HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-10-24 Public Comment - M. Kaveney - City Commission Mtng., Tue, June 11, Request to move Consent Item G.4 to a later Action Item.From:Marcia Kaveney
To:Terry Cunningham; Jennifer Madgic; Douglas Fischer; Emma Bode; Joey Morrison
Cc:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]City Commission Mtng., Tue, June 11, Request to move Consent Item G.4 to a later Action Item.
Date:Monday, June 10, 2024 10:58:19 AM
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Dear Mayor Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Morrison, and Commissioners Bode, Fischer, and Madjic,
I am writing to ask the City Commission to remove Consent Item G.4. "Authorize the Interim CityManager to sign a PSA with Affion Public for Executive Recruitment Services." from the June 11
City Commission Consent Items Agenda and move it to an Action Item during a subsequentmeeting.
I make this request based on my concerns for transparency, adequate public notification, and public
engagement opportunities and explain these concerns below. The CC should also consider howimportant the Community Development Director position is in light of the new shallow and deepincentives the city has put forward and the restricted public involvement the legislature has putforward.
Transparency:Consent item G.4. does not indicate the position needing recruitment services.
I had to dig deeper into the staff memo to find that consenting to Consent Item G.4. would authorizespending $28,000 for the recruitment of a new Community Development Director (CDD), anapparent replacement for Anna Bentley based on the following statement, " The City's CommunityDevelopment Director position is currently vacant."
Many residents, including myself, have asked for information regarding any changes with the CDDposition following the video scandal with former city manager Mr. Mihelich to be made public. Although receiving no official updates, it has been obvious the last few months that Anna Bentley
has been kept out of the public eye since the video was released which has only encouragedspeculation and rumors.
It appears that Consent Item G.4. may be the City of Bozeman's initial although indirect public
announcement of Anna Bentley's departure and therefore the vacancy of the CommunityDevelopment Director's position- one of the most important and powerful positions in the city.However, a quick search on the city's website reveals no CDD vacancy in the job openings, nor anyinformation about Ms. Bentley's departure. Consent Item G.4. , as written, is not a transparentannouncement of Bentley's departure and the job vacancy.
Public Announcements:According to this quote in the G.4. staff memo,"The City has engaged Affion Public to conduct anation-wide executive search to recruit for the position", the City has already committed to engagingwith Affion without any prior public announcement or engagement. Therefore the consent item isonly a formality.
Given the importance of the CDD position during a period of rampant growth and an upcomingUnified Development Code update- I think the public should be adequately notified of the CDDvacancy and the process to find a replacement.
Public Engagement:Changing Consent Item G.4.to an Action Item in a subsequent meeting will give the public time toabsorb the details of the vacancy and offer initial comments about the process as well asqualifications they would like to see in a new CDD.
Some questions and topics that would be helpful to cover in an Action Item include:When did Anna Bentley resign? What information can be shared about her departure to quell rumors?
How will the recruitment process work?What are pros and cons of working with a national recruitment company?What has been our past success rate with Affion? Is an east coast agency the best option for our Rocky Mountain town and why?
Are there local options for recruitment companies?What is the job description and what qualifications is the City is looking for in the new CDD?
In the event you choose to move this to an action item this week, I thank you in advance and have
added my additional public comments below. (I will not be able to attend on Tuesday.)
I would like our next Bozeman Community Development Director to have clearly demonstrated thefollowing skills and experience:
- Ability to follow the City's four core values of positive leadership, integrity, service, andteamwork. - Ability to act decisively to maintain Bozeman's historic character and sense of place for the currentresidents as well as visitors. - A demonstrated working knowledge of the challenges of the needs of western mountain towns inthe areas of urban ecology and forestry, water conservation, historical preservation, neighborhood-friendly development, environmental sustainability, and affordable rental housing based on 80%AMI or less. - Ability to enforce existing municipal codes through strong staff leadership so code interpretationsand subsequent developments meet both residents' and developers' expectations.
I would like to see the hiring process include an evaluation of the pros and cons of working withAffion Public in an Action Item and allow for public comment before committing to them.
Thank you for considering my request to move Consent Item G.4 to an Action Item for a subsequentCity Commission meeting Action Item and for taking my public comment on the topic.
Sincerely,Marcia Kaveney1496 Boylan Road
Bozeman, MT