Denton's search for a permanent city manager has a tentative timeline. The council's planning calendar, attached to the Oct. 16 Friday Staff Report, sets aside closed-door time on Nov. 17 listed as "Review City Manager applicant," a closed review of candidates on Dec. 1 and a block of interviews on Dec. 15.
The calendar is a staff forecast of upcoming council work sessions and is marked as subject to change. The Dec. 15 closed session is budgeted at more than four hours, and the regular-meeting slot that day is held for city manager interviews. The calendar does not say how many people have applied or when a hire could be announced.
How the city got here
Cassey Ogden, a deputy city manager who has worked for the city since 2008, became interim city manager on April 1 after Sara Hensley retired at the end of March. The council approved that appointment in early March, KERA and the Denton Record-Chronicle reported.
In July, the council told staff to start a national recruitment through Strategic Government Resources, the firm the city hired in May for a fee capped at $28,419, the Record-Chronicle reported. Staff had held off on recruiting until after the May election so new council members could weigh in, and Human Resources Director Megan Gilbreath estimated the process would take four to six months.
Not everyone on the council wanted a national search. Council members Jordan Villareal and Joe Holland favored appointing a city manager directly, and Holland said the city has local talent ready to step up. Council member Suzi Rumohr backed the national search as the more transparent route and said she wanted city directors to have a say in choosing candidates.
Other items on the horizon
The same calendar lists what staff expect to bring to the council over the next two months. The Oct. 27 work session is slated to cover a federal legislative update, the electric utility's fund balance and plans for a new South Branch Library and Active Adult Center.
