurately convey to the candidates what the position would encompass. The Council's first introduction to the candidates often occurred at an informal gathering which would occur before final candidate interviews with the Council. Ms. Klumpp stated there were four steps in the executive search process. The steps were: 1) develop a position analysis and city profile; 2) recruit and screen candidates; 3) evaluate candidates; and 4) select a candidate. The details of each step were detailed in the proposal submitted by Springsted. With regard to advertising for the position, she explained ads would be placed in a regional forum and that would be supplemented with various mailings. Springsted would supplement the search through the use of other organizations the company belonged to at no cost to the City. Ms. Klumpp commented that at times the hiring body thought it was possible to hire someone at a salary which was lower than the salary paid the previous administrator or specified in the position profile. That may or may not be possible; it would depend on the candidate pool and the experience a candidate had. SHOREWOOD CITY SPECIAL MEETING March 17, 2008 Page 3 of 7 Ms, Klumpp reviewed a tentative project timeline, - Placement of advertisement and recruitment April 15 -May 9 - Candidate information to Council and selection of finalists May 27 -June 2 - Conduct interviews June 13 -June 14 Ms. Klumpp asked that a City contact be designated. Mayor Lizee indicated that would be Acting Administrator Brown. Klumpp stated the placement of ads and recruitment process could not be initiated until a position profile had been completed. Before that could happen it was necessary that she meet with the Councilmembers individually and she would prefer to meet with the department heads. She asked that those meetings be scheduled and conducted as soon as possible. She recommended approval of the profile be obtained at a Council meeting. There was consensus that could occur at the first Council meeting in April. Ms. Klumpp stated it was her goal to present the list of potential candidates to Council just prior to May 26, 2008, and have Council select the list of final candidates to interview during the next week. She would prefer to let the potential candidates know what the tentative interview dates would be early on so the candidates could reserve those dates well in advance; she would inform candidates that were not selected for interviews as soon as possible. She commented it was common for the selected candidate to take 4 - 6 weeks to start in the position from the time it was offered and accepted, Ms. Klumpp stated Springsted was committed to providing a successful search, to providing a customized approach, and to paying attention to the necessary requirements. Councilmember Woodruff questioned how long the search took for the City Administrator positions for the cities of Grand Rapids and Oak Grove. Ms. Klumpp stated for Oak Grove it took between 90 days and 120 days, which was the norm. The search for Grand Rapids took longer because it was basically done twice. The search started with a Council where most of the members were completing terms, and continued with newly elected members. Then, the selected candidate decided it would not be a good fit for his family so a new candidate had to be found. Woodruff recommended the City Administrator's performance appraisal form be finalized as part of this process and that it be done prior to the interviewing of candidates. Councilmember Woodruff then questioned if Springsted would use the DISC management assessment tool. Ms. Klumpp stated that tool evaluated the dominant, influential, stability and compliant styles of management; the cost would be approximately $35 per candidate to obtain an on-line DISC assessment report. Woodruff stated he was an advocate of management assessments. Ms. Klumpp stated she had previously engaged the services of an on-line consultant to conduct Meyers-Briggs assessments of candidates; the psychologist used an expanded form of the Myers-Briggs assessment tool which did a more in-depth analysis of the components of style and included some assessment of emotional intelligence. The cost of that assessment was approximately $250 per candidate. She clarified the costs for the management assessments were not included in the proposed fee. In response to another question from Councilmember Woodruff regarding the fee, Ms. Klumpp explained the proposed fee was a fixed fee based on the services included in the proposal. The out-of-pocket expenses were estimated, and management assessments and subsequent evaluation costs were not included in the costs. She stated the advertising costs did not include advertising in the Star Tribune or the local newspapers. Woodruff stated he did not recommend advertising in the Star Tribune. Acting Administrator Brown clarified the City did not have a legal requirement to advertise in the City's newspaper of record. SHOREWOOD CITY SPECIAL MEETING March 17, 2008 Page 4 of 7 In response to a comment from Councilmember Turgeon, Ms. Klumpp clarified that she did not conduct reference checks until the finalists were selected. In response to another connnent, Klumpp clarified that the target mailing would be done based on input from a variety of sources. Councilmember Turgeon stated the candidate must be a fit with the