The Evanston City Council selected a company Monday to conductthe search to replace the city manager when he retires thissummer.
Slavin Management Consultants of Norcross, Ga., will hunt for areplacement for current City Manager Roger Crum, who announced hisretirement in January. Crum has worked for the city for eightyears.
At the special meeting Monday, the council also interviewedrepresentatives of Bennett Yarger Associates of Scituate, Mass.,and The Oldani Group of Bellevue, Wash. Evanston City Clerk MaryMorris said seven firms originally submitted proposals.
Before Slavin was selected, company president Robert Slavin toldthe council about the process his company would take in the searchfor the new city manager. After the council outlines the criteriafor the position, Slavin will seek out and solicit applicants.
“The best thing to do is to look at that person and see whatthey have done and what their experience is,” Slavin said.
Finalists for the position will be chosen after Slavin comparesand contrasts their backgrounds with the council’s criteria andconducts thorough background checks. Slavin’s consultants will belooking at both current employees of Evanston and outsideapplicants.
There is no set deadline for the selection of a new citymanager. It is possible an acting city manager will be appointed,said Ald. Edmund Moran (6th), though the city hopes to hire afull-time city manager.
Slavin highlighted his group’s past successful placements ofminorities and women. He also said he plans to do firsthandresearch to see if the applicant’s experience in another citymatches with the Evanston’s needs.
“I like to drive around town. If (the applicant has) done somedowntown revitalization, I want to see it,” he said.
Slavin has visited various areas of Evanston earlier and sawsome of the downtown revitalization. While Slavin said most of whathe saw was very positive, he added that he did see somepoverty.
Moran said he was impressed with Slavin’s research.
“He was the one candidate who spent time in advance,” Moransaid. “His answers were pretty much on the money.”
Moran also said he was pleased with Slavin’s understanding ofissues the city faces, such as budget constraints, economicdevelopment and relations between the city and Northwestern.
“He had smart, perceptive answers,” he said. “His answersdemonstrated a very clear conception of how the process should goand it made sense to me.”
Slavin told aldermen that he is looking forward to working withthe city.
“It is a consulting relationship, but I like to consider it apartnership,” he told the council.
Ald. Art Newman (1st) said he wanted to make sure that the nextcity manager will stay with the city for a while.
“We’re looking for a person with a longtime commitment who won’tuse this as a stepping stone,” Newman said. “You look internallyand you get someone with a longtime commitment. You go outside –you might get someone looking for another job.”
Discussion also focused on the possibility of a citizensadvisory panel, through which interested residents can provideinput during the hiring process. Mayor Lorraine Morton said threepublic groups had already contacted her about possible involvementin the process. The council did not decide on the creation of theadvisory panel Monday night.
