City manager hiring and/or firing possible at council

One recommended the selection of an interim city manager that evening. The other called for four steps: interview candidates, determine whether the position will be a professional services agreement or an employment, negotiate the terms of the contract and eventually select a candidate. 

“So on one hand they’re looking to set a special meeting with candidates and not do it on Monday and on other hand they will do it on Monday night,” City Manager Pro Tempore Thom Clark expounded last week.

In addition, it has been over 30 days since the council voted 3-2 to suspend City Manger Joe Donabed for a month. Councilmen Ben Manley, Thomas Crowder and Doug Humphreys had also handed Donabed a notice of termination of his contract, with Mayor Ramon Bawanan and Councilman Matt Beekman in the minority. That meant if they chose to fire him, the council could have done so in closed session Monday night, according to Clark.

Bawanan had called for resumes and an interview process for a temporary city manager back on November 9th, this after the council was told by City Attorney John Stovall that former city manager David Whiteside could not consider the mayor pro tempore position because he could not get a leave of absence from his current job.

Much of what Clark discussed was not certain and agenda items are subject to change at any time prior to or during a city council meeting. More will be revealed in next week’s Hughson Chronicle.