Council; she did not think it was important to ensure there was a fit with the community. Ms. Klumpp stated because the City was involved in two Joint Powers Agreements there could be a benefit to having candidates talk to other individuals in the community, but that was the Council's decision. With regard to Ms. Klumpp's interviews with department heads, Councilmember Turgeon recommended she interview them individually for a brief period of time (15 - 20 minutes). Councilmember Turgeon questioned if Council would be provided information about applicants that were not on the list of six candidates presented for consideration to interview (i.e., "would Council be able to review the B list of candidates"). Ms. Klumpp stated that was Council's decision, but that data was private data if the candidates were not named going forward. Councilmember Turgeon stated that Springsted committed to performing another executive search, if the new City Administrator voluntarily resigned or was dismissed for cause during the first year of employment. She then stated the other firms had either an 18-month or 2-year guarantee. She asked if Springsted would extend guarantee to eighteen months. Ms. Klumpp stated she would be willing to extend the guarantee to eighteen months. Councilmember Bailey asked Ms. Klumpp what she thought the chief unique opportunities or challenges were for City. Ms. Klumpp stated the Joint Powers Agreements for public safety services was one, and the pressures for maintaining or reducing budgets while increasing services was another. Bailey asked Ms. Klumpp if she was aware of the circumstances under which the previous City Administrator department. Ms. Klumpp stated she was aware there was an acceptance of his resignation, and she assumed that was requested but she did not know why. Bailey stated as the Council defines what it does and does not want in an administrator, it may be prudent for her to have an understanding of the reasons why the previous administrator was not a good fit for the Council. Klumpp stated people who apply for the position would be aware of the departure. The fact that the previous administrator had a long tenure was a benefit. She then stated it was important that a council focus on what they wanted in a new administrator. Bailey questioned if Ms. Klumpp had a "blank slate" would she reconnnend the City pursue a candidate with significant management experience or a candidate that was early on in their management career. Klumpp stated she would like to present both types of candidates to Councih Bailey stated he had heard Ms. Klumpp use the word "I" a lot during her presentation. He questioned what additional resources Ms. Klumpp had access to at Springsted for assistance on this effort. Ms. Klumpp clarified that she would be the lead consultant on the effort. She had an assistant that provided administrative support. She also had infrequently used the services of an individual who had previously been a city manager and was currently a teacher at Nonnandale Community College; she has used this individual to help conduct interviews and reference checks. In response to another question from Bailey, she stated Springsted had two other city administrator searches and one city engineer search active at this time and she was primarily responsible for those efforts. She thought the schedule of events for the searches would not conflict with the City's search. Bailey questioned if Ms. Klumpp thought she already knew the person the City would ultimately hire. She thought she would probably be familiar with the person, but she may not know the person well. SHOREWOOD CITY SPECIAL MEETING March 17, 2008 Page 5 of 7 Councilmember Wellens suggested that if there was any way to expedite the process he recommended that it be done; he stated he did not have much relevant experience to assess the timeline. Wellens recommended that Council agree with the type of personality it wanted. Councilmember Turgeon questioned the purpose of having an informal gathering where Council could meet the finalists in a social setting. Ms. Klumpp stated from her vantage point there was value in having the candidates have a brief opportunity to meet the Councilmembers prior to interviewing with them, and for the Council to observe them in an informal situation. Councilmember Turgeon suggested that gathering be conducted at City Hall. Mayor Lizee stated most of her questions had been answered. She then stated she was impressed with the proposal provided, Ms. Klumpp's presentation of information in the proposal and her explanation of how she approaches an executive search. She was also impressed with the timeline presented, and the questions the Council had presented. She went on to state she thought it was important to have a social gathering in order to observe the candidates in a social setting. She asked that Acting Administrator Brown provide Ms. Klumpp with Councilmembers' contact inforn~ation as soon as possible so Ms. Klumpp could schedule the interviews with them. Woodruff moved, Turgeon seconded, accepting the proposal from Springsted, Incorporated to provide executive search services for the vacant position of City Administrator/Clerk. Councilmember Turgeon asked if she could place a condition of acceptance on the motion such that the length of guarantee was changed from one year to eighteen