CIT FOUNDED 283 Austin City Council MINUTES For City Council Ron Mullen Mayor John Treviño, Jr. Mayor Pro Tem Council Members Mark Rose Roger Duncan Sally Shipman Mark E. Spaeth Charles E. Urdy Jorge Carrasco Acting City Manager Elden Aldridge City Clerk FEBRUARY 8, 1984 SPECIAL CALLED MEETING 3RD FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM MUNICIPAL BLDG.- 3:00 P.M Council Chambers, 307 West Second Street, Austin, Texas Memorandum To: Mayor Mullen called to order the Special Called Meeting of the Council scheduled for 3:00 p.m., noting thẹ presence of all Councilmembers. Mayor Mullen announced the purpose of the meeting is to hear proposals from three search firms to select a City Manager and to consider selection of a search firm for a City Manager. Mayor Mullen said each representative will be asked the same questions. Councilmember Spaeth said he would like to have a ten minute presentation from each firm. Councilmember Duncan said he wants to know their process for citizen input and whether or not they will look at private industry for a candidate. Councilmember Rose asked if any local people will work with the selection firm and Councilmembers Urdy and Shipman reminded him they had decided against that. member Spaeth asked which firm staff had recommended and Mayor Mullen told him it was Korn-Ferry. Council- Mr. Frank Rodriguez, Director of Management and Budget, introduced Mr. Norm Roberts of Korn-Ferry. Mr. Roberts told Council there is no such thing as the best but there is a good fit. He said he will interview Councilmembers for their concept, priorities and criteria, education, experience and personality trait expectations. He will document this information with community information and this will guide him to the right people to contact about the position. Brown said he will look through their files and place advertisements. He said this process will take 45 days and he will then meet with Council to go over the leading candidates. Mr. Brown will then report on 6 candidates or whatever number Council decides, to discuss their backgrounds and strengths and weaknesses. In 60 days, Council will interview the candidates. Mr. Brown said his company has Council Memo 2 2/8/84 more recruiting with large cities than any other managment firm and have a good track record in Texas. He said they have offices in Houston and Dallas and that their only business is executive recruiting. They meet all clients face to face and their committment goes beyond their report. Mr. Roberts said their fee is $15,000 plus out-of-pocket expenses. Mayor Mullen asked if they have ever found anyone in the private sector who have gone into public work. Mr. Roberts said they have only found those who at one time were in the public sector. He said if citizens of Austin refer names to him they will evaluate the person. Mr. Rodriguez then introduced Clay Brown, member of Ralph Anderson and Associates headquartered in Sacramento. He said they have been in the business 12 years and have 20 employees. 75% of their work is for the local government, mostly cities; and 25% is for the private sector. Mr. Brown said he has been a City Manager himself and will find a good fit for Austin. The recruiting process will include finding someone with the background, personality and style that the Council wants, after they have been interviewed. He said he would like to meet with members of the Council individually and as a group for the criteria to guide him in his search. He said they will advertise and then after potential candidate is identified, will prepare letters and follow up with questions to stimulate their interest. All recruiting is done on a basis. Candidates will be put in three groups. 6-10 individuals who they think will fit in Austin and who the Council should interview. 6-10 candidates for a back up for the first group but with a different length and breadth of experience. The third group will consist of all other candidates. Mr. Brown will then meet with Council to give a synopsis of group 1 and 2 and a list of group 3. Council will select who they want to interview and Mr. Brown will make the preparations. He does recruit from the private sector but has never seen anyone from the private sector become a City Manager. Mr. Brown will screen any candidates suggested by citizens and he will be able to meet Council's April 19 schedule. Mr. Rodriguez introduced Mr. Paul Reaume of PARA Associates. Mr. Reaume said he has been in the business for 11 years and does local government only. Their process follows what was included in the RFP and he understands Council's expectations and concerns. Their recruitment is open and anyone should feel they have the opportunity to apply. PARA does aggressive recruiting. They will work out the best applicants and come back for Council selection. In 60 days they will come back with candidates to recommend. From these Council will interview no less than five. They recruit locally, regionally and nationally. His fee is $13,500 plus expenses on a cost basis which he estimates to be about $5,000. All interviews are done face to face. He has recruited from the private sector but no Council has ever chosen an City Manager from the private sector. • • Council Memo 3 2/8/84 When Mr. Reaume had left the room, Councilmember Spaeth said he was impressed with Korn-Ferry. Councilmember Duncan and Mayor Mullen expresses agreement. Mayor Mullen said he wants the consultant to meet with all of the Councilmembers as a group, all of the time. Councilmember Spaeth said he hopes they can find someone who will still be City Manager long after the present Council is gone. Motion The Council, on Councilmember Spaeth's motion, Councilmember Rose's second, approved the selection of Korn-Ferry as the search firm for a City Manager for Austin. (7-0 Vote)