Jun 05, 2024 City Council Special Meeting

[* This meeting was joined in progress *]

[2. Executive Session Items]

[00:00:09]

OKAY. WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS HANGING IN THERE WITH US.

AND EVERYONE COMING BACK, AND I GUESS TUNING IN ONLINE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

SO WE HAVE COMPLETED A DISCUSSION BACK THERE.

[3.A. The hiring of a candidate to fill the vacant City Manager position. The City Council may discuss various steps in this process including candidate meet and greet and related citizen feedback, and information about the next steps City Council will take in their process to hire a candidate for City Manager.]

OVER THE LAST HOUR AND 15 MINUTES BACK WE HAD OUR CONSULTANT ZOOMED IN.

THE CONSULTANT WAS ABLE TO WALK US THROUGH THE NEXT STEPS.

THE PROCESS, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AS FAR AS, LIKE, THE CONTRACT OFFER, HOW THAT WORKS.

EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, 12 MONTH SEVERANCE TO AUTO ALLOWANCE ASKING SALARY WHAT WE ADVERTISED, WHEN WE POSTED THE JOB VERSUS WHERE WE WANTED TO LAND.

WE TALKED THROUGH THE PROCEDURAL STEPS.

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE WITH A 45 DAY, 60 DAY NOTICE FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL TO GIVE THEIR OTHER MUNICIPALITY? WE DISCUSSED POTENTIAL START DATE AND AND PLENTY OF OTHER TOPICS IN BETWEEN.

THEN WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO IS WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM OUR MEET AND GREET THAT OUR CITY SECRETARY DID GO AHEAD AND KIND OF ORGANIZE.

AND WE PUT VALUES TO, YOU KNOW, NO OPINION ALL THE WAY TO VERY GOOD.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO RANK BOTH CANDIDATES TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IN LISTENING AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS.

HE'S A LITTLE BIT BETTER OVER HERE IN LEADERSHIP, THIS GUY'S A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

WE TOOK THAT AND WE COUPLED IT WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CRAFT JOINED US VIA ZOOM, HE'S IN DALLAS AT A TRAINING.

HE'S NOT OUT HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DO HAVE HIS INSIGHT AND DISCUSSION FROM HIM AND KIND OF HIS LEANINGS.

THEN WHAT WE DID WAS WE COUPLED THAT WITH DISCUSSION, A PRETTY GOOD DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL, YET A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT CAME IN AND JUST SAID, LOOK, I DON'T KNOW.

HONESTLY, THEY'RE BOTH GOOD, RIGHT NOW I'M STILL UNDECIDED.

YOU HAD A COUPLE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT CAME IN AND SAID, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, BUT I THINK IT'S THIS GUY.

I THINK HE'S THE PERSON FOR THE JOB.

AND SO WITH THAT, WE WE'VE DELIBERATED A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN WE WANTED TO COME BACK OUT IN PUBLIC AND WE WANTED TO CONCLUDE OUR DISCUSSION HERE WITH YOU GUYS SO THAT YOU CAN HEAR IT.

AND THEN OUR GOAL HERE TODAY, AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S GOAL IN THE CITY OF AMARILLO IS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.

AND SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO TODAY WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE A FORMAL MOTION AND AN ACTION ITEM.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO CONCLUDE OUR DISCUSSION IN PUBLIC AND SAY, THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO OFFER AND ENTER INTO A NEGOTIATION WITH.

AND THEN WE WANT TO DIRECT STAFF TO GO AND DO THAT THROUGH OUR CONSULTANT.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT'S A BRIEF RECAP OF KIND OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN FOR THE LAST HOUR.

I WOULD LIKE FOR ANY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT HAS ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY'D LIKE TO OFFER.

AT THIS TIME, FEEL FREE TO SPEAK UP, ANYTHING ON THIS SIDE? OH, [INAUDIBLE].

YEAH. AS WE WENT INTO THE DISCUSSION IN THERE WE HAD VERY GOOD DISCUSSION.

VERY FRANK DISCUSSION.

WELL, I THINK EACH COUNCIL MEMBER LAID PROS AND CONS ON THE TABLE.

WE TALKED VERY GOOD ON BOTH PARTS.

BOTH CANDIDATES WERE EXTREMELY GOOD.

MY OPINION, I LEANED TOWARD GRAYSON PATH IS WHO I LEANED TOWARD AND HAD DISCUSSION AS SUCH.

GO AHEAD. YEAH, I DO WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS IS I, YOU KNOW, THIS SEARCH PROCESS, I THINK, HAS BEEN THOROUGH IN-DEPTH.

I THINK WE HAVE TAKEN THE RIGHT APPROACH.

AND I APPRECIATE COUNCIL'S HARD WORK ON THIS BECAUSE, LIKE MANY OF THE OTHER ISSUES WE'RE WORKING WITH, WE HAD TO PUT IN TIME ON THIS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

BUT I DID THINK WE HAD THE PROPER AMOUNT OF TIME AND APPROACH.

I WANT TO JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE TEN SEMIFINALISTS THAT WE HAD WERE ALL STRONG CANDIDATES.

