It could still be months before there’s a new permanent city manager in St. Albert.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said council is currently working with the recruiting firm Conroy Ross, which will accept applications for the position until Sept. 12. Council expects to receive a recommended short list Sept. 19.
Beyond that, the timeline is unclear and will depend largely on the names the consultants put on the short list.
“We have blocked off an interview day in October, but we may take a rifle shot and say we want to just interview one person, or do we interview those five,” he said. “We haven’t got that far.”
With potential interviews scheduled in October, it’s possible a new manager won’t come on board until November or even later.
The city has been without a permanent manager since council fired Patrick Draper by a 6-1 vote in May. Coun. Cathy Heron was the lone voice on council opposed to terminating Draper’s contract.
Former community and protective services general manager Chris Jardine has been acting city manager since then, but Crouse emphasized the search for a new manager is driven entirely by council with the help of recruiting firm Conroy Ross. He added the company contracted to recruit Draper, Davies Park, was not even considered this time around but would not say why.
The current job posting was created by the recruiting firm, following interviews with senior city staff and city councillors. The posting is very specific in many areas about what kind of candidate the new manager should be, and there are some notable differences from the last manager.
One concern often expressed about Draper’s tenure was his relative lack of municipal experience, with most of his career spent in the private sector. The current advertisement specifically calls for someone with municipal governance experience, something Crouse said is crucial this time around.
“At this point, unless something pops up differently, that’s what we’re looking for,” he said.
Crouse added he was not concerned the recent friction in council chambers and at city hall – which contributed to the July 4 council motion calling on Municipal Affairs to do an inspection of the city’s operations – would hinder the city’s ability to attract a good candidate.
“A good candidate, or people who believe they’re good candidates, are going to look past that,” he said, adding anyone serious about the job will do their research and know what they’re getting into.
“If you want to look at some difficult council meetings, they’re all on video.”
The job posting also refers specifically to challenges with “succession at all levels,” something Crouse said is a positive rather than a challenge. Although the new manager will face the loss of three top-level managers – Jardine and economic development director Guy Boston have announced their retirements and former chief financial officer Mike Dion was let go last month – this will give that person the chance to craft his or her own senior leadership team.
“One of the things we have to figure out is how to let a new city manager put his stamp on a new senior leadership team,” he said.
