City manager interviews will wait until early '08.

Byline: Edward Russo The Register-Guard

Backing off slightly from their aggressive timeline, the Eugene City Council will interview city manager candidates early next year.

Meanwhile, a former Eugene city manager said the council shouldn't have a problem finding qualified candidates to manage the $400 million, 1,500-employee city government.

The council originally wanted to make a job offer to a candidate before the year's end. But on Wednesday councilors were presented with a schedule that showed them interviewing finalists Dec. 21-31.

That didn't sit well with some councilors, who either may be out of town around Christmas or were uncomfortable about bringing candidates to Eugene around the holidays.

"They shouldn't have to sacrifice having the holidays with their families," said Councilor Mike Clark.

So the council and their Sacramento-based recruiter, Robert Neher, decided instead to interview finalists in January, after the council returns from its Dec. 12-Jan. 7 winter break.

Mayor Kitty Piercy and the council are looking for a replacement for City Manager Dennis Taylor, who resigned in July.

Piercy has said that hiring Eugene's 10th city manager will be the most important decision the council will make.

On Monday evening, the council will have a public forum to learn what city manager qualities residents value most. "You are invited to tell us what you want in a city manager," Piercy said.

Afterwards, the council will settle on the qualifications and job experience it will seek in candidates.

Neher, of Bennett Yarger Associates, told councilors that he will begin national advertising for the position in two weeks.

Candidates will have until Nov. 23 to apply.

"This is a very aggressive timeline we will try and stick to, especially running up against the holidays," Neher said, referring to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Neher will give the national search results to councilors on Dec. 7. After screening the candidates, Neher, will recommend a list of finalists sometime during the week of Dec. 17.

Councilors will be on break that week, but none objected to a special meeting to decide which candidates they should interview in January.

The nationwide search should produce several good candidates, former City Manager Mike Gleason said in an interview.

Eugene's government has a good reputation among public officials elsewhere in spite of the occasional city manager-city council disputes, Gleason said.

"That's the nature of the business," he said. "A city manager is working for the elected representatives, and one of the difficult things for people to appreciate is that you, as a city manager, are working for the majority will of the council, not for individual councilors."

The United States has about 18,000 cities, with Eugene ranking 120th in population, Gleason said.

"Eugene would be a step up for about 90 percent of city managers," he said.

Gleason served for 15 years, the longest of Eugene's nine city managers.

"There are city managers out there that would just love to work in this town,'' he said. "And I was one of them once."

EUGENE CITY MANAGER SEARCH

The Eugene City Council will have a public forum Monday evening to learn what qualities residents want in the next city manager. Other key dates in the city manager search include:

Public forum: 7 p.m., Sept. 17, Council Chamber, City Hall, 777 Pearl St.

Week of Sept. 24: Recruiter begins to advertise for candidates.

Nov. 23: Deadline for candidates to apply.

Week of Dec. 17: List of finalists presented to council.

January 2008: Interview finalists. Dates to be determined.