Council to work with consulting firm in permanent town manager search

“Peer review” to be part of the finals

By Mark Reaman

The Town Council of Crested Butte will soon hire a consulting firm from Texas to help them select a new town manager.

The council agreed on Monday, May 16 to spend no more than $25,000 with such a firm, but interim town manager Bill Crank, finance director Lois Rozman and councilmembers Paul Merck and Chris Ladoulis will negotiate the terms and scope of work to be performed by Waters and Company. The company is aware that the council is putting a high value on attracting local candidates.

Rozman said the town had received five responses to the request for proposals (RFPs). She and Crank checked references and spoke to former clients and suggested that if the council wanted to hire a consultant, it should go with Waters.

Crank said it was made clear to the consultant that the staff and council wanted to be a part of the process and the council directive was to get locals into the mix.

“The council will be very involved in coming up with the profile of what you are looking for in a permanent town manager,” Rozman said. “I know there is a concern about spending money on this but don’t discount the cost of staff time. The $25,000 is about 250 hours of Bill’s and my time. We would easily spend that. And a lot of pressing issues would then get put off as a result. But we will do whatever you want.”

“It’s not your job to spend that many hours looking at that,” noted councilman Paul Merck. “But it is a path we haven’t gone down before. And I am sure all of us on the council have gotten comments from people that we should just hire a local quickly.”

“This process will help ensure it is transparent and fair,” said mayor Glenn Michel. “It sets up whoever is chosen for success.”

Crank made a further suggestion that a “peer review” process be implemented for the final candidates. “Mountain town managers who have been doing the job for years can sit down with the final three and make an evaluation,” he suggested. “Usually they will do that as courtesy and we would pick up the expense of travel and housing.”

Ladoulis said he supported the consulting process and liked Crank’s peer review suggestion. “I think it might allay some of the concerns expressed by [councilman] Jim [Schmidt] and others who are worried someone might do well in an interview but not be able to handle the actual job.”

Councilwoman Erika Vohman has not been a fan of the consultant route but, given the time parameters expressed by Rozman, she said she was on board. Councilwoman Laura Mitchell expressed similar support.

Ladoulis and Merck were appointed as council representatives to deal with the Waters and Company contract. The council voted 5-0 in favor of the move. Councilmen Schmidt and Roland Mason were not at the meeting.