The Palm Coast City Council fell short Monday of deciding whether to go with Strategic Government Resources as a search firm for its next city manager or issue its own request for proposal for search firms. It will make that decision on May 14, after reviewing the SGR contract and other possibilities.
Palm Coast hired SGR in 2018 for the search that resulted in the short-lived tenure of Matt Morton as manager. But SGR is the company New Smyrna Beach hired for its own manager search in January. If Palm Coast were to “piggyback” on that contract, it could save time in its own search.
A majority of council members are intent on completing the search and having a city manager in place before year’s end, even though at least two council members–Ed Danko and Nick Klufas–are certain to be off the council by then (both are running for county commission seats), while Mayor David Alfin is running for reelection: his seat could also turn over.
The council fired Denise Bevan last month and installed Lauren Johnston as acting city manager. The city administration gave the council two options for a permanent replacement: inviting search firms to respond through a city-issued request for proposal, or piggybacking on New Smyrna Beach’s RFP, meaning going with SGR. That would save Palm Coast two months. But it would also eliminate the council from choosing its own search firm.
“I’ve done some homework on this firm, and it’s great and all these things, but it’s one firm,” Alfin said. “I don’t ever like to have one choice.”
But today there seemed to be little question that the city would end up with a search firm. “It is my understanding that search firms that specialize in the executive level of municipal government keep literally in daily touch with a network of who they consider to be the best possible candidates for the appropriate positions throughout the country,” Alfin said, the literally somewhat of an exaggeration.
Danko recalls the search in 2021, after the resignation of Morton. The council opted to lead its own search without a firm, to save money. The city posted the job on various trade sites. It drew 91 applicants, but most were not qualified: the job posting had been inadvertently misleading by being classified under “manager” as opposed to “city manager,” causing dozens of applicants to mistake it for a broadly applicable managerial position. Only 20 applicants had served as city or county managers. “I know, some were way out there,” Danko said, but some were not, and could save some time, he said.
“I’m not opposed to a search firm,” Danko said, “But I want to make sure last time we had a conversation about requirements. And we had discussed putting educational requirements on there. We then ended up not doing that. And I don’t want to do that. Because there’s a lot of folks out there that have done amazing things in this world without that education.”
Danko has two priorities: not setting minimum education requirements, and ensuring that the manager is hired before the November election. (Danko last week made a motion to hire Jerry Cameron as acting or interim manager. Cameron, a former county administrator in Flagler, has no college degree.)
Alfin said the council would set its own criteria. He did not say what criteria he favored.
Council member Theresa Pontieri said the council had previously talked about allowing the next council, after November, to select its city manager. She was against any kind of speeded up schedule, including saving 60 days through piggybacking on search contracts. Letting the next council pick the manager makes sense, she said, “being that they will be the ones working with the city manager and working with the staff that that city manager creates.”
To Pontieri, there’s no point speeding things up, especially considering that the position has been “volatile” for two years. A new council could be seated after November and fire the newly hired manager, she said, reinforcing the volatility–and possibly diminishing the draw of better candidates now. “I again don’t want that to be used as a deterrent for good candidates,” Pontieri said.
Pontieri was alone in that regard.
Alfin said he understood her logic, but disagreed with it to some extent: “If we expand that concept, then every city council term limits itself to what it does within that term,” he said. “We are better served to spend the time to find that city manager with all of the experience that the [council] currently holds, because the next [council] will not hold as much experience with the current staff as the next council would.”
Danko, Klufas and Heighter favored the Alfin approach. Heighter, who wanted to underscore the lack of experience of new council members, suggested putting together a “manual” for new council members “to learn what’s going on.”
If Pontieri lost on delaying the hire, she was more successful in convincing the council not to embrace piggybacking just yet.
“This firm is accepting this contract based on what their RFP is saying they have to find for the city,” Pontieri said of the arrangement with New Smyrna Beach, which is setting minimum requirements at a higher bar than some where Palm Coast council members want it set, including educational requirements. “In my opinion, that’s where we really framing who we’re looking for here is in the RFP that we get to craft, which is why I’m so heavily against piggybacking this contract, because it’s already based on an RFP we didn’t craft.”
