HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP February 3, 1994
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~ CITY of ANDOVER
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING - FEBRUARY 3, 1994
MINUTES
A Special Meeting of the Andover City Council was called to order by
Mayor Jack McKelvey on February 3, 1994, 7:00 p.m., at the Andover City
Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover, Minnesota.
Councilmembers present: Dalien, Jacobson, Perry
Councilmember absent: Knight
INTERVIEW APPLICANTS FOR CITY ADMINISTRATOR
The following applicants were interviewed by the City Council for the
position of City Administrator:
Daryl Sulander
Thomas Reber
Joseph Lynch
Charles Robinson
Richard Fursman
C:caig Dawson
Each applicant was asked to tell about himself and why he wants the job.
The CouncilmemberstheIl alternately asked questions of each applicant's
strengths and weaknesses, his opinion regarding the most important part
of an administrator's job, the degree to which the city council should
become involved in the day-to-day running of the city and staff, his
view of employee discipline, methods by which he would communicate with
departments heads, who should be the city's spokesperson, the position
being a compiler of information versus making recommendations to the
council, who should have the right to hire or fire employees, how to
effectively supervise a volunteer fire department versus regular city
employees, his reason for wanting to work for Andover, and his best and
highest accomplishment to date.
Daryl Sulander - wants to expand his personal and professional life by
moving to the posi.tion of City Administrator. He decided to come to
Andover because in talking with Mr. Schrantz, he knew there may be an
opening within five years or so; and it afforded him an opportunity to
grow, to expand his capabilities, and to contribute to city government.
He felt his greatest strength was his ability to work well with
everyone, involving everyone in the decision-making process to come up
with a group performance. His weakness is a tendency to make people
feel uncomfortable who are not getting the direction they should have
because he prefers to have them come up with the answers or solutions on
their own. The most important part of the administrator's job is to be
a coordinator between many people -- meeting, gathering ideas, guiding.
He stated the council is the decision-making body and the day-to-day
operations of the city should be left to the city staff unless it
becomes a problem with policy not being followed. If everyone is doing
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Special Andover City Council Meeting
Minutes - February 3, 1994
Page 2
(Interview Job Applicants for City Administrator, Continued)
(Daryl Sulander Interview, Continued)
his/her job, discipline is not a factor. Individual problems need to be
dealt with fairly and promptly, following the steps of verbal
acknowledgement, written notation if the problem continues, and
suspension and ultimately dismissal if it is a very serious problem.
Communication with the various departments is critical, as everyone
needs to know what is going on at all times. He would hold weekly staff
meetings; more often during the busy seasons. The spokesperson for the
city will depend on the mayor and should be worked out between the mayor
and the administrator. Normally the mayor should represent the city in
its official capacity. The administrator should compile the information
and make recommendations to the council if at all possible, plus allow
staff or department heads to do the same, so the council is aware of all
viewpoints and can make the best decision. In Andover's form of
government, the hiring and firing of staff is the function of the mayor
and council;; however, they should rely heavily on the administrator's
recommendation. The hiring process is generally delegated to the
administrative staff and rubber stamped by the council. City volunteers
need to be supervised quite differently than paid staff. They need to
be complimented for their time and efforts more often and verbally
recognized the work they are doing for the city. Andover offers many
challenges as it grows from a rural community to one with more of an
urban atmosphere. This position provides many challenges in career
growth and job satisfaction and allows for a variety of duties. Mr.
Sulander stated his ultimate accomplishment so far has been his
experience developing the in-house computer system with the City of
Plymouth. He also noted a program he was involved with in Plymouth to
improve customer relations, feeling a similar program could be
instituted in Andover in the future. If not chosen for the position, he
intends to continue as the Finance Director, hoping to continue to grow
and contribute to Andover for many years to come. He felt the city
needs to look at where it is going in the next five to ten years and
formulate a solid plan. A growth rate of 500 homes per year is too fast
and too much for a staff this size to handle. He felt the housing rate
should be held at 350 to 400 for the city to support the growth.
Thomas Reber - provided a brief background of previous positions, noting
he would like a job in the metropolitan area. He met with several staff
members and drove around the city and is impressed with the community.
His greatest strength is the ability to develop good interpersonal
relationships. He was dismissed from his last job, but he has letters
from people in the community expressing surprise at that council action.