THE SIX THAT WE BROUGHT IN HERE TO, TO INTERVIEW WERE AS WELL.

AND, ULTIMATELY WE CAME DOWN TO THESE TWO, I THINK I REALLY APPRECIATED THE GREAT TURNOUT FROM THE COMMUNITY AT COMING TO OUR MEETING ON, ON MONDAY NIGHT AND GIVING US FEEDBACK.

AND I THINK THE INTERESTING THING OF THE FEEDBACK IS THEY WERE KIND OF LIKE WHERE WE ARE, THESE ARE BOTH GOOD CANDIDATES.

I MEAN, THEY HAD STRONG YOU KNOW, SOME SAID THAT THIS PERSON OVER THIS PERSON, THIS PERSON OVER THAT PERSON.

BUT I THINK WHAT IT DID IS IT CONFIRMED IN THIS INTERACTION THAT WE DO HAVE TWO STRONG CANDIDATES, EITHER EITHER ONE OF WHICH YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT GOING INTO TODAY COULD

[00:05:05]

I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WENT INTO THE MEETING A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR AGO.

I HAD NOT MADE UP MY MIND PURPOSELY.

I WANTED TO HEAR WHAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD TO SAY.

I HAD MY THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

BUT I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GIVING BOTH OF THESE CANDIDATES REALLY THE DUE DILIGENCE AND THE OFFER, THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS WHAT THEY COULD BRING TO IT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE JUST THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE TIME AND I WOULD AGREE ULTIMATELY, MY OPINION IS I WOULD AGREE WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN SCHERLEN SAID, THAT BOTH ARE BOTH ARE STRONG CANDIDATES.

IT WAS A TOUGH DECISION FOR ME, BUT I BELIEVE AS WELL, THAT GRAYSON PATH IS THE RIGHT LEADER FOR FOR US AT THIS POINT.

THANK YOU SIR. COUNCILMAN TIPPS.

WELL, ALWAYS DIFFICULT.

FOLLOW THE ORATOR.

HE DOES SUCH A GOOD JOB.

I WENT IN AS WELL WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A LEANING BUT WAS REALLY WANTING TO HEAR THE DISCUSSION WITH FULL COUNCIL TO SEE THE PROS AND CONS AND KIND OF DISCUSS IT.

I THINK MAYOR SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M ABOUT TO PUT MY LAWYER'S HAT ON AND I'M GOING TO ARGUE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER FOR BOTH.

SO IT HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION.

ULTIMATELY, I THINK WE HAD TWO GREAT CANDIDATES, WHICH WAS A GOOD THING.

YOU KNOW, THERE WASN'T ONE THAT I THINK THERE WERE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ON BOTH A LOT OF STRENGTHS.

WE, I THINK WE DISCUSSED AND WE TALKED ABOUT ANY WEAKNESSES WE SAW ESPECIALLY MAKING THE MOVE.

YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION THAT I HAD WHEN WE WENT TO THE MEET AND GREET WAS THE, YOU KNOW, THE JUMP FROM THE SIZE OF CITY THAT THEY'RE COMING FROM, TO JUMP HERE. AND I THINK THAT THAT'S JUST A NATURAL PROGRESSION, I THINK IN THIS TYPE OF JOB, THIS IS WHAT THEY DO.

I MEAN, THIS IS THEY MOVE FROM ONE MARKET.

THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE BIGGER MARKET.

WE'RE NOT EVER GOING TO GET SOMEBODY FROM AN ARLINGTON OR A DALLAS.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO STEP DOWN.

IT'S JUST NOT NORMAL. SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIT SAY HEY, WHO'S THE BEST FIT PERSONALITY WISE? MY BIGGEST THING IS I WANT SOMEBODY THAT I CAN JUST HAND THE KEYS OVER TO OUR ORGANIZATION AND SAY, RUN MY ORGANIZATION.

RIGHT. I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WANT FOR THE CITY.

YOU KNOW, SOMEONE THAT'S AT THE HELM OF OUR ORGANIZATION TO RUN IT, TO RUN IT WELL.

TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP WITHIN OUR MANAGEMENT OFFICE TO DEVELOP RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY THEN ALSO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH COUNCIL.

AND I THINK, AGAIN, BOTH THESE GUYS, I THINK, DO A GREAT JOB.

I THINK THAT EITHER ONE OF THEM WOULD DO WELL.

BUT AFTER THE DISCUSSION AND AFTER WE HAD A GOOD TALK AND LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY GETTING FEEDBACK, TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES DOING A PRETTY GOOD AN EXHAUSTIVE RESEARCH, I THINK, OF OF EVERYBODY.

I ENDED UP SAYING I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH GRAYSON PATH.

I THINK HE'LL DO A GREAT JOB WITH OUR CITY.

AND MAYOR COULD I ADD ONE MORE THING TO THAT? IS YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE HAD WE HAD DIFFERENT CANDIDATES WITH DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES, AND AGAIN, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT IT AND WITH THE SEMIFINALISTS, WE HAD SOME PEOPLE THAT MAY HAVE HAD AN EXPERIENCE IN WHAT YOU MAY CALL LARGER MARKETS OR EQUIVALENT MARKETS.