Alfin didn’t disagree. But he asked a curious question: how long does the new manager have to become a permanent city resident? “I’m just throwing that in because we’re going to have to deal with that, otherwise, we’ll be violating that,” he said, referring to Johnston as acting city manager.
If Flagler Beach is any guide, the “acting” part is not covered by the charter: in Bernie Murphy, Flagler Beach had an acting city manager for five years until about 2010, as he lived in Ormond Beach, even though that city’s charter requires its manager to live in the city. And in fact Palm Coast’s charter is equally silent on the mater. The city attorney said the residency requirement does not apply to the acting manager. Johnston lives in Flagler Beach.
Robert Cuff says
Attracting qualified candidates will difficult enough without the city council rushing the process or trying to use their own RFP without the assistance of a professional search firm. Musical city managers benefit no one other than politicians who enjoy sowing chaos as a means of forwarding their own agenda.
James says
Search firms? More search firms, more consultants?
I think we’re getting oddly close to the “ungovernable” period in Venice Beach California history which I’ve read about.
As has been noted by many others, many times… history may not repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes.
Just an opinion.
Shark says
Just don’t use ajax search this time !!!
Wile E. Coyote says
Did you mean my favorite consultant/supplier ACME?
Jim says
I would hate to see this city council do anything that didn’t cost extra money. Piggy-backing on New Smyrna Beach sounds like a great way to proceed. You are using a known firm that does this kind of search and you should expect to get excellent candidates. And, unless I’m really losing it, the council can always not accept any of the candidates if they don’t like them. I really don’t see the problem.
Danko is an idiot. Why you would want to put a search request for a city manager with no college degree is absolutely beyond me. I’m guessing Danko doesn’t have one either…. And you can always tell the search firm that if they happen to find a great candidate who does not have a college degree, send the resume in and it can be reviewed. I seriously doubt there are many candidates out there that fit that category. (And we have a School Board Chairman right now with no degree and we can all see how well that has been going….) When I was in business, we always looked at a job opening as a chance to upgrade the caliber of our employee pool. We also used recruiters to find these candidates and our success rate was extremely high. One of the critical needs of any work group is having the right people in the positions who will be choosing the new person to take the job. In my opinion, that is Palm Coast weak link and I have little faith that this bunch can find that person. Alfin wants someone who is pro-expansion; Danko wants someone who is dumber than he is; Heighter will need to be told who to vote for; Klufas and Pontieri seem to think through issues and try to come up with a workable solution but they are outnumbered…..
I give the new city manager two years….
Villein says
In addition, if you do not require an appropriate college degree, the best candidates will not take you seriously. That’s a red flag that you’re desperate if you would forego minimum qualifications. But no qualified person would take a job in palm coast city government anymore- no disrespect to the those who have put their time and effort in to serve.
polysci says
If Alfin wants it, it cannot be good for Palm Coast. Klufas and Danko are leaving. Heighter and any other realtor do not have the taxpayers best interests in mind, just like Alfin from day one. Pontieri is the only one who cares about the citizenry. I wish she were running for Mayor.
Joe D says
As a Flagler Beach homeowner and taxpayer, Flagler Beach just went through this process twice last year and chose an excellent candidate for Interim City Manager ( who unfortunately was not interested in taking on the job permanently, when he was hired), and then (within 3-4 months) chose the permanent City Manager position. These positions were all chosen by a company who specializes in Government managerial positions ( unfortunately I cannot remember the company’s name at the moment). I’m sure the process was not cheap, but I would suggest that the Palm Coast Council NOT take this on as a duty by itself with the massive level of other duties it has to manage. The recruitment group that worked with Flagler Beach, worked with the City Commission to determine job descriptions, salary, and required experience (as part of their Commission meeting). To my knowledge (someone correct me, please), they DID require some sort of related college degree. It also required ( again correct me if I’m wrong) that within a few months, they were required to relocate to Flagler Beach as their primary residence.
