The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

July 2, 2012

N. Mankato council puts city administrator hiring on fast track

Wendell Sande retired in May

By Dan Nienaber Free Press Staff Writer

NORTH MANKATO — If everything goes as planned, North Mankato will have a new city administrator named by the middle of September.

Mayor Mark Dehen made it clear during Monday’s City Council meeting that everything is going to have to fall place for that to happen. And, even if that happens, there will likely be more time between when the new top city employee is named and when he or she actually starts the job.

“We recognize this is a very aggressive schedule,” Dehen said. “We’d like to wrap this up as quickly as possible.

“This is, of course, the biggest job in the city and we want to get the greatest person possible.”

The city administrator job was left open by Wendell Sande’s retirement in May. The city is planning to start screening applications this week and identify a maximum of 12 candidates by July 12. That process will be assisted by Bonnie Bennett of TurningPoint Management, a Mankato consulting firm.

Bennett presented a timeline to the City Council during the meeting. The two city residents who have been appointed to participate in the process, Trudie Gustafson and Keith Hamm, were also at the meeting. City staff will be represented on the Personnel Committee by City Clerk Lynette Peterson.

A total of 25 people have submitted applications for the job. The top candidates will receive screening interviews and tours of the city between July 16 and Aug. 3 before the three final candidates are identified in early August.

Those finalists will be interviewed by the full City Council, a process that will be open to the public, between Aug. 7 and Aug. 17. In-depth background checks will follow before a top choice is identified by the City Council and a job offer is made during the first half of September.

The new administrator will be named Sept. 17, according to the timeline.

Bennett said she created a city administrator profile with guidance from Dehen and others on the council.

In addition to the obvious requirements of being able to prepare and implement a city budget, provide leadership and meet city goals by working with city staff and other North Mankato leaders, Bennett and the City Council will be looking for someone who can work well with leaders from other communities.

The new city administrator “must be able to relate to and develop a good working relationship with other communities, county governments, schools, other local governments, and state and federal agencies,” according to a description of the job. “Ability to collaborate and work with surrounding partners required.”

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