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Minutes 08-09-99 MINUTES OF SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING HELD IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA ON MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1999 AT 1:00 P.M. PRESENT Gerald Broening, Mayor Henderson Tillman, Vice Mayor (arrived at 2:30 p.m.) William Sherman, Mayor Pro Tem Nellie Denahan, Commissioner Ronald Weiland, Commissioner ALSO PRESENT Nicholas Igwe, Assistant City Attorney Sue Kruse, City Clerk Arthur Lee, Human Resources Manager Fred Deal, President of 20-20 Insights, Inc., Moderator CITY MANAGER GROUP INTERVIEWS Mr. Deal explained to the Commission and members of the audience the procedure in place for this afternoon's interviews: · The four candidates had been interviewed individually by the Commissioners and Mayor on a one-on-one basis this morning. · Each candidate will be asked the same five questions to which they will have 10 minutes to respond. The candidates had been furnished the five questions 30 minutes prior to the interview to prepare their responses. · During the remaining 10 minutes, the Mayor and the Commissioners will ask each of the candidates a specific question. · The questions being asked represent issues facing Boynton Beach today. · The order of the Commissioners' questions will be staggered. Mayor Broening called the Special Meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. and introduced Mr. Fred Deal, the President of 20-20 Insights, Inc., the moderator. The candidates would be interviewed in the following order: James McFellin -2:00 p.m. Tony Smith - 2:30 p.m. John Stunson-3:00 p.m. Wilfred Hawkins- 3:30 p.m. MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 The five questions, which each candidate responded to, are attached to the minutes. The following answers by each candidate are to those same five questions. Candidate #1 - James McFellin: ANSWERS Answer #1: Mr. McFellin said he only used the 30 minutes allotted to him to answer the questions and did not review the answers prior to entering the room. He answered that he would meet with the Association and listen to their concerns. He would meet with the Chief of Police and discuss the actions taken or to be taken and then they would meet with the Association to come up with a solution. Answer #2: Mr. McFellin said he would develop a brochure with the assistance of staff and appropriate committees and advertise in national and state publications. Corporate decisions take time. Answer #3 Mr. McFellin said all areas share in creating tax revenues. Commercial vitality is needed to sustain and increase tax revenue. Committee recommendations should offer cost benefit analysis, even if they are not quantitative. Answer #4 Mr. McFellin said he would call the department head and have that person assess the problem and then call the citizen making the complaint. He would have the department head take the necessary action as needed. Mr. McFellin would follow up to make sure the action was taken and ask the department head for a written memo as to what action was taken. Answer #5 (a) Mr. McFellin said he would have direct dialogue with the administration of educational institutions; and MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, '1999 (b) Mr. McFellin said he has had past experience with a college in Wisconsin and was a member of the Police Task Force Committee for a town in Texas. Cooperative efforts need to be made between the city and school district to define the roll that the schOol district wants the city to take. This would have to,be approved by the Board of Education and with the administration. The role that Boynton Beach takes should be by mutual agreement between the School Board and the City Commission. Mayor Pro Tem Sherman asked the following question: "There is currently a program in Boynton Beach, which was initially advertised to the public at a cost of $30,000. It was admitted later on to be an error and the actual amount was $300,000. The program has now run in excess of $700,000 with additional overtime costs yet to be announced which would be added to that amount. No contract was signed and only 40% of the total City employees to date have completed the program. The Commissioners are again being asked to look at the program in the '199912000 budget for another $300,000. What would you do if you were the City Manager of Boynton Beach this afternoon?" Mr. McFellin responded: He would look at the program in its entirety and try to come up with a cost and benefit analysis of the effectiveness of the program. It seems odd that the initial price tag is now $700,000. He would put a temporary moratorium on any other spending to evaluate what effect the program is having and if it would be appropriate to continue the program or look at another program to take its place. Mayor Broening asked the following question: "1 believe because of the short terms of the Commissioners to spend in their jobs (a maximum of four years) the most important job in the City Government is that of the City Manager. The City Manager under Florida Law, other than the City Attorney, is the only person the Commission relies upon for its information. What do you think is the most significant leadership challenge facing municipal government in Boynton Beach?" Mr. McFellin responded: The most important challenge would be to bring stability to the administration in the management of the City. He would like to spend the 3 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 