months. Councilmember Woodruff stated that could be addressed in a cover letter to the proposal. Councilmember Bailey stated that with all due respect he thought it was appropriate for Ms. Klumpp to depart the meeting so Council could discuss the proposal. Councilmember Woodruff stated it was an open meeting so she was entitled to stay. Ms. Klumpp departed the meeting. Councilmember Bailey assumed that if the motion was passed this evening Ms. Klumpp could start the process sooner. Councilmember Bailey asked Acting Administrator Brown to highlight the strengths Springsted demonstrated over the other two firms. Acting Administrator Brown stated that the information provided by Springsted was complete and addressed the questions asked. Lynn and Associates had not provided information on time nor had it provided a hard copy of the proposal. Councilmember Turgeon had provided a list of questions to be answered, and Springsted was the only firm that addressed them. He stated if a consultant did not supply the information requested, it often indicated that the firm was over committed. He stated he thought that Ms. Klumpp knew the pool of potential city administrator candidates well. Councilmember Bailey stated he was surprised by the limited resources at Springsted. Acting Administrator Brown stated Springsted provided a great deal of financial services to the public sector; therefore Springsted had a strong understanding of potential candidates. Councilmember Turgeon questioned if it was important to have a firm whose strengths resided with the public sector. She stated Personnel Decisions International had a broader range of exposure, and she questioned if that would not be important. She also stated in the PDI proposal it stated they would provide an "A List" and a "B List" of candidates; she did not want to be limited in the number of candidates considered. SHOREWOOD CITY SPECIAL MEETING March 17, 2008 Page 6 of 7 Councilmember Wellens stated the other two firms focused on interviewing a broader range of internal and community people; Springsted was more focused on the Council. Also, Springsted promised not to recruit a person it placed at the City which the other two firms had not done. Councilmember Turgeon stated the other companies stated it differently. Motion passed 5/0. Councilmember Wellens requested that Acting Administrator Brown distribute information on the Meyers-Briggs assessment for Council to review. Councilmember Bailey stated from his vantage point he thought it was very important to have the candidates do a personality profile assessment. Councilmember Woodruff stated he agreed with Bailey. Councilmember Woodruff stated the selection of a City Administrator was along-term decision; therefore, Council should select a candidate based on what it thought the personality traits were that a candidate should have and not be based on what personality traits that would work best with the current Councilmembers. Councilmember Bailey stated Ms. Klumpp should describe to Council what the personality tests indicated, and then Council should decide if that was consistent with what it thought was needed. Bailey then stated with regard to the cost, he could not imagine spending more on the profile tests more than what was appropriate. 3. INTERIM ADMINISTRATOR POSITION Mayor Lizee questioned what the Councilmembers' perspectives were on the need for an interim City Administrator now that they had an idea of a tentative timeline for hiring a permanent City Administrator. Acting Administrator Brown clarified that he asked this item be added to the agenda because Council had decided to delay the decision regarding the need for an interim City Administrator until an executive search firm was selected and a tentative timetable was presented. He stated he had received applications from a number of qualified applicants (some of which were interested in the permanent position). He then stated a number of the applicants were retired administrators who could not work more than 32 hours per week (including evening meetings) because of PERA restrictions. Retired administrators who wanted to take advantage of their PERA retirement benefits were restricted by PERA to working no more than 32 hours per week. He went on to state Staff would have to assume some of the interim Administrator` s responsibilities because of the abbreviated work schedule of an Interim Administrator. Councilmember Turgeon stated she could support Acting Administrator Brown remaining in that capacity until a permanent City Administrator was on site based on the timeline presented. She recommended the applications that were received from individuals interested in the permanent position be forwarded to Ms. Klumpp. Councilmember Woodruff stated he was comfortable with Acting Administrator Brown remaining in that capacity. There was Council consensus to have Acting Administrator Brown remain in that position until a permanent City Administrator was on-site. 4. OTHER None. 5. ADJOURN SHOREWOOD CITY SPECIAL MEETING March 17, 2008 Page 7 of 7 Woodruff moved, Turgeon seconded, Adjourning the City Council Special Meeting of March 17, 2008, at 8:30 P.M. Motion passed 5/0. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED, Christine Freeman, Recorder m _:. ~t ~ . v i Christine Lizee, Mayor ATTEST: ~ ~. .~ Lawrence A. Brown, Acting City Administrator/Clerk