| 2 to interview for SF position |
By: By CHRIS MENEES Messenger Staff Reporter
|
|
South Fulton’s city commissioners are narrowing their search for a new city manager and have decided to ask two applicants to appear before them for interviews.
Former South Fulton city manager Kathy Dillon resigned effective Sept. 28 to accept a job as director of administration and accounting for the City of Union City, a position she assumed Oct. 1.
In the meantime, South Fulton Mayor Ron Haskins is acting as interim city manager until a replacement is hired.
During a special called meeting Thursday evening, Haskins said the South Fulton City Commission is down to about six different candidates who qualify for the city manager’s position. He indicated that about four of them have prior city manager experience and said all of them are from out of state.
Vice Mayor William “R.K.” Kane suggested that commissioners submit to Haskins the names of the four candidates they believe to be the most qualified applicants for the position and that the two who receive the most votes be pursued first by the commission. Commissioner Charles Moody said Kane’s suggestion was good and Kane said he believes that is the most fair way to narrow the search. He added that if the top two vote-getters don’t work out, the commission could proceed to the next two who received the most votes.
Commissioners also agreed to set interviews with the two applicants for Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Commissioners then took several minutes to jot down the names of their top applicants and submit them to Haskins, who tallied the votes. He indicated he would begin making telephone calls to applicants this morning in an effort to schedule the two interviews.
Haskins told The Messenger that the top two vote-getters being contacted have both previously been interviewed by the commission by telephone. If they are available to travel to South Fulton next week, it will mark their first face-to-face interviews with commissioners. Haskins said if one of them is not hired, commissioners will proceed to the next two top voter-getters on its short list.
Kane told his fellow commissioners he believes the applicants who travel to South Fulton should be given some type of compensation for travel expenses. After brief discussion, the commission voted 4-1 to allow the mayor/acting city manager to compensate the applicants $200 for travel expenses. Commissioner David Crocker voted against the action, later explaining that he feels anyone truly interested in the position should be willing to pay their own expenses when traveling for an interview.
In other action during Thursday evening’s session, held in the conference room at the South Fulton Municipal Building, the commission voted to allow the mayor/acting city manager to contact Constellation Energy to inform them that the city needs additional numbers in information provided by the company before a decision can be made regarding the city’s natural gas contract. Commissioners agreed that a special meeting to address the matter could be called, if necessary.
Kane said he believes Constellation should have the opportunity to tell the city what it is willing to offer before the commission decides whether to go with the company or with another supplier. He said without additional information, the city commission “can’t make an informed decision.”
Discussion of the city manager search and the gas contract were the only two items on the agenda for the special called meeting. Other than the mayor and his four fellow commissioners, the small crowd in attendance included only city attorney Karl Ivey, a city police officer and two members of the news media. In the absence of the city recorder, Ivey offered to take the minutes of the meeting.
Staff Reporter Chris Menees may be contacted by e-mail at cmenees@ucmessenger.com.
Published in The Messenger on 10.12.07 |
|
Printer-friendly format
|
|
