2004-12-11 Study - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Study Session 1943 December 11,2004 discussed in Executive Discussion where things are confidential. Personnel issues should not be discussed in public. Mr. Wagner is in favor of setting up a committee. Ms. Welsch said it was under discussion now, so it becomes public. Mr. Ollendorff reiterated his point that it is better served in Executive Session. Mayor Adams said it should be discussed when the full Council is present. Ms. Welsch said Mr. Sharpe had asked about this issue in the past so she does not think he would object to discussing it now and that her constituents are questioning her about the issue all ready. She wants to be prepared to answer their questions. She wants the subcommittee to be decided upon today. Then she asked if this study session could become an executive session after it is underway? Discussion followed as to whether this could happen. Ms. Brungardt said it is important that citizens be made aware that the Council is addressing this issue at an open session, for the public record. She wants the public to understand that the City Council is embracing its responsibility. Ms. Colquitt said she had to leave and wanted to know if the Council was going to move into Executive Session; she wants to be part of this discussion. Mr. Wagner asked the Mayor to appoint the subcommittee and the Mayor said he does not want to do it without all the members and he does not want them to begin meeting without all necessary background information. Ms. Welsch said part of the subcommittee's job is to gather information and Mayor Adams added that Mr. Ollendorff is gathering information. Mayor Adams said he expected Mr. Ollendorff to communicate that information to the City Council and then for the subcommittee to meet with him to review the information before acting and reporting again to the City Council. Ms. Brot reported that a course she attended on the subject of evaluating the City Manager provided good examples of how other cities had embraced this issue and that it could provide examples and guidelines which could be helpful. Some of the Councilmembers indicated that they already had the information mentioned by Ms. Brot. Mr. Ollendorff referred back to his second point that the City Charter required him to provide the City Council with information on the process of finding his successor. Conversely, he said it is unethical for a City Manager to be involved in a final selection or making a recommendation about a specific person. He said that in his experience, it was desirable to have the City Council look at the process of selection as a whole group, and not to delegate the job to a smaller committee, which leads to some members of Council feeling they were not an equal part of the process. This City Council is small so the process should not be unwieldy and can be accomplished. There is a "down side," however, to transferring the responsibility to a smaller number. Ms. Welsch sees the job of this subcommittee as "information gathering" and more efficiently executed by a smaller number. She views this subcommittee as finite, yielding to a "committee of the whole" when the process begins. The consensus was that the City Council would set up an executive session at the earliest possible time to include all members to discuss this matter and consider the report of the subcommittee. Page 4