2010-08-09 Regular City Council Agenda

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percent (10%) to five percent (5%), and reduce the monthly penalty thereafter from five percent (5%) to two and one-half percent (2-1/2%); containing a savings clause and providing a penalty N. CITIZEN COMMENTS Paulette Carr, 7901 Gannon Ms. Carr thought that Ms. Watson would be coming back with budget amendments or cuts and noted there was nothing on the agenda for it. She also did not like the process for the hiring of the new City Manager as it did not provide an open discussion, inclusion or transparency. She offered Mr. Lehman Walker success as it is without doubt that the City needs the best possible City Manager and he can count on her support. Ms. Carr submitted a list of residents who protested the manner in which the University City Council selected the new City Manager, without the search that the City Council approved on June 28, 2010, and without the solicitation or interview of any other candidates. Deb Carlin, 7132 Washington Ms. Carlin was present to talk about the instructions she heard from the Council to the pool employees that the pool needs to remain open, and to use the help being offered from the community. She asked that the Council consider getting auto responder on their emails because she did not get any response from several emails she sent. Ms. Carlin stated she had one meeting with Nancy MacCartney and Tom McCarthy resulting in a lack of actions that was agreed on. Ms. Carlin stated that communication went from ok to minimal to inappropriate; applicants who called were told there were enough guards hired, use of a cumbersome web site for applicants, an inaccurate report to the Parks Commission with no follow-up. Zach Hoskins, 7438 Milan Mr. Hoskins wanted to express his concerns about how the hiring of the City Manager was done. First it is bad business to only interview one candidate. How could one person rise to the top of the list when there was not a list? Secondly collaboration, public scrutiny and transparency were not present. Thirdly it was his understanding the Lehman Walker signed the contract two days before the Council voted six to one to approve him. Mr. Hoskins stated the explanation given was to save money. He understands saving money by not having to pay for candidates to come in for an interview but he does not understand how it saves money to get public feedback as he is free. O. COUNCIL COMMENTS Mayor Pro-tem Sharpe announced the next Council meeting has been added for August 9, 2010. Ms. Ricci thanked all for coming out and expressing their pleasures and concerns. She stated that to make this personal and saying there was an agenda in hiring the new City Manager is wholly inaccurate. Picking the City Manager is solely the responsibility of the Council per the City’s Charter. We have not had a City Manager since May and are running into challenges, we are stymied. The City Manager that we hired is highly credentialed. He has twelve years of experience in University City, so we know what his work product is. He was vetted by a city four times larger than ours and they found out that he was well credentialed. Ms. Ricci is very excited to have him come here, there was no conspiracy; it happened very quickly, starting with on June 28 finally voting on a Search Firm whose task was to decide whether they should do the whole thing or if it should be an collaboration of Council and Search Firm; it’s June 28, how long is the City going to go without a City Manager. She said we have someone who can 5