next six to eight years with this City to provide stability in the City Manager position through the re-elections and changes in the Commission. Continuity is important. Commissioner Weiland 'asked the following question: "What can you bring to the City of Boynton Beach in knowing the City's 20~20 Projects and the lack of progress that the City has made in the past? What are your thoughts on where the City is going and how we are going to get there?" Mr. McFellin responded: I can bring 20 plus years of city management experience and over 25 years of management experience including the private sector. He has a Master's Degree in Public Administration and Master's Degree with a major Business Administration and a minor in Finance. He said he is mature, honest, and would lead with unquestionable integrity. Everyone needs to share in the task of where Boynton Beach is going. Commissioner Denahan asked the following question: "We are all human beings and we all have flaws. Are there any flaws that you see yourself having as a City Manager and if so, how would they impact your ability to lead and your management ability?" Mr. McFellin responded: Sometimes I give people the benefit of the doubt and sometimes I am taken advantage of in that regard. He would rather see the best in a person and give them a second chance. Maybe he should have done something different. He wants to keep good people in an organization if that person is productive and an asset to the organization. Since there was 10 minutes left, Mr. Deal suggested each Commissioner ask another question. Mayor Broening asked the following question: "Supposing you were in a city with limited ability to do a bond issue, what creative finance schemes could you conceive of to create funds for the city to acquire properties under the CRA?" 4 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 Mr. McFellin responded: It would depend upon what funds are available through grants. I am not familiar with what Florida presently offers. Other states use business improvement district funding and tax increment financing. I would look at industrial revenue bonds also. Commissioner Weiland asked the following question: "How would you respond to a Commissioner who feels you are not keeping him adequately informed and giving him adequate information?" Mr. McFellin responded: I would meet with the Commissioner and spend as much time to convince him that I am not withholding anything from him and I would offer him anything that he wanted that was legally obtainable. However, what that Commissioner gets, I would give to the other Commissioners as well. Commissioner Denahan asked the following question: "How accessible are you to citizens who receive a bill or have problems and what kind of actions do you specifically take to satisfy their concerns?" Mr. McFellin responded: He has an open door policy and his door is always open. He always returns phone calls in a timely manner. Commissioner Weiland asked Mr. McFellin to elaborate on his answer and asked if he would refer the issue to department heads or address the issue himself? Mr. McFellin responded: I would initially take care of it myself and speak with the person. If he could not take care of their concerns, he would immediately have the appropriate department head to address it. Mayor Pro Tem Sherman asked the following question: "In Boynton Beach you would be working with a labor team of about 850 people and with unions. Are you comfortable with that number and please state your experience in this area?" 5 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 Mr. McFellin responded: He was a member of several unions when he was young and attending college. He said he has been on both ends, as a member and on negotiating teams, and has no problem working with unions. Mr. McFellin's ClOsing Statement: He thanked everyone for inviting him here and feels he is the best candidate and would like the Commission's serious consideration. Vice Mayor Tillman joined the meeting at 2:30 p.m. Candidate #2 - Tony Smith: ANSWERS Answer #1: He would meet with the Chief of Police to determine his previous response to the concern. He would ask the Chief for a report giving the details and listing the other types of crimes that occurred in this particular neighborhood. He would also ask for the particulars on this neighborhood with regard to crime in the neighborhood. He would meet with the president of the association to review the situation and discuss remedies for Iow-cost crime control issues. He would consider a crime watch committee or citizens' group. He would increase frequent patrols. He would also consider Community Oriented Policing if that were necessary. Answer #2: I would recommend the development of a city CDC Task Force for Quantum Park, which would include the City Manager and at least the Mayor to incorporate a strategy and a plan for build-out of that particular development. He would include on the Task Force the School Board and Motorola because they are stakeholders in this particular area and have a vested interest. They should have input into a further build out of the area. A facilitator needs to be selected to identify the viable proposals. If all this worked out well, he would focus on the downtown development. The downtown development has been a problem for many years and the City has not been able to garner the necessary resources to put together a viable program. He compared what has been done in Delray 6 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 