Search for city administrator drags on

If you thought the city was close to finding a new city administrator, don't hold your breath.

It has been more than six months since Lori Luther left her city administrator position to become the administrator of Peoria County (Ill.), and the City of Waukesha is still searching for a replacement. And that search is far from over.

"Right now, in the overall process we haven't even selected a recruiting firm," said Ald. Vance Skinner, who also serves on the Human Resources Committee.

By the end of the weekend, however, this firm could be finalized as the HR Committee has whittled the national search down from seven to three and is meeting with each of them on Saturday morning at City Hall.

"I knew it would be this kind of process," Skinner said. "I knew it would take quite a while, because our goal was to fill that position with someone who will fill it for a long time and we're making sure we're partnering with the right firm so they can help put the right type of candidate in front of us."

The three firms - Colin Baenziger & Associates (Florida), Voorhees Associates (Illinois) and Slavin Management Consultants (Georgia) - will meet with members of the HR Committee one-on-one for about 90 minutes each.

"We'll see what each of their overall processes are and see how well-connected they are," Skinner said. "We'll ask them questions and we'll get a better handle on how they operate."

The first interview will take place at 10 a.m. After all the sessions are over, Waukesha's Human Resources Manager Donna Whalen said the HR Committee could make a final decision by the end of the day or could wait until its next meeting Feb. 15.

Ald. Joan Francoeur, the chair of the HR Committee, added the committee will then take their recommendation to the mayor and it will then be brought before the Common Council at its meeting Feb. 21.

Interim City Administrator Steve Crandell said it will cost the city anywhere between $15,000 and $20,000 to hire the search firm.

Budget held process back

But why has it taken this long just to get to this point? Skinner and Francoeur said part of the reason was the 2012 city budget, which was the focus in the latter part of 2011.

"The budget process was a little bit longer since we tried to get the (tax levy) to zero percent," Skinner said. "Those meetings consumed a lot of our time, because first and foremost our focus was on the budget."

Francoeur said, "I think a couple things have contributed to this and I think the primary reason was because our budget process was so complex and elongated. There was no desire to lay into this on top of the budget process. It didn't seem prudent to evaluate that and interview firms, because members of the HR Committee are also members of the (Common) Council."

Crandell isn't surprised by the length of this process, either.

"I know the last time I served as the interim city administrator it took approximately eight months," said Crandell, who was the interim administrator before Luther was hired in 2008. Skinner also said finding the best national firm is the goal - no matter how long it takes.

"Given that this is what I consider a senior level position in the city we would always go through this type of process," Skinner said. "If we were to just do a local search as a Human Resources Department, we would really be limiting ourselves as to who may be out there.

"But by going out nationally we get connected to different resources so they can promote the opening from a national perspective so we can get the best candidate, which is ultimately what we want.

"So that's why you're seeing this kind of effort and time into this."

The hire of the next administrator shouldn't be rushed, Francoeur said.

"I think that because this is one of the most important jobs in the city as it manages the day-to-day operations that (many of) the depart ments report to in the city," Francoeur said. "We need to find the person with the right credentials and fit with our direction, so it's better that we're taking this process to make sure that final selection is correct rather than to speed through it."

Who will they report to?

Once a new administrator is hired, which Skinner said could still take several months after the HR committee selects a firm, that person will enter a position that has changed often in recent years. In fact, when Luther left last year, the city administrator position was full of turmoil. Luther was hired in 2008 but departed after just three years.

She felt she was put in difficult predicaments with the Common Council and Mayor Jeff Scrima, with whom she had a rocky relationship with. As a result, the Common Council restructured the city administrator position and changed who Luther reported to. Before June 2010, the city administrator always reported to the mayor, but the Common Council stripped the mayor of any supervisory authority over Luther after a closed-door meeting, meaning that the Council also recommended and voted on her salary.

"The reporting structure was changed, but ultimately the goal is to put it back to the way it was," Skinner said. "There is a referral out there that Ald. (Eric) Payne made. We did talk about that as an HR Committee and that is on our radar, and we'll ultimately address that once we get over this hump (hiring a firm)."

While Skinner said this is "the goal" now for some aldermen, it was a unanimous decision when the Council made its decision a year and a half ago to change the description of the job.

Skinner said that decision - which will be made by the Common Council - would have to be decided before a candidate is selected.

"The recruiting firm is going to ask us: 'Who does the city administrator report to.' And we need to give them that information," Skinner said.

Francoeur added that the search firm will help the HR Committee with this decision and is a "benefit" to having the firm.

Positive reviews for Crandell

Many city officials have raved about the job Crandell has done filling in the last six months, but he has indicated he does not have any interest in the position and would instead go back to the development department where he has been since the 1970s.

Skinner already appreciates the job Crandell has done but understands that his passion is elsewhere inside City Hall.

"Steve is a constant professional and he's done this a few times," Skinner said. "I asked him if he was interested and he's not. I think he's doing a great job. Steve is very well known and highly respected by his peers. That goes a long way into his success."

Final timeline still hazy

While the person who is selected probably won't have the knowledge of the City of Waukesha like Crandell has, Skinner said the right candidate - which is ultimately given final approval by the Common Council - will fit in nicely.

"For myself, I would want someone who has prior experience from a leadership perspective in the public sector or private sector," Skinner said. "Someone who has the natural where-with-all who can handle different personalities and has the ability to work with multiple city departments and has the ability to communicate in a very proactive manner with consistency."

As far as a timeline on when the candidate will be selected after the HR Committee selects a firm, Whalen and Skinner said that timetable is tough to draw up because it involves a lot of variables. Francoeur, meanwhile, said the process could go rather quickly once the firm gets a pool of candidates.

"I have no idea," Whalen said. "It all depends on the quality of applicants. If we have a really good pool of applicants it may be a couple months or it could take more time. There are a lot of contingencies. But as far as a timetable, I think everyone is hoping this will be done in two to four months.

Skinner added: "I think that depends on the candidate and where they are working and their time frame. From our perspective, we'd like it to be sooner rather than later. But it all depends on finding the right candidate."