I REMEMBER DURING OUR SEARCH, I THINK I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER BROUGHT IT UP, BUT WE SAID, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS THE BENEFIT OF HAVING SOMEONE THAT DOES WHAT OUR CONSULTANT HAS DONE ON A REGULAR BASIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER WORLD IS KIND OF A SMALL WORLD, BUT NONE OF US LIVE IN THAT WORLD, AND WE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT ANY OF THE CANDIDATES.

AND WE HAD ONE CANDIDATE THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO BROUGHT IT UP SAID, MAN, THIS PERSON IS REALLY GOOD.

WHY ARE WE NOT CONSIDERING THEM? AND THEY LOOK, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT OUR CONSULTANT SAID IS, WELL, THAT PERSON HAS APPLIED FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT POSITIONS AND THEIR GOAL IS GOING TO BE TO REACH DOWN TO THE FINALISTS. YOU GIVE THEM AN OFFER AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO GO LEVERAGE THAT AGAINST THEIR CURRENT PLACE TO GET A RAISE.

AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING.

SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WHAT WE'VE DONE, IS REALLY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A GOOD CROSS-SECTION OF EMPLOYEES.

AND WE DID LOOK AT A LOT OF EMPLOYEES OR A LOT OF CANDIDATES, AND NO DOUBT THAT WE CAME WITH THE TWO STRONGEST AND THE ONE I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT, TOO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE'S SOME DISCUSSION OR CONVERSATION.

SOMEBODY MAY SAY, WELL, THESE THESE GENTLEMEN ARE COMING FROM SMALLER MARKETS.

IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT JOHN STITH, WHO HAS A PARK NAMED FOR HIM HERE, AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE HE DID A GOOD JOB.

JOHN STITH CAME FROM GARLAND, TEXAS.

IN 1960.

THE POPULATION OF GARLAND, TEXAS, WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND 30,000 PEOPLE AT THAT TIME.

AND, YOU KNOW, SO BOTH OUR CANDIDATES AND GRAYSON IS COMING WE'RE ABOUT 4 TO 5 TIMES LARGER CITY STAFF.

[00:10:03]

AMARILLO WAS ABOUT 4 TO 5 TIMES LARGER THAN GARLAND, TEXAS.

SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE'D USED AND SAID, WELL, THEY NEED TO HAVE SIMILAR TYPE EXPERIENCE AND SIMILAR CITY, WE WOULD HAVE NEVER GOTTEN THE CITY MANAGER HERE WHO WE THOUGHT SO MUCH OF TO NAME YOU KNOW, TO NAME A PARK.

SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ABOUT GRAYSON AND HIS SKILL SET AND HIS LEADERSHIP AND HIS TRACK RECORD AND LOOK FORWARD TO KIND OF GETTING TO THE TO THE FINISH LINE HERE.

ON WORKING OUT THE FINALS OF THE AGREEMENT AND BRINGING HIM ON BOARD.

WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION WITH COUNCILMAN CRAFT AS WELL.

NOT TO REPEAT ANYTHING THAT WAS SAID IN EXEC, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THAT HE SUPPORTS THE THE END OF THE CONVERSATION AND KIND OF THE DIRECTION THE COUNCIL'S GOING.

WE BELIEVE WE'LL VOTE ON THIS AND IT'LL PROBABLY PASS WITH A 5-0 VOTE WHEN IT'S TIME TO ACCEPT THAT CONTRACT.

WE STILL HAVE A FEW STEPS LEFT IN THE CONTRACT AND THE NEGOTIATIONS.

SO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO TELL YOU LIKE THIS IS OUR NUMBER ONE AND THIS IS OUR NUMBER TWO.

SO AT THIS TIME, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE NUMBER TWO IS TOTALLY OFF OR OVER.

YOU WOULD PURSUE YOUR NUMBER ONE.

AND THEN IF YOU COULDN'T GET A NEGOTIATION, SOMETHING CHANGED.

THEN YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR SECOND CANDIDATE THERE.

SO I AM I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT IN MY LEADING IN THIS I CAN MAKE GREAT CASES FOR BOTH OF THEM.

AND IN THE WAY IN WHICH I REALLY WANT TO DO A GOOD JOB IN THIS CENTER CHAIR OF HELPING THIS ORGANIZATION.

I'D LOVE TO HAVE BOTH OF THEM INVOLVED IN THE ORGANIZATION.

THERE'S ONLY ONE SPOT TO FILL.

BUT IF YOU HAD THEM BOTH HERE, THEY WOULD.

THEY WOULD HELP YOUR ORGANIZATION.

NEITHER ONE OF THEM WOULD DETRACT OR HURT YOU IN ANY WAY.

AND I KNOW THAT THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE IS A STRONG FOUNDATION, AND THAT THEY WOULD WORK WELL WITH EITHER ONE OF THEM.

SO I WOULD WANT TO PROCEED WITH WITH PUTTING AN OFFER OUT TO GRAYSON PATH AND TRY TO ENGAGE IN