Beach and West Palm Beach to date. What worked in these communities should be used in Boynton Beach. He would not sacrifice any development in the downtown area. Answer #3 Mr. Smith said he supports downtown development and would look at Delray Beach, West Palm Beach and Mizner Park in Boca Raton to find out "what kind of hoops those Cities had to jump through". He would form a task force for the northwestern quadrant to be composed of business people from the community and work with them to develop business proposals to be presented to the CRA. He would expand the CRA capacity and add private business people. Answer #4 Mr. Smith said he would meet with the Public Works Director to determine the nature of the problem of an irate citizen and look at the resources that are available to resolve the problem. He would meet with this citizen at the site. This gives citizens the sense that he cares. He would furnish a timetable to the citizen as to when the problem would be solved. Answer #5 Mr. Smith commended the Commission on a good job in bringing a high school to the City. He said when people look to relocate to a city they want to know about the available education. He would like to tie in initiatives to education. He would meet with the Presidents of PBCC and FAU to discuss the feasibility of putting a downtown branch of one of these colleges in this City. Vice Mayor Tillman asked the following question: "In terms of your leadership style what do you think is the most effective means that you should use in terms of moving this City forward." Mr. Smith responded: Mr. Smith said one of his strongest attributes is his leadership style. He said the City needs consistent leadership because of the short-term rotation of the City Commission. This creates a problem for continuity. He said he has the ability to get people to work well together. 7 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 Mr. Smith's Answer to Mayor Pro Tem Sherman's Question: Mr. Smith said he would meet with the entire staff of the individual who was responsible for the program to get a feel of the situation. He might look at re- tooling or re-engineering the program to pare down the costs. In his opinion, the costs of such a program might be prohibitive. He would use some of that money to continue to enhance the learning experience of the staff in becoming more productive, but this cost is far too high. He would like to put the money into the CRA, downtown and Quantum Park initiatives. He would also like to redevelop the 10th Avenue Corridor, which used to be a major commercial corridor in Boynton Beach and today it is an eyesore. Mr. Smith's Answer to Mayor Broeninq's Question: Mr. Smith stated he did not want to get involved in bi-partisan politics. He said this is an issue of stability and he might ask the Commission to review extending the term limits. This puts a great deal of pressure upon the City Manager to serve in a leadership capacity, but the City Manager also becomes the conduit for all information over an extended period of time. Mr. Smith's Answer to Commissioner Weiland's Question: Mr. Smith said he could bring insight and leadership and strong communication skills. He served as Assistant County Administrator for Palm Beach County for 15 years. He has developed a base of people in strategic positions that might be in a position to help Boynton Beach. Secondly, he was raised in Delray Beach and knows a lot of people and spends a great deal of time in this area. He already has a vested interest and ownership in the City. If the City has been unable to realize its goals, the City needs to take a long hard look to see where the City has gone wrong. Once this has been identified, the City would be in a position to move forward. Mr. Smith felt the City has all the attributes to become a great city and an Ali-America City. Boynton Beach has grown tremendously over the past 30 years. Mr. Smith's Answer to Commissioner Denahan's Question: Mr. Smith said his greatest flaw is that he is an over-achiever and works too hard. He is not unaccustomed to working 14-15 hour days. He said sometimes he is too trusting and believes there is good in all. He said he works well with people. 8 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 Mr. Smith's Closing Statement: Mr. Smith said that several years ago he finished in the top three for the City Manager's job and said he is truly interested in coming back home and has something of value that he can bring to the City. He said he could be the leader the City is looking for. Candidate #3 - John Stunson: ANSWERS Answer #1: Mr. Stunson said the first thing he would do is to meet with the Chief, the Neighborhood Specialist and department heads to get the facts and come up with some solutions and plans. Secondly, he would schedule a meeting with the association to make sure the association knows that the City is interested in helping and make sure there is no misunderstanding of facts. He would come up with an action plan. Answer #2: Mr. Stunson said Quantum Industrial Park is a big asset to the City and is next to the Tri-Rail and the question is how to go about marketing this. He said the City needs to work closely with the Palm Beach County development groups and Chamber of Commerce and try to link these organizations in some type of marketing plan. He would develop a brochure to market Boynton Beach and this should be assigned to a team. Goals need to be set. Answer #3: Mr. Stunson said that priorities need to be balanced and the City image is important. Also, the relative costs involved in a downtown development need to be determined. The increase in property values should be assessed and a cost- benefit analysis should be prepared to make sure that not all resources are going into just downtown. He would try to find partnerships to invest in the properties, which would give the City a sense of partnership and financial participation. He said that the long and short term returns on the $9 million being invested in the downtown area needs to be balanced. He would hold public hearings. 