Merced city manager interviews not likely to be public

The city manager job for Merced has drawn more than 30 applications, according to city staff, but residents are not likely to meet any of the applicants until a new top administrator is chosen.

Bob Murray & Associates, a Roseville-based hiring consultant, will be tasked with paring the 31 applicants down to about 10, according to city staff. The City Council tentatively set interviews for on Nov. 13 and 14.

Several members of the council said they are reluctant to do interviews in public, saying they are afraid it would scare off potential applicants who are still employed by other cities.

Councilman Kevin Blake said he wants public input, but said revealing applicants’ names would shrink the pool. That’s a gamble he said he would not support.

“We want to get the best candidate pool possible,” he said.

The council also has discussed scheduling a study session that would gather the input of residents, who could share their ideas about what traits are most important for a city manager. The plan is not controversial among the council members.

In September, a handful of local groups sent a letter to the council asking to be let in on the process.

Councilman Mike Murphy floated the idea that the council would allow representatives from groups to be involved in the interviews as a citizens committee. Those representatives would have no voting power but could ask questions and give input, he said.

That idea did not get much support, though Mayor Stan Thurston said he thinks it might work. “I think we need to discuss that and not just shut it down,” Thurston told the Sun-Star on Friday.

City Manager John Bramble announced earlier this year he intends to retire Dec. 5. The council has a couple of weeks before its tentative interview dates to decide how much happens behind closed doors.

Mayor Pro Tem Josh Pedrozo said an information-gathering meeting with citizens is the best option. He echoed the concerns about jeopardizing the jobs of candidates who don’t get hired in Merced.

He also said he thought a citizens committee would be a bad idea. “We’re here to be held accountable to the voter,” he said. “The city manager is here to be accountable to us.”

Councilman Tony Dossetti seconded that thought. “That’s why we have a city council,” he said. “That’s why we’re elected – to make these decisions.”

The council conducted interviews in public for the recent high-speed rail contract it awarded, but several council members said the process does not compare to a city manager search.

The letter requesting involvement in the process was authored by Daniel Kazakos, the president of the Merced Main Street Association. He said some members were concerned they would not be allowed input. The association was not brought into the city’s high-speed rail planning committee for several months until members of the group complained.

Kazakos said the letter did not demand that the council allow representatives in the room for interviews, but it requested that the groups be allowed to participate in some way. “This is a big thing,” he said. “It’s the next city manager.”

The city manager position in many cities is the highest-paid public job – sometimes second to the city attorney, as it is in Merced. The position drives the day-to-day happenings in the city and is involved in high-level planning. For Merced, that includes working on issues related to UC Merced, the high-speed rail station, public safety and city finances, to name a few.

The consulting firm Bob Murray & Associates has worked with Merced before, including its search to hire Bramble and the most recent hire of City Attorney Randolph Hom. The firm also worked last year with Modesto to hire its city manager.

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Merced city manager interviews not likely to be public."