HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-06-10 Minutes, City Commission Spec Social Mixer
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MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING
OF THE CITY COMMISSION
BOZEMAN, MONTANA
June 10,2004
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The Commission of the City of Bozeman met in special session at the Holiday Inn, 5 Baxter Lane,
on Thursday, June 10, 2004, at 7:30 p.m. Present were Mayor Andrew Cetraro, Commissioner Marcia
Youngman, Commissioner Steve Kirchhoff, Commissioner Lee Hietala and Clerk of the Commission Robin
Sullivan. Commissioner Jeff Krauss was absent.
Sianina of Notice of Special Meetina
Each of the Commissioners, in turn, signed the Notice of Special Meeting.
Social mixer with the City Manaaer candidates
The City Commissioners hosted a social mixer to give the public an opportunity to meet and talk to
the four candidates for City Manager.
At 8:15 p.m., Mayor Cetraro welcomed everyone in attendance at this social event and asked that
each of the four candidates briefly introduce themselves and identify why they feel they would be a good
fit for Bozeman, in reverse order from the interview schedule.
Mr. Chris Kukulski noted he is married, has two daughters, and is currently City Manager in Kalispell.
His introduction to Montana was his honeymoon in Glacier National Park ten years ago; and he moved to
Kalispell five years ago after being appointed its City Manager. His background includes starting in the field
of economic development, moving into city management when an excellent opportunity arose. He noted
that Kalispell and the Flathead Valley have been experiencing growth similar to that experienced in
Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley over the past five years, and he has learned how to accommodate such
growth under the laws in Montana.
Mr. David Hales stated he is married, has six children and two grandchildren, and is the previous
City Manager in Bend, Oregon. He and his wife grew up in Utah, and he attended the University of Utah.
A stint as Assistant Manager with K-Mart showed him that retail sales was not his career choice. He went
to work for the City of Salt Lake City for five years, working first in accounting and then as property manager
overseeing all real estate transactions for the City. Following that, he obtained his MPA and then served
as City Manager in Centerville, Utah; Kannapolis, North Carolina; and Bend, Oregon. During his tenure as
City Manager, he has dealt with natural hazards, growth, and a significant amount of retail development.
While in Kannapolis, the community undertook "Weaving a Shared Future", an 18-month visioning project
that involved a broad spectrum of stakeholders. In Bend, he dealt with many of the same growth issues that
are currently facing Bozeman, including economic development on one hand and affordability on the other
hand. Because of his experience in growth management, economic development and citizen participation
projects, he feels he has much to offer Bozeman. Further, he loves the outdoors, enjoys outdoor activities
and finds a walk in the woods mentally rejuvenating.
Mr. Steve Johnson characterized the hiring of a new City Manager as a very important decision for
the City. He has been an active member of the Bozeman community for the past eighteen years. He works
for the Bozeman School District, currently serving as its Assistant Superintendent for Business and
Operations; has been actively involved in the tax increment financing district since its inception; served as
Chair of the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in 1998 and currently serves as a
green coat ambassador; and serves on the hospital board. He noted one question that has been asked
over the past couple of weeks is "why are you doing this?". His response is that, while he really enjoys his
job with the school district, he feels this is a challenge and an opportunity he must pursue. He wants to
leave his current profession at the top, and he feels he is there now; however, if he is not the successful
applicant for City Manager, he will be happy continuing in his current position.
06-10-04 Special
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Mr. Don Stueck noted he has lived in Bozeman his whole life. He observed that, as a trustee on the
School Board, he was one of Steve Johnson's bosses; as the project manager on construction of
Sacajawea Middle School while serving as Mayor, he was one of Steve Johnson's employees. He noted
that when he got off the City Commission, he found he didn't want anything more to do with politics for the
rest of his life; however, he feels that he has something to offer the City of Bozeman as a professional
employee, particularly with his background in construction and the large projects facing the City over the
next few years. He indicated that he is happy in his current employment and, if not successful in this
process, will be pleased to continue in that position.
The formal presentations ended at 8:25 p.m.
Adjournment - 8:45 p.m.
There being no further business to come before the Commission at this time, Mayor Cetraro
adjourned the meeting at 8:45 p.m.
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ATTEST:
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R IN L. SULLIVAN
Clerk of the Commission
06-10-04 Special
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