Foster City picks city manager search firm

The city received three proposals by the Oct. 5 deadline from Bob Murray and Associates, Koff and Associates and Ralph Andersen and Associates. City staff said Bob Murray and Associates pulled out of consideration not long before scheduled interviews Monday, Oct. 25, at a Foster City special meeting. The city interviewed Fred Wilson from Ralph Andersen and Associates and Frank Rojas of Koff and Associates. Ralph Andersen and Associates would be paid a $30,000 fixed fee, with potential additional costs for trips, community surveys and candidate travel. A city staff summary of the proposals noted the hiring time frame is around three months, or 90 days from contract execution with the city to interviews. It would include discussions with the council, developing a position profile, recruitment, evaluation and eventual selection.

Foster City is currently without a permanent city manager after the city voted 3-2 to fire previous City Manager Peter Pirnejad without cause Aug. 25. The council has declined to give specific reasoning for the decision. It appointed Kevin Miller as interim city manager Sept. 13 until it completed plans to retain a new city manager using a recruiting firm. The council first issued a request for proposal for city manager recruitment Sept. 20.

Wilson said candidates first and foremost would want to know what led to Pirnejad’s dismissal and would be the biggest challenge to hiring someone. He noted that the first question he would get from candidates would be about the firing and the dynamics that led to the decision. Other challenges will be housing costs and being able to live in the area.

“Will it be a challenge? Sure it will. I think that’s what I am here to do. Understand your dynamics and what happened to the staff and then really identity candidates and say this is why Foster City is a good opportunity. This is why you need to consider it,” Wilson said.

Councilmember Patrick Sullivan said while there were many similarities in the proposals, he was impressed Wilson had over 20 years of experience as a city manager before starting recruiting.

“That was really important for the sensitivity of how a council works,” Sullivan said. “Balancing the two, I think Andersen has a little stronger preference.”

Vice Mayor Richa Awasthi and Councilmember Jon Froomin agreed, noting having the process led by someone who had been a city manager was of interest, and Andersen would have a greater network to find the best candidates.

Awasthi also acknowledged it would be a challenge to find a new city manager. She appreciated that Wilson recognized it and was willing to address any issues with candidates.

“That is one of the things top of my mind, the challenge that we are facing in hiring the next city manager and his appreciation of the challenge, in addition to his experience as a city manager, I think would serve us well,” Awasthi said.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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