Celebrants may help with ideas on official.

Byline: Edward Russo The Register-Guard

Residents have another reason to attend the Eugene Celebration on Saturday. They can share their opinions about the next city manager. Mayor Kitty Piercy and the City Council are in the early stages of a national search for a replacement for Dennis Taylor, who resigned in July.

Piercy and city councilors will be in front of the city's Human Rights Center on Willamette Street during the celebration from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday to gather public opinion on the subject.

The mayor and councilors will ask residents, "What would you like to see in our next city manager?" City Councilor Andrea Ortiz said.

There will be another chance for residents to influence the city manager search. The City Council will have a community forum on the topic at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 in the Council Chamber, City Hall.

"It will be another opportunity for people to give us feedback on the skill sets that they want in a city manager," Ortiz said.

On Sept. 18, the council will discuss the type of qualifications and experience that it will look for in candidates.

The council on Aug. 13 hired Bennett Yarger Associates of Plymouth, Mass., to help it find a city manager.

Executive Vice President Robert Neher, who works from the firm's Sacramento office, will find candidates for the council to interview.

The firm and its predecessor companies have conducted 1,100 searches for public officials, including city and county managers and department executives, during the past 20 years, Neher said.

He will be in Eugene today and Wednesday to interview City Councilors and other city officials about the search. Neher (pronounced "near") also will be in town for the Sept. 17 community forum and the Sept. 18 council discussion.

Neher, 60, said Eugene has a progressive reputation that should appeal to certain city managers or executives.

The council may consider candidates from outside government, he said.

"Our focus will be heavily on city managers (as candidates), but depending on the direction from the City Council, we may look at the private sector and other places as well," Neher said.

A council subcommittee considered 12 firms before deciding to recommend Neher and Bennett Yarger to the full council.

Neher's experience and comments in an interview with the council subcommittee showed a willingness to "look outside the box" for an effective city manager, said Ortiz, who is on the subcommittee.

Neher "was definitely head and shoulders above the rest," she said.

The council wants to hire a new city manager by year end. "I really want that leadership in place," Ortiz said. "But the world will not end if we don't find the right person and have to go longer than that."

The city agreed to pay Bennett Yarger Associates up to $25,000, but the cost could rise if the council asks Neher to perform additional tasks or make additional trips to Eugene, said Alana Holmes, the city's recruitment and selection manager.

The council on Sept. 10 is scheduled to approve the funding, which would come from city contingency funds.

Meanwhile, Interim City Manager Angel Jones is in charge of city government and its 1,500 employees.

On Friday, she was asked if she would apply for the permanent job.

"Honestly, as of today, I have not decided whether or not I will apply," Jones said.