So we actually get to take something off the agenda.

And with that, our second agenda item is the interim, the interim executive appointment process.

As you all know, the city manager's announcement last week.

She announced that she'll be retiring on July 1st this year.

And to ensure continuity, we need to move more swiftly given our timeline.

The ongoing work of the city's budget and other uncertainties with elections and possible form of government conversations will make recruitment for the permanent position difficult.

We really would like to suggest or I'd like to suggest that we that we look at appointing an interim city manager.

I know we've had some discussions about that, but I think that is the best process for us because I think the selection of a permanent city manager, seeing as we're on such a short timeline, should be that of the next full council, so the next mayor and the other council members who will be filling the seats here at this table.

And and and it should be done obviously through a full public process.

There is also a couple of things that are happening into it that that would make this a good thing for us to do.

Talk a little bit more about the ongoing work of the city, of the city's budget and other uncertainties, including the potential change in the form of government that's being talked about by the community.

This and that could be on the ballot in November.

It would really make recruitment for a permanent permanent city manager more difficult.

Not to also mention that there's a significant cost of doing a full recruitment for a city manager, and I do think in our current financial situation to take a chance and to spend all that money not to get a good candidate or the right candidate would not be good use of our funding.

And so am really proposing that we that we make a plan to go forward with an interim and then let the next council we can be a part of setting up the planning, but make it a really robust uh choice and a really robust process for a permanent city manager.

Um with that I'm going to I've been talking with Human Resources, and I've asked Shelby Fritz and her team to join us today, and they're going to walk through a proposed timeline and a process for selecting an interim city manager.

So with that, I will turn it over to Shelby.

Thank you, Mayor Woodards.

As Mayor Woodards mentioned, I'm Shelby Fritz, Human Resources Director, and I have my colleagues, uh Cheryl Bidelman, Assistant Human Resources Director, and Keith Gully, uh talent acquisition manager, here with me today to give you an overview of what the timeline and process for selecting an interim city manager could look like.

We'll also take this opportunity to gather some input from you on the focus and priorities of the interim city manager role.

Next slide, please.

For all the reasons the mayor mentioned, we are recommending that the council consider the appointment of an interim city manager prior to engaging in a full recruitment for the next city manager.

Beginning with the timeline, we would have to get started right away.

What you are seeing here is a really high-level timeline that will get us to an interim appointment before the city manager retires and allow for some overlap and transition.

I'm anticipating that the majority of their work the work will occur during the months of February and March with input from the full council as needed.

I'll bring the interview plan and candidates full uh to the full council for consideration.

Interviews for the interim city manager candidates will occur in April if all goes well, and a proposed start date in May to allow for that overlap.

I mentioned before.

Next slide, please.

We'll go into greater depth on this topic in a moment, but for our first step is to get a clear picture from you on what you want to see as the focus and priorities for the interim city manager.

As I mentioned previously, I will work with you to formulate the focus and priorities of the role to provide potential candidates with a clear picture of the assignment.

Council members may also be asked to assist with the sourcing and assessment of potential candidates, development of the interview plan, including the schedule and interview questions, and then we will present a package to the full council for consideration.

There will not be a formal application process for this interim position, but we will proactively uh be proactively seeking candidates who have experience and willingness to take on this short-term assignment.

Next slide, please.

So here is what we need from you.

Um this slide highlights some of the current issues and and the council uh priorities to just jog your thinking.

From your perspective, what should the focus and top priorities for the interim city manager be?

And we'll be taking notes.

So there's the question for yeah, that yes, yes, yes, it's not looking for looking for real um from real for real input as we think about um as we think about a timeline of 12 to 18 months, whatever that looks like for the next council.

Um obviously, you know one thing that I would say is that we we were able to put the immediate conversation of the budget to rest on last Friday because we were able to get to a point where we filled in all the gaps, but that's still going into the next biennium, I think is really really really important.

And it's a discussion that we may be able to take a couple weeks off of not talking about, but it's something that's gonna be in front of us a lot, and I think trying to figure out how we close that gap.

So a city manager who has some experience, or not as I mean, it doesn't have to be another city manager, but someone who has experience in budgeting and helping this council look at how we I don't where we find other potential opportunities for more efficiencies or more outside funding to be able to do the work that is so important to this council.

I would say that's one thing for me.

Um councilmember Walker.

Um thank you, Mayor.

I think um the focus and priorities on the slide are really um you know top of mind um in terms of content, but I think in terms of the person who's going to take on the job is it's sort of like that jumping on the moving treadmill thing.

Um someone who can jump in um quickly, and um I think there's so many partnerships and collaborations that we've built inside and outside of the city right now that I don't want to lose momentum.

So I feel like it's it's somebody who can um be uh get up to speed really quickly and manage really complex partnerships and issues that for me is if we know anything, things are changing every day, right?

So somebody who can adapt and work with within that context.

Thank you.

Uh Deputy Mayor.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um, I guess I would just add to uh what you were kind of hitting on.

I untapped because you kind of got into budgeting, and that's kind of the biggest thing on my mind.

But uh revenue generation generally is gonna be big in the next few years, but particularly this upcoming year.

How do we do that and how do we um communicate really well about that to our community?

Um so that we can uh generate the revenue that we need, I think is top of my mind to me, in addition to all of these things that these make sense to me.

Council member Councilmember Bush now.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Um and um I I um wholeheartedly agree with my colleagues.