City plays waiting game with manager finalists
JANESVILLE — Two city manager candidates rejected by the city council in July might be back in the running if none of the finalists in the current batch is any better, Council President Amy Loasching said Thursday night.
The council met Thursday afternoon to select a new group of finalist to be interviewed in September.
Sunday is the earliest the city might release the names of the six finalists and one alternate Loasching said. The recruiting firm, PAR Group, needed a few extra days to contact the candidates to see if they still are interested, she said.
The names will be released after the finalists have been contacted, Loasching said.
This is the city’s second attempt to find a replacement for City Manager Steve Sheiffer, who is retiring Friday, Sept. 5.
In July, 39 applicants were narrowed to two finalists—David Hales of West Jordan, Utah, and Donald Carlsen of Naperville, Ill.
The city council rejected both July 16.
But Carlsen and Hales might be reconsidered, Loasching said, if the council finds they are of equal quality to those who make it to the final round next month or if nobody in this set of candidates “rises above” the last group.
Loasching said the council is pleased with the new group of finalists.
“We think the group (of finalists) is strong,” Loasching said. “It’s a good pool of candidates, and we hope to find one that fits.”
The group consists of six males and one female, none of whom is local or from the initial field.
The process will continue similarly to the initial search for a city manager:
-- Each candidate will be interviewed by a community panel before moving on to interviews with the council.
-- The council will narrow the field for a second round of interviews.
-- After second interviews, the council will pick finalists and might visit their communities before making a job offer.
If not satisfied with any of the candidates, the council could decide to start the process a third time, Loasching said.
The community panel and council will hold first interviews Wednesday, Sept. 10, and Thursday, Sept. 11. The second round with the council would be Friday, Sept. 12.
Aug 23, 2008 at 2:54 p.m.
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Please state specific problems that you've had in Janesville that would justify changing from the city-manager/council form of government to the mayoral/aldermanic form.
The city council here is very accessible. The city manager is here at the will of the council who are put in office by the electorate. Therefore the city manager is here by the will of the electorate.
When someone doesn't vote, they are saying that everything is fine. When someone doesn't vote, they are in-effect voting for whoever won because they didn't vote for the one who didn't win.
Aug 22, 2008 at 9:29 p.m.
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gazette fan - I always appears that the people don't feel heard much as with our own federal government. But, in the local government it is much easier at this point to run for an office or at least vote someone out routinely if there is low response during that term. I say at this point because as we've all seen what used to be an easy office to run for at county level is soon to be harder as more money gets involved in the elections. State offices were at one time a viable office for the common person, but has since become a multi-million dollar affair due to money influences. It was just on the PBS station tonight that the state legislators spent only 39 days in session yet spent 79 days on vigorus campaigning for money to get re-elected. Yet most voters will vote for the failed incumbent rather than make a change. I refuse to vote for incumbants unless they have a positive record which is next to impossible to find.
Aug 22, 2008 at 3:23 p.m.
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I agree with you turkeyman.
Aug 22, 2008 at 1:44 p.m.
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Would you people complaining about the city-manager/council form of government here please be specific about what's wrong with it?
Aug 22, 2008 at 11:48 a.m.
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Janesville needs a mayor so that he/she answers to the people folks!!! Then the PEOPLE dicide rather he/she is doing their job not some brainwashed council powered by the money influences instead of the taxpayers. If Janesville citizens want to be heard they must elect not appoint. A manager does what he/she wants and then directs the council on how to get it done. You've watched htis crap far long enough I would think.
Aug 22, 2008 at 10:40 a.m.
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dkush21, I couldn't agree with you more! While they're at it, Dump off those who have been his "pets", Male and female staff members who have caved in to his one sided ways. They know who they are.
Aug 22, 2008 at 9:46 a.m.
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If I was rejected the first time around and no
one else was offered the job. No way would I take it. All they will hear their whole time in Janesville is you were the best of the worst
Aug 22, 2008 at 9:23 a.m.
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By "we hope to find one that fits" comment, what exactly does Amy Loasching mean? We need new blood for the city manager, not the same that we have been dealing with for years. We need someone who will stand behind the citizens.
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