9 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 Answer Mr. Stunson said that since he did not know all the facts, he would have someone from Public Works go to the problem and fix it. If it cannot be fixed and is part of a larger problem, he would keep the residents informed of its progress in solving long term problems. Answer #5 Mr. Stunson said he served on the Broward County Charter School Task Force. There was a need in North Lauderdale for a community school to meet the needs of all the population. A partnership with the School Board was made and the City invested money to have these needed programs in a local school so that residents did not have to go a great distance for schooling, He said that North Lauderdale was passed over in the capital plan in the school system for sometime and there were no new high schools targeted for North Lauderdale. As a result North Lauderdale started one of the first charter high schools in the Country and has completed its first year, The school will be able to accommodate approximately 800/900 students. He said you cannot have a viable community without quality education. Mr. Stunson's Answer to Mayor Broening's Question: Mr. Stunson said continuity is needed for long-term leadership. He said in terms of the Vision 20/20 Plan this is a multi-year, long-term commitment. The City Manager should be committed to the City and he should be in a position to brief the Commission and the community. A strategic focus is very important. He said he has been a City Manager for 17 years in two places. He also was an Assistant City Manager and department head for 8 years. He said it is important to brief all members of an incoming commission. Mr. Stunson's Answer to Commissioner Weiland's Question: Mr. Stunson said that a strategic focus is needed for the 20/20 Plan. He would put together a team and he has 25 years of experience. He believes in strong communication with every member of the Commission to make sure that we are moving forward. He said he has experience in revitalization programs. He said he is committed and likes to work in revitalization areas and other complex areas. 10 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 Mr. Stunson's Answer to Commissioner Denahan's Question: Mr. Stunson said that he expects a certain level of involvement and commitment from all staff and that can be a problem from time to time. He said he likes perfectionism and that is not always achievable. Mr. Stunson's Answer to Vice Mayor Tillman's Question: Mr. Stunson said he would bring teamwork to the job and that recognition of key players that are doing good work is very important. He would bring teamwork to all departments to focus on the overall vision of the City. Mr. Stunson's Answer to Mayor Pro Tem Sherman's Question: Mr. Stunson said he has been through team-building processes and believes that this is a lot of money invested in team building. He would look to see if it has a good strategic focus and he would look at whether the values and strategic focus should come to the leadership team. He said it is important to get the best out of a group and teamwork does result in better performance. He would meet with Human Resources, the Assistant City Manager and key leaders on the leadership team and express his concerns about the amount of money being put into the program. He would make some type of assessment based on cost versus benefit and whether or not to proceed with the program. Mr. Stunson's Closing Statement: Mr. Stunson said he really wants to be our City Manager. Candidate #4 - Wilfred Hawkins: ANSWERS Answer #1: Mr. Hawkins said it is important for the manager to discuss with the Chief what plans the Chief has already discussed with the homeowner's association. The City Manager needs to understand what the Police Chief has developed. Once the plan has been discussed, the plan may be kept as is or re-enforced. The Chief and the City Manager may come up with an alternative plan that might be more accepted by the homeowner's association. He said the Police Chief is a professional and that the plan should come from the police department. 