While in that position he developed a very strong team within the city
staff and improved relationships with the school district and county.
Also, he is very fiscally conservative, spending the city's money as if
it were his own. A weakness is a tendency to kid with people, and they
are not always sure whether he is kidding or serious. The most
important part of the administrator's job is providing leadership and
coaching. There needs to be a clear communication between the
administrator and the council as to the involvement of the council in
the day-to-day operations of running the city and the staff, though
there are overlaps. Directives should be given by the council as a
Special Andover City Council Meeting
Minutes - February 3, 1994
Page 3
(Interview Job Applicants for City Administrator, Continued)
(Thomas Reber Interview, Continued)
whole, not individual councilmembers. Evaluating staff members results
in helping that person to be more valuable to the organization.
Discipline is needed when someone has done something wrong. First the
person should be told what to do to improve to become a successful
employee, with further disciplinary action taken if necessary. He would
have conversations with department heads on a daily basis and hold
weekly staff meetings. The spokesperson for the city differs depending
on the situation. Generally, in times of difficulty and problems, the
administrator will be the one to speak. When it is positive, more
ceremonial, or meeting with reporters, the mayor is the spokesperson.
He has found that in most situations, the council wants the information
compiled and a recommendation before them. Alternatives and
recommendations become a point of discussion for the council. The legal
form of government provides who has authority for the hiring and firing
of all employees. Communication between the council and administrator
has to be there in all instances, but he felt it is inappropriate for a
council to hire in terms of nepotism. There is a difference between
supervising volunteers versus paid staff. The real issues with fire
departments is to be sure they are made aware that they have the ability
to give the city a lot of trouble in terms of meeting certain legal
criteria. He is an advocate of the volunteer fire department and had
a good relationship with that department in his last position. Andover
is a very lean organization, is a pretty place and offers a lot of
variety to the residents. His greatest accomplishment is the team
building done in Fairmont and completing the sanitary sewer project that
had been stalled for years. Mr. Reber then asked several questions of
the council on various issues of the city, noting he'd be able to begin
work on Monday if selected for the position.
Joseph Lynch - provided a brief background of education and previous
positions, noting his current position of City Administrator in Chisago
City. He is interested in this position because it is an opportunity
for him to grow professionally and personally, to move to a bigger
community, and to experience new issues. Good personal skills and
communication is his greatest strength, noting his success in improving
the attitude and performance of the staff at Chisago City. A weakness is
people often think he is aloof or standoffish. He tries to deal with
facts and not opinions or his own biases. The biggest part of his job
is dealing with people, either staff or the public. It is important to
grasp what others are doing, where you want them and what you want them
to do, and to coordinate all of it. The mayor at Chisago City takes a
hands-on approach to running the city, and he finds that refreshing.
There are particular specialties that the city councilor mayor can do,
but he thought the council would generally look to him to carry out
their wishes, decisions and policies. In the city where he now works,
there are few employees; and there are guidelines and personnel
policies. He talks with the employees monthly. He felt if discipline is
warranted, he would carry it out according to the progressive
disciplinary measures. He would have no problem dealing with someone
where rules are known and expectations are clear. In his current
position, he meets with staff two days after the council meeting to
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Special Andover City Council Meeting
Minutes - February 3, 1994
Page 4
(Interview Job Applicants for City Administrator, Continued)
(Joseph Lynch Interview, Continued)
update everyone. This year he is also attempting to meet the last Monday
of each month with all employees to discuss issues and to diffuse
problems before they get out of control. On most issues, he preferred
the mayor to be the spokesperson for the city. He would refer
controversial issues to the mayor, though he would provide facts or
details when needed. As an administrator, he would both compile
information and make recommendations to a council, though the council
does not necessarily have to agree with the recommendation. It is the
city council's job to hire and fire employees, though the administrator
has the professional expertise and knowledge to make recommendations.
There is a 25-member volunteer fire department in Chisago City, which
needs to be supervised different from the paid staff. He has convinced
the council to make a commitment to the Fire Department and convinced
the Fire Department to back off on what they want from the city. He
likes the diversity that the position would provide in Andover, plus it
would provide an opportunity for personal and professional growth. The
best accomplishment has been the major reconstruction of the road
through Chisago City, dealing with constant calls, complaints, concerns,
etc., while installing an underground lighting system at the same time,
plus coordinating an $180,000 grant for the development of a regional
park. If hired, he would be able to begin work in two to three weeks.
