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The consultant will search for a replacement for Director David Locke, despite one council member's preference for an in-house candidate.
By JOSH ZIMMER
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 1, 2000
CRYSTAL RIVER -- City Council members turned to a familiar headhunter Monday night in their search for a new Public Works director.
By a 3-2 vote, they decided to spend as much as $6,000 for the services of Pinellas County consultant Bob Chambers. Chambers last year helped City Manager David Sallee choose former Fort Lauderdale officer James Farley as the city's new police chief.
The position came open this month when Public Works Director David Locke announced he would be resigning to accept an offer as the Citrus County school district's supervisor of maintenance. The School Board is scheduled to discuss his contract on March 14.
With plans for construction of a central sewer line south on U.S. 19 to Home Depot progressing rapidly, Sallee told council members the city needed to hire a replacement as soon as possible. Chambers, he said, could find capable candidates a month faster than the city could.
A majority of members agreed but only after council member Mike Gudis' lobbying effort on behalf of Assistant Public Works Director John Lettow failed.
Initially, Gudis wanted the council to wait 15-30 days before hiring Chambers so current employees could apply first. Gudis on Tuesday acknowledged he was referring to Lettow.
"I thought as a matter of courtesy to a 20-year employee, who has trained many Public Works employees, it was only fair to give him the opportunity to put his resume in," Gudis said.
Council member Ray Wallace joined Gudis in voting against hiring Chambers.
Some board members as well as residents in attendance thought Gudis was meddling in Sallee's management. Sallee told the council he would like to fill the position with a professional engineer, which Lettow is not.
"We hire the city manager to manage the city," council member Alex Ilnyckyj said. "He fires, he hires. We just can't wait."
An in-house job search would keep Sallee from handling other important city matters, said Wayne Hemmerich. "I think we need to realize any job search is going to cost you money," he said. "I'd like to get the best."
Lettow could not be reached for comment.
In other business:
City Attorney Clark Stillwell upset a contractor interested in designing and engineering the U.S. 19 South central sewer line by saying council members were not bound by the recommendation of the citizens advisory task force that reviewed the applications.
The task force, consisting of members of the Crystal River Community Redevelopment Agency, rated Coastal Engineering Associates Inc. of Brooksville the highest of four candidates. Stillwell said council has the responsibility to approve contracts.
Afterward, Len Tria Jr., a former Hernando County supervisor and member of the Coastal Rivers Basin Board, left the council chambers in a huff, trailed by Stillwell.
"Why should a company come up and bid on stuff?" said Tria, a company vice president.
"What I'm saying is ... this council can't be bound by a (citizens advisory group)," Stillwell said.
Stillwell said the city could have final possession of the land needed for the proposed road redesign and pier project on NW 3rd Street in three months.
Until recently, the city was mired in a battle with the Toms family over ownership of sovereign submerged lands off Kings Bay. Now that the Tomses have no claim, Stillwell said, the city simply needs to file the necessary applications and wait for the state title survey.
"The state has already admitted we're entitled to the deed," Stillwell said afterward.
During the meeting, city development consultant Roger Goettelmann said the new walkway could be completed this year.