Polson council holds special meeting

POLSON — The Polson City Council held a special meeting on Thursday night to review the hiring process of city managers.

“We probably went about the process wrong,” said councilman Jim Sohm during the meeting.

Sohm said benefits and salary must remain non-negotiable, and that once a candidate goes through the interview process he or she should be bound to take the position.

After the city manager search committee narrowed down the finalists, and the interviews had ensued, every candidate who was offered the position declined.

“We didn’t get our people because they took higher paying jobs elsewhere,” Sohm said. The council voted unanimously that the search committee set a time frame for future selections, and that the council adopt a set pay range for the coming fiscal year to offer a new city manager.

As far as changing the transition plan the city has adopted, most at the meeting saw no need for change and an amendment to Resolution 974 of the plan was unanimously opposed by council members.

Liz Markey and Jeff Smith, members of the search committee, agreed that no changes to the current transition plan were needed.

“The process is a good one,” Markey said, “there’s no rush to play with a different system.”

Smith also said the selection process worked well. He likened it to gold sifting, and said “we all came up with the same batch of people.”

Consultant Ken Weaver said, in an interview with the Leader, that although he has not been engaged in the city’s hiring process he sees no need to change the current transition plan.

“Don’t abandon a carefully crafted plan . . . stick with the process” Weaver said, adding that the committee is “shooting at the right level.” He said this is apparent by the qualified candidates higher paying job offers elsewhere.

The overall consensus at the special meeting was that candidates must be informed of where they fall in the salary range at the beginning of the hiring process, and that benefits are non-negotiable. These are the issues the council felt could have been improved during the past two selection processes.

“Mistakes were made about negotiations,” Polson Mayor Lou Marchello said. He said former candidate Michael Kramer is still interested. Later committee head Lois Hart urged the council to reconsider hiring former candidate Don Seten, noting her personal impressions of Seten’s character and abilities to manage the city.

He wrote her a letter in December, she said, expressing his gratitude for the hospitality shown to him while in Polson. She said that although he may have appeared hesitant to take the position, that was not the truth of his intentions.

“He doesn’t want to stay with his own job . . . and didn’t want to appear needy or anxious,” she said of the letter Seten wrote her expressing his position on Polson. “He said ‘it appears my tactic backfired. Live and learn.’”

She went on to say that while Seten was in Polson he asked to visit Kerr Dam, and Hart said she was given an opportunity to interact with him one-on-one during their 1.5 hour stay at the dam.

“He’s a very gracious person,” Hart said. “If he treats us this way he’s gonna treat our citizens that way - with respect.”

Hart said he worked for a city that was similar to Polson and said he “understands where we’re at now.”

Hart said his extensive experience in city government, combined with his now transparent and hopeful interest in the position of Polson city manager make him the ideal candidate.

“I think we don’t have to go any further,” she said. “You don’t have to worry about his interest.”

As far as beginning the interviewing process again, which is inevitable if a manager is not hired from prior candidates, Hart said there is no need to “go back.”

“Maybe we’d want to reinterview him,” Sohm suggested.

Councilman Jules Clavadetscher recommended the council bring Seten back for an additional interview before advertisements are made for the position again.

“We can clear the air if we bring him back for a second interview,” Clavadetscher said, adding that Seten was the first choice among the  city department heads who also met all the candidates.

“The staff said they like Don also,” Marchello agreed.

“The hang-up was his indecision,” said councilwoman Elsa Duford. Sohm said that with a second interview it would give everyone a chance to clear any misunderstandings.

“We could hear from his own words and not a letter,” Sohm said, adding that a salary range must first be decided upon for the 2-year position. “We’re gonna have to look forward to the next fiscal year.”

City clerk Aggi Loeser said the salary for the position has already been budgeted and said it is “not a problem.” However with the downturn in economic times, council members urged a new salary range to be constructed for the next fiscal year.

Council members also talked about the possible investment in a walk-in cooler for the city-owned golf course.

“We have no refrigeration in the kitchen,” Sohm said. “We gain with the enhancement.” Members met Saturday to further discuss the leasing of the course.

Council members met on Monday night to decide on a salary for the city manager and a time frame for the hiring process.