Clearwater narrows city manager search

Commissioners will interview the five finalists at a meeting tentatively set for July 6. The interim city manager is among the finalists.

By CHRISTINA HEADRICK

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 13, 2001

CLEARWATER -- Each of the five people the City Commission picked Tuesday as finalists for the city manager's job has tackled issues of growth and redevelopment in cities at least as big as Clearwater.

They describe themselves as high energy, and they tout their experience handling multimillion-dollar budgets, large projects and sensitive personnel problems, according to their applications for the job.

The finalists are:

Clearwater Interim City Manager Bill Horne, a retired Air Force colonel who became a city administrator three years ago.

Sterling B. Cheatham, assistant city manager of Norfolk, Va., where he has worked on projects such as a minor league baseball park and downtown mall.

Bonnie Ridley Kraft, city manager of Gresham, Ore., a high-end suburb of Portland that has grown quickly in the past 20 years.

Michael McNees, assistant county manager in Collier County, Fla., a growing area in southwest Florida with a large seasonal population.

Michael K. West, assistant city manager of Columbia, S.C., where he has worked on projects including the creation of a restaurant and arts district.

"Maybe we'll finally get lucky on this process and this one's going to be here for 10 to 12 years," said Commissioner Hoyt Hamilton, alluding to the city's failure to hold onto managers for more than two or three years. "We'll break the mold."

The hometown favorite of the finalists is Horne, who has been interim manager since former Manager Mike Roberto resigned last July.

Hamilton urged commissioners Tuesday to review Horne's performance over the last year and consider appointing Horne to the job permanently -- before interviewing any other finalists.

But the other commissioners said they wanted to interview the top candidates at a meeting tentatively set for July 6. They are expected to decide who to hire that day.

"We've in a way put ourselves out there and gotten people to come back" with applications, Commissioner Whitney Gray said. "For us not to take their response seriously, I think, damages Clearwater in the eyes of the rest of the country."

Commissioner Bill Jonson said this is "the most important decision this commission is going to make. I'd like to make sure we go through it in a very pragmatic process. That's no disrespect to Mr. Horne, who has done an outstanding job."

Choosing a manager requires a vote of four of five commissioners.

Reached by telephone Tuesday, candidates said they were delighted to be finalists.

"That whole area is just an extremely nice area," said West. "I'm looking for some new challenges and from what I understand, this job would provide this."

Kraft said many of her experiences managing Gresham as it became a larger city in its own right, not just a subdivision of Portland, would make her "a nice fit" for the Clearwater job.

Horne, too, is ready for his official interview.

"The No. 1 thing that I'm proud of is that I've brought some trust and confidence in the staff and in the government overall, through my management of issues and my support of the commission since they appointed me," Horne said.

Commissioners agreed on the finalists after reviewing a list of 15 candidates recommended by the search firm DMG Maximus. Commissioners agreed on finalists in less than an hour.

Mayor Brian Aungst said he was looking for "up and comers" who would be adaptable and enthusiastic, "someone who can come in here and take the bull by the horns and show us what he can do."

In addition, commissioners said they were looking for financial expertise and experience overseeing large construction projects.

Gray said she looked at what kind of cities the candidates were working for, looking for parallels to Clearwater's tourism-based economy.

Commissioners agreed to interview three alternate candidates if any finalist backs out.

The top alternate was Barry A. Burton, the deputy county administrator of Franklin County, Ohio, an urban area including Columbus that has more than 1-million residents.

After the finalists were picked, Louis Fox, who heads DMG Maximus' San Antonio-based office, asked commissioners if they were willing to boost the manager's salary from $100,000 to about $130,000 -- to make Clearwater competitive with cities of comparable populations and budgets.

Commissioners didn't flinch.

"What I would suggest is that we're open to that if it's part of bringing a top candidate here," Hart said.

Fox thanked the commissioners for their support. He concluded Tuesday's meeting by observing that he was having flashbacks to his own tenure as the manager of San Antonio, before becoming an executive recruiter.

Fox said that he had not sat in a City Commission chambers before a microphone in 11 years.