11 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, '1999 Answer #2 Mr. Hawkins said that one of the responsibilities of Boynton Beach's CRA Director would be to help develop a plan for attracting business to the City and to Quantum Park. The City Manager, in a team concept, along with other senior staff, should sit down and receive input from the private sector. People in the private sector know how to find places to locate a business. After all the input is received, the CRA Director would implement the plan. The plan should have excellent marketing strategy to attract the targeted businesses that are wanted in a particular area of the City. He would go out and solicit those businesses with recruiting trips. It is very important to let businesses know that the City of Boynton Beach is looking for new business. The plan should contain a specific timeframe with particular milestones within the plan. It is important to offer strong incentives to attract businesses. Answer #3 Mr. Hawkins said the purpose of the CRA is to specifically develop business opportunities in a targeted area, to create employment opportunities and to expand the tax base. Redevelopment of a targeted area is very important and is advantageous to the entire City. This allows fair distribution of the tax burden and decreases the burden on the residential homeowner. He said when the entire City is doing well and the economy is doing well, it relates directly back to the strategy of attracting more businesses to the City. Answer #4 Mr. Hawkins said that the department should have taken care of the matter in the first place. He said that constituents do call the City Manager to see what can be done. He said he would look at what the Utilities Department attempted in corrective action. He would assure the customer that the problem would be taken care of and he would give them a specific timeframe in which the problem would be addressed and resolved. He would have the customer meet the appropriate person who would be responsible for taking care of the matter. He would follow up to make sure that action was taken to the customer's satisfaction. Follow-up and attention to detail is the job of the City Manager. Answer #5 Mr. Hawkins said that the City of Boynton Beach has been very proactive in developing partnerships with the Palm Beach County School District. The City has a positive history with the School Board over the past several years. The City of Boynton Beach developed an outstanding partnership to save Poinciana 12 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 Elementary School, which was slated for closure. The City rallied as a community and the Commission took a leadership role to save the school and contributed funds to insure this. The City played an integral role in developing plans for the new High School. Committees were developed of citizens and staff for input to the School Board. This has been a major success in obtaining the new High School. He said that the City has an active Education Advisory Board that has served as a catalyst for getting the community involved in educational issues. Mr. Hawkins said he has served on the SAC Committee at Poinciana Elementary School and has worked with the District's School Improvement Committee. The City is looking forward to its new High School and will be taking a leadership role in making sure the High School comes to fruition. Mr. Hawkins' Answer to Commissioner Weiland's Question: Mr. Hawkins said that Visions 20/20 Plan is an important part in determining the future of Boynton Beach. It is important for the City to stick with this plan. The plan included community involvement, organization, the environment, urban character, economic development, and education. The plan needs to be evaluated to determine its effectiveness and one of the first things he would do is to call all the parties back together to evaluate the plan and determine where the City is in terms of implementation of the plan. He said that the necessary resources need to be located to make sure the plan is implemented and it is important for people to know what they would be getting out of the plan. Communication is the key. Partnerships should be developed to bring the plans to fruition and he would bring a leadership role in keeping the City on its course. Mr. Hawkins' Answer to Commissioner Denahan's Question: Mr. Hawkins said as a human being everyone has flaws and no one is perfect. He said he needs to work on making sure he listens to people and communication is a two-way street. Most human beings fall short in the listening part of the communication team and he would improve upon his listening skills. He would improve upon making positive relationships with everyone. He said that a lot of people's opinions are based upon their history, culture and life experiences and it is important to understand where a person is coming from. Mr. Hawkins' Answer to Vice Mayor Tillman's Question: Mr. Hawkins said his leadership style involves team building and finding the assets that each person can bring to a team and capitalizing upon those assets to achieve the goal. He said it is going to take a lot of'people to make all the things happen to the City of Boynton Beach. An effective leader can use his power of persuasion to help people achieve their goals. Communication is very 13 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, '1999 important. A good leader listens well, demonstrates the skills that he preaches and defines the roles of others. Mr. Hawkins' Answer to Mayor Pro Tem Sherman's Question: Mr. Hawkins said implementation of the program could have been done differently and there would be a different mode of addressing the situation at this time. There should have been more of a plan for implementation of the program. People were not told what their role was, what their goal was and how the goal would be an advantage to them. He would also add to the plan a clear-cut strategy on making sure that the training was completed within its timeframe and what the costs would be. This needs to be done now. The training was chosen as a means to help change the culture of this organization and raising the levels of sophistication to bring the City into the 21st Century. (Since Mr. Hawkins used his entire 20 minutes, there was no time remaining for Mayor Broening's