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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday,January 4,2021 <br /> 2:30 p.m. <br /> Walsh said Mattick and Olson can go to work on who will replace Rief. <br /> Walsh moved, Crosby seconded, to appoint Ron Olson as the interim City Administrator <br /> and to make all those decisions moving forward; Dustin Rief will be available through <br /> February 4,2021 on a full-time basis as per the contract. Ayes: 5, Nays 0. <br /> 3. DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE ON FILLING THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR <br /> POSITION(INTERIM/LONG TERM) <br /> Walsh said in the past they have utilized a search firm and the process can take 6 months to a <br /> year; other options may include advertising and vetting. Staff is looking for guidance from the <br /> Council on filling the position full-time. <br /> Crosby asked what the cost of hiring the firm was previously. <br /> Seals thought it was around $30,000. <br /> Printup thought maybe $25,000. <br /> Seals' initial thoughts are she was not impressed with the firm they previously used, especially <br /> for the price they paid. If possible, a multi-pronged approach with the first being to post the job <br /> immediately, connect it with the League of Minnesota Cities, and then have a work committee of <br /> Seals and Printup on a weekly basis look at the applications and résumés that come in. The <br /> second prong would be if the Mayor and Council still choose to investigate additional firms. Her <br /> gut tells her the last time they hired a City Administrator they would have found the person <br /> through the League of Minnesota Cities. To Seals, it seems like an expensive waste of funds and <br /> it is also a long timeline. She noted they have a pretty savvy group of Councilmembers and <br /> Mayor and thinks they could find someone on their own, either internally or externally. <br /> Johnson asked Mattick, in dealing with other cities, is there an opportunity for Orono to <br /> streamline the process by searching on their own. <br /> Mattick said for a community like Orono,the bulk of the candidates will be from Minnesota. If <br /> someone is looking on a job they will look at each website for that posting. Many communities <br /> hire a search firm to help with the vetting process and put it out there. He said it is 50/50 on <br /> whether the City posts it or spends the money. When cities spend the money they avoid doing <br /> all of the background, reference calling, etcetera, but does not know if that is enough of a value <br /> for what they would spend. <br /> Johnson asked the biggest risk of posting it themselves. <br /> Mattick replied if the City posts it,the risk is questions about why it did not work out last time <br /> and basic questions about the stability of the community in that position. <br /> Page 5 of 10 <br />