"I think it's easier to find people than it is to do this job," he said.

CLEARWATER CITY MANAGER CANDIDATES

Sterling B. Cheatham

AGE: 48

CURRENT JOB: From 1993, assistant city manager of Norfolk, Va., a city of 231,000 with a budget of $600-million.

EXPERIENCE: Worked on projects including a city convention center, new minor league baseball stadium, zoo renovation, $100-million sewage plant rehabilitation and a $300-million downtown mall and science center created with a public-private partnership. Has also served as finance director in Norfolk, Aiken County, S.C., and College Park, Md.

EDUCATION: Master of public administration from American University in Washington D.C.; bachelor's degree from North Carolina Central University in Durham.

WHY HIM? "My next career move is to become city manager for an urban community, like Clearwater, where I can apply my many years of academic training and preparation to help the city achieve its vision."

William B. Horne II

AGE: 51

CURRENT JOB: From July 2000, interim city manager of Clearwater, a city of 109,000 residents and an annual budget of about $159-million.

EXPERIENCE: Has worked to keep projects on track while requiring senior managers to have "the highest standards of integrity." Forced resignations of five "problem performers." Former director of manpower, personnel and administration at MacDill Air Force Base. Commander, 374 Support Group, at Yokota Air Base in Japan.

EDUCATION: Master's degrees in political science from Auburn University in Montgomery, Ala., and human resources management from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. Bachelor's degree from the University of Tulsa.

WHY HIM? "I have a proven track record of public service at both the federal and local level and a thorough understanding of the very complex issues facing Clearwater today. I have demonstrated the ability to lead our city in the healing process."

Bonnie Ridley Kraft

AGE: 53

CURRENT JOB: From 1992, city manager of Gresham, Ore., which has 90,200 residents and budget of $77.2-million.

EXPERIENCE: Oversaw construction of an $11-million city hall. Dealt with growth as the Portland suburb jumped from 10,000 people to 90,200 over 20 years. Worked to turn around the city's budgetary problems. Wrote a chapter of a book on public finance and helped edit other books. Has served as Gresham's treasurer and director of management services.

EDUCATION: Bachelor of arts in management from Marylhurst College in Portland, Ore.

WHY HER? "I am a consensus builder, and work well with a wide variety of interests on my council. I am a high energy person, and am results and performance measurement oriented. In addition, I am supportive of my staff; in fact, one of the accomplishments of which I am most proud is the high quality of management staff that I have built and retained at Gresham."

Michael A. McNees

AGE: 46

CURRENT JOB: From 1995, assistant county manager of Collier County, Fla., which has 250,000 residents and a $429-million budget.

EXPERIENCE: Oversaw construction of more than $100-million in utilities projects. Has been Collier's utilities director and budget director. Also was a district manager for a propane gas company and an assistant track coach at Louisiana Tech after leaving college as a Big Ten track champion. President of Naples Players Inc., one of the country's 10 largest community theaters, which recently raised $6.8-million to build a two-auditorium theater complex.

EDUCATION: Master of business administration from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La. Bachelor's degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

WHY HIM? "I am a team and service-oriented, enthusiastic leader whose ethics and commitment to the public good are above reproach. These qualities, combined with my coastal Florida experience, make me an ideal candidate for Clearwater.

Michael K. West

AGE: 50

CURRENT JOB: From 1990, assistant city manager of Columbia, S.C., a city of 123,000 and a $130-million budget.

EXPERIENCE: As Columbia's chief financial officer, has worked on planning and financing major street beautification projects, including transforming an old warehouse district into an arts and restaurant district. Orchestrated financial incentives to bring a regional bank headquarters downtown. Planning a new Columbia convention center. Former budget analyst in Fort Lauderdale and Columbia. Also worked for Waste Management Inc. of Florida as a general manager.

EDUCATION: Master of public administration and bachelor's degree in political science from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

WHY HIM? "I have a lot of work energy and need a new venue in which to focus my efforts. . . . I am very familiar with the Clearwater area. I was stationed in the Air Force at MacDill AFB in the early 1970s."

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