Charles Robinson - provided a brief background of his education and
career, noting his current position of administrator at Forest Lake
Township for the last 16 years. He is looking for advancement in his
career. The ability to look to the future and decide what is needed is
his greatest strength. He believes it takes a total staff commitment to
make decisions, and everyone should get credit for it. A weakness is he
is too easy on the employees, as it is difficult to make the tough
decisions with such a small staff. Protecting the council is one of the
most important duties of an administrator, advising them in things that
will keep them out of trouble or keep them advised of what is going on
in the community. Also, an administrator is the mediator within the
community and between staff on big items. His personal philosophy is
the council hires an administrator to do the day-to-day operations of
the city and to guide the staff the way it should be guided. A good
disciplinary policy should be in place using the progressive method, and
everything should be documented when employee discipline is needed. He
would maintain an open-door policy of communication with department
heads and would meet with them regularly or make an effort to go to
them. The spokesperson for the city will depend on the issue and policy
set by the council. He would not have a problem with the administrator
being the spokesperson; but if there is no policy, he would refer it to
the mayor. The responsibility of the administrator is to keep the
council informed of facts for their consideration, not to make policy.
It is up to the administrator to make the recommendation on the hiring
and firing of employees and the responsibility of the city council to do
it. He was on a volunteer fire department for seven years, noting they
must be supervised differently than paid staff. Fire fighters are there
because they want to do something for the community, and they need to
know they are appreciated and are doing a service. He was very
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Special Andover City Council Meeting
Minutes - February 3, 1994
Page 5
(Interview Job Applicants for City Administrator, Continued)
(Charles Robinson Interview, Continued)
impressed with the facilities in Andover, feeling it is a very
progressive community. Increasing the bond rating from a Baa to A was
his best accomplishment to date. He would be able to begin work in
three to four weeks if selected for the position. It is important that
the first impression by the public is the right one, and he would try to
treat everyone well.
Richard Fursman - provided a brief background of his education, previous
employment and current position in the City of Osseo. Andover
represents the kind of community where he could use his talents,
abilities, education and experience, providing an invigorating and
challenging opportunity, posing different emotions and generating a lot
of energy. The ability to take ideas, communicate them to the public
and to the council and bring it to fruition is his greatest strength.
He has good organizational skills. Getting emotionally involved in his
work may be his greatest weakness, that is developing a personal
interest more than a professional should. The most important part of
being an administrator is leadership and communication. Taking the
directives of the council and mayor and implementing them is the
administrator's function. Also, the council and staff should always be
up to date on what is happening in the community. It has been his
experience that the involvement of the council in the day-to-day
operations of the city varies considerably. The more involved the
council is, in his opinion, the better. He believes in task forces,
breaking into small groups to study the issues. The council should have
a good working knowledge of what goes on in the departments. Employees
have to respect the position they hold and the people who put them in
that position. He will never talk about an employee in public. If
there is a problem, the employee must be spoken to in private, apprise
them of the problem and see to it that it is fixed. Typically he would
contact department heads daily, wanting to know their feelings on the
various issues. He prefers the department heads run the department, but
there also has to be a team effort, especially in a growing city. The
mayor typically decides who will be the spokesperson for the city. In
some situations he has been told to be the spokesperson for the
community, and he has handled that very well. He has no trouble
approaching large groups; but in most instances the community would look
to the mayor for leadership. He will recommend to the council and mayor
when his opinion is requested. It is very important for the
administrator to have an understanding and communicate with the council
and provide an opinion when asked. When the council is going in one
direction and he feels it should be the other, a public meeting is not
the time to give his recommendation; though an administrator can often
help move the discussion along by giving an opinion. He shies away from
making recommendations unless specifically requested. The hiring and
firing should be done at least with a recommendation from the city
administrator. The council and mayor should be involved with personnel
issues, as it becomes skewed with only one person's opinion. He has had
the privilege of serving on a volunteer fire department, and its
supervision is different from that of the paid staff. It's been his
experience that the supervision of volunteer fire departments has not
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Special Andover City Council Meeting
Minutes - February 3, 1994
Page 6
(Interview Job Applicants for City Administrator, Continued)
(Richard Fursman Interview, Continued)
been under the direct supervision of the city administrator but more on
the chief of the department. Whether they are volunteer or paid, the
level of respect, responsibility, and performance is to be maintained.