question.) Mr. Hawkins' Closing Statement: Mr. Hawkins requested to use his closing statement to finish answering Mayor Pro Tem Sherman's question. Mr. Hawkins said having a clear-cut strategy on what the final costs would be and pointing out the advantages of the program is important. The program will help change this organization and he would make sure that everybody understands what is trying to be accomplished by implementation of the plan: Mr. Hawkins said employees are the major asset of the City. Employees have to be trained in order to give them the tools to perform their jobs in order to meet the new levels of expectation that will be implemented in the very near future. THE INTERVIEW PORTION OF THE MEETING CONCLUDED Mayor Broening stated that one of the candidates was unable to be present today because of an unexpected commitment. The Commission now has to decide how to deal with this. Should this person be invited back for interviews or should today's process be closed. Arthur Lee, Human Resources Manager took the podium and stated he was asked by Mayor Pro Tem Sherman to call Winter Springs to determine that the candidate that was unable to be present today actually had a Commission meeting. Mr. Lee confirmed there is a meeting this evening at 6:30 p.m. 14 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 Mayor Pro Tem Sherman said he felt the fifth candidate had a valid reason not to be present today and said this should be considered. Commissioner Denahan agreed with Mayor Pro Tem Sherman and commended this person for his loyalty to the city that he is currently serving and would not leave them on short notice. Commissioner Weiland pointed out that it was this Commission's choice to set the meeting for August 9th. The Commission did not realize that this is the day of their commission meetings and that this candidate chose to stay and take care of his city's business. Therefore, a conflict arose. Commissioner Weiland would like to consider an interview for this candidate. Mr. Lee said at the previous workshop the available dates of the Commissioners were reviewed and August 9th was the only date that all Commissioners could be present. If this Commission wanted to interview the fifth candidate, this would go into September. Commissioner Weiland said it should be determined if he could be present tomorrow or the next day. Mayor Broening pointed out that this candidate's schedule was addressed and accommodated and that he was moved up in the interview order so that he could be present today and still make his evening meeting. Mr. Lee said that was correct. Mr. Lee said when he contacted this candidate he said he had a commission meeting on this date, but it was at 6:30 p.m. and he felt he would be able to be present today for the individual and group interviews and still get back to Winter Springs by 6:30 p.m. Mr. Lee pointed out that Mr. James McFellin was the furthest away. Mayor Pro Tem Sherman pointed out that this candidate had to meet with the commissioners during the day today, which is the same thing that takes place in this City during Commission meeting days. Mayor Pro Tem Sherman did not think moving the candidate up had any bearing on his decision. Commissioner Weiland said there is a very important meeting this evening and there is going to be a pre-commission meeting before the regular meeting. Mayor Broening asked how could the Commission be fair to the candidates who appeared today? Mr. Deal said that the decision made by this Commission could be based upon the media exposure because if the media publishes their perspective of the candidates today, the person who was not interviewed would have an opportunity to read the responses in the media and would come to the interview very well prepared. If this 15 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 candidate were given different questions, then he would be given a different interview process. Mr. Deal said this is very complicated if this person is given an interview. Mayor Pro Tem Sherman said this is one of the most important decisions this Commission has to make, money has been spent for an outside search firm and Human Resources was used to drop the 70 applicants down to 10. The Commission has dropped the 10 to 5 and after going through all this work and money, he would like to see all five candidates. He felt that some type of test could be put together in order that this candidate could be interviewed. Mayor Pro Tem Sherman said if this could not be done fair and equitably, then he would withdraw his request. Mr. Deal said the only way it would be fair is if different questions were asked. Mr. Deal said it would be his responsibility to come up with new questions of approximate degree of difficulty as the ones asked today and that would be very difficult to do. Mr. Deal suggested that the evaluation procedure gO forward and see what happens. It might be possible that there would be a consensus on a selection. If not, the individual who did not show up today could be thrown into the mix of additional people that the Commission would like to interview. Vice Mayor Tillman pointed out that going through the interview process again on a different day would be under a different demeanor. Also, he pointed out that the press has an obligation to ensure information is printed. He said that this individual not being present today is all part of the process. If he wanted to be the City Manager and was committed to the city he is currently in, he had to make a decision. This