As complicated as Palm Coast’s business, residential and tourist and governmental mix of interests, I CANNOT conceive of an appropriate candidate NOT having a college degree by the time they reach the responsibilities of a managing a moderately large City! I cannot also think that this position (acting on the level immediately below the Mayor and City Council), would NOT be required within 6-12 months to relocate within the City of Palm Coast limits! How can their decisions and style not be affected by LIVING in Palm Coast on a daily basis. Palm Coast cannot be considered a COMMUTER town in this day and age for this TOP level government position.
Of course, Palm Coast RESIDENTS should have input as to the type of candidate they prefer, but I think having a PROFESSIONAL group handle the initial search, would be better than the appearance of an “OLD BOY’S” group choosing a “hand selected” FIGUREHEAD who will simply become Council’s PUPPET.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Everything a project for these folks! Wait til ALVIN is gone, a few more months can wait! We dont need him poisoning the process, now that he realizes he wont be re ellected!
Crystal Lang says
I commented on a previous article on hiring a new city manager that it would be smart for the city to hire a search firm (Robert Half, etc). They are qualified recruiters, we used search firms in corporate to fill higher level positions and even lower level positions all day long. As for Danko requesting no education requirement for this position and at the salary of over $100k is the funniest thing I have ever heard in my entire life, you have got to be kidding me, what company in their right mind would hire someone with no degree to be their city manager who manages tons and tons of money for their city. SMH.
dave says
search firms, more consultants = a total lack of self confidence and a desire to delay and you have the wrong people on the job.,
James says
Anyone notice the advertisements on FlaglerLive? There’s one rather interesting one… the Tiger Bay Club luncheon with some fellow named Paul Peterson.
Hey, since the city council is a dead end, perhaps we all should go down and find out what really matters, and get “low down” on the real deal from this fellow… since it does concern us all. And the $40 non-members fee is only $5 bucks more than the $35 paid by full members.
Perhaps someone should ask him if he’d like to run for mayor… seems knowledgeable of the regions potential, he’s highly educated, has managerial experience and is a new face to many of us folks here.
Perhaps it’s time to really think outside the box.
Just say’n. ;-)
James says
Hey Paul, would you like to be the major of Palm Coast?
Just asking.
Sorry, I didn’t make the luncheon.
Fritz says
Agree with waiting till after the November elections and THEN the sitting City Council can proceed with the search for the new City Manager. Leave Johnston in until then.
Joe D says
Waiting until the November elections SOUNDS like a reasonable suggestion, BUT that’s 7 months away…and when would a new (?) council be in place, if the “faces” change? Even if the “new”
Council started the process with a government management recruitment firm IMMEDIATELY after the elections, it could take MONTHS after that to get all the desired qualifications, salary ranges, job descriptions decided… and then months (likely) to FIND a group of finalists. Then potentially public presentations by each, then a final decision by the Council. Then, the NEW manager would have to have a bit of time to “LEARN” Palm Coast…think: September or October 2025??
So, you might want to at least get the ball rolling in looking for a recruiting group, now, and lay the groundwork, so you could POTENTIALLY get appropriate candidates by the November election, and possibly have a Candidate in the position by early in 2025.
Technically I don’t live in Palm Coast, but what Palm Coast decides, has TREMENDOUS effects on Flagler Beach too.
Daniel Bryant says
Unlike council positions, the City Manager position is a professional position, and is compensated as such.
The City Council has only one real job: choosing a City Manager. This is a simple hiring decision – it is Council’s primary function. It does not seem to be too much to ask that City Council do their job, and not defer decision making to future council members or, worse yet, more consultants.
Please, stop outsourcing your responsibilities.
Dissapointed in Palm Coast says
It’s very VERY interesting to me that Danko doesn’t want to include a college degree as a requirement. Could it be that he already has someone in mind… oh say, someone who works in Community Development… who used to be the President of the Home Builders Association… who the previous Mayor tried to back-door into this position once already? What an interesting development. Oh and considering re-contracting with the same search firm that produced such a brilliant leader as Matt Morton is a splendid idea… SMH. DO BETTER.