He sees Andover growing and the challenges that brings. Industrial
growth is needed. Working here would be a unique opportunity for him
personally. It would be interesting and would suit his talents well.
His present job has been his greatest accomplishment, forming
partnerships, instituting internal controls over the finances, bringing
the city out of near bankruptcy, developing direction for the city and
the staff, and involving the people in their government once again. If
offered the position, he would be able to start in 30 days. Mr. Fursman
then asked several questions of the council about the position itself.
Craig Dawson - provided a brief background of his education, past
employment and his current position. This position offers a challenge.
His greatest strength is he is analytical and thorough as well as a
quick study. He is very patient and has very good written communication
and verbal skills. To some extent his patience may be a weakness,
because he may appear aloof and detached; but that is not really the
case. An administrator synthesizes many different things and
communicates those to the council, looking at all the needs of the
people and the departments, balances them and directs the whole
organization to move forward. Two of the best skills an administrator
needs is to listen, that is to be cognizant of what is going on among
the various interests, and to be very good in planning in the general
sense. The council sets policy and the administrator does the day-to-
day operations of the city. The disciplinary procedures in place should
be followed. Due process should be followed to make sure it is fair to
the employee; and should further action become necessary, it should be
taken care of as cleanly as possible. He expected there would be
scheduled staff meetings to communicate with department heads, as
regular meetings are necessary to be sure the team is performing and
that they stay informed. In his current position he holds meetings
before and after the council meetings. He also converses with
department heads on an individual basis on the various projects. The
frequency of meeting with department heads will depend on the
individuals involved and the amount of supervision or motivation each
needs. The mayor should be the spokesperson for the city; however, if
he/she is uncomfortable with that, the administrator would do so. rt
depends on the relationship of the mayor and administrator and on the
personality and strengths of each. The reason an administrator is hired
is to give informed opinions and recommendations to the council so they
can make decisions. An administrator should do a minimum of compiling
information but should help the council to make decisions. He did not
know Andover's form of government as to who has the authority to hire
and fire employees. It would be easier for him to know that the
administrator had that authority. Mr. Dawson didn't have an answer to
effectively supervising a volunteer fire department differently versus
regular city employees. One should go out of their way to make sure
there is a good professional relationship so there is understanding and
respect. Showing support and empathy for those that are providing a
Special Andover City Council Meeting
Minutes - February 3, 1994
Page 7
(Interview Job Applicants for City Administrator, Continued)
(Craig Dawson Interview, Continued)
valuable service can help that relationship. Andover is a growing
community, and he has experience with that. There is a certain level of
activity and excitement, and he can bring his experience and
understanding more than others who are not from the metro area. His
greatest accomplishments have been those that will last beyond his
tenure with the community, noting several specific projects he has
worked on and awards received. If offered the position, he could begin
work in about 30 days. Mr. Dawson then asked the council questions
about the position and the community.
SELECT APPLICANT FOR CITY ADMINISTRATOR
The Council then went through a selection process with each
Councilmember naming his/her top three candidates for the position.
After spending some time discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the
four remaining applicants, the Councilmembers then named their top
choice for the position. Once that was accomplished, the discussion
turned to select an alternate candidate. There was also discussion on
the starting salary and probationary increase for the position.
MOTION by Jacobson, Seconded by Perry, that the City Council authorize
the Mayor to make an offer to Mr. Richard Fursman for the job of City
Administrator for the City of Andover at a starting salary of $55,000
with a six-month probationary period; and with the successful completion
of the probationary period, an increase to the amount of $57,000 per
year. And in the event that Mr. Fursman does not accept the position,
that the position with the same offer be made to Mr. Charles Robinson.
Motion carried 4-Yes, I-Absent (Knight) vote.
MOTION by Jacobson to adjourn. Motion carried 4-Yes, I-Absent (Knight)
vote.
The meeting adjourned at 10:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
'0~~L
Mar ~la A. Peach
Recording Secretary
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