candidate chose to stay with his current city today. Vice Mayor Tillman pointed out that the candidates who showed up today have shown loyalty and he did not think it would be fair to them. He did not think it would be the right thing to do to allow this candidate to come in for an interview. Mayor Broening suggested that Mr. Deal's suggestion be followed and this would not contaminate the process. If a candidate were not selected today, then the interviews could be opened up again. Commissioner Denahan said she was not comfortable with this decision. She felt the entire process from the beginning has not been ideal and the Commission has been put in positions to make decisions that haven't always been the best decision. Commissioner Denahan said that the process, which involved Human Resources and a national search team, turned out to be lengthier and more cumbersome than if only one of these parties had been involved. Commissioner Denahan felt it would be in the best interests for the Commission to go forward with Mayor Broening's suggestion and see what happens after that. Commissioner Denahan also pointed out that Mr. McFellin had been put at a disadvantage because the full Commission was not present during his interview. 16 MEETING MINUTES CITY COMMISSION BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 9, 1999 Mayor Pro Tem Sherman agreed with Commissioner Denahan and said the Commission should go forward with the four candidates. Motion Vice Mayor Tillman moved that we go with the four candidates in terms of the review process and to determine an overwhelming winner. If in fact there is not an overwhelming winner, the information would be brought back to this Commission for further review. Motion seconded by Commissioner Denahan. Motion carried 5-0. Mayor Broening thanked everyone for their assistance today. The meeting properly adjourned at 4:15 p.m. ATTEST: Recording Secretary (~o tapes) Vice Mayor Mayor Pro Tem Commissioner Commissioner 17 City of Boynton Beach City Manager Panel Interview Questions August 9, 1999 Question 1; Describe the specific actions.you would take, and the nature of your response to a newly formed Homeowner's Association that has recently been experiencing an increase in crime in their middle income neighborhood, giving rise to real feelings that the Boynton Beach Police Department is not adequately addressing their needs. The Association has already brought this issue up with the Chief of Police, but they are not satisfied with his response. Explain your strategy for attracting additional tenants to Quantum Industrial Park, and new businesses to the entire city. Identify who you would task to implement this strategy, and what sort of timeline you would anticipate before positive results are obtained. Question 3: While Boynton Beach, like many cities, doesn't have a traditional downtown, redevelopment is planned in some of its commercial districts which are in older parts of the city. How do you feel about committing scarce financial resources to redevelopment projects in older predominately commercial districts ? What action would you take to ensure such projects were in the best interest of the entire city and its residents (vs) the business interests of the districts affected '~ Question 4: As the newly appointed City Manager, you receive a call from an irate citizen v/ho has been tYustrated in her attempts to have the drainage problem in front of her house corrected. She advises you every time it rains a large puddle forms in the street that is so deep She cannot leave her driveway. The prior City Manager promised her he would do something about it, but never did. She wants to know if you would please send the public works department over to clean out and/or repair the storm drain so the water can properly be carried away. The City of Boynton Beach wouid like to increase and improve upon the educational partnerships currently in place, which to date have been modestly successful. What experience have you had ~n establishing and cultivating educational partnerships and what actions would you take to ensure the emerging needs and ¢Q~n~cems of Boynton Beach residents are adequately addressed by educational institutions ? Do you think Boynton Beach has the potential of assuming a leadership role in such decisions ? CITY MANAGER SELECTION PROCESS Master Schedule August 9, 1999 8:00 - 9:45 a.m. Candidates meet in City Manager's Office Candidate Orientation Continental Breakfast 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Commissioners meet in Conference Room B - Second Floor Continental Breakfast 9:00 - 9:45 a.m. Rater Training - Conference Room B Individual Interviews Mayor Vice Mayor Mayor Pro Commissioner Commissioner Broenin9 Tillman Tem Sherman Denahan Weiland Place./ Conference Conference HR Conference P & Z Police Time Room B Room A Room Conference Conference Room Room 10:00 - 10:15 Wilfred Hawkins John Stunson Tony Smith Ronald James McFellin McLemore 10:25- 10:40 James McFellin Wilfred Hawkins John Stunson Tony Smith Ronald McLemore 10:50 - 11:05 Ronald James McFellin Wilfred Hawkins John Stunson Tony Smith McLemore 11:15- 11:30 Tony Smith Ronald James McFellin Wilfred ~awkins John Stunson McLemore . ~ 11:40,- 11:55. John Stunson Tony Smith R James McFellin Wilfred Hawkins McLemore 12:00 - 12:55 Lunch - Conference Room C, West Wing Second Floor Group Interviews - Commission Chambers ~',uo ~-; ~'~ 1:00 - 1.~30 James McFellin 1:~ - 2~:00 Tony Smith 2.,00-~--2:50 John Stunson 2Y30-=-3dg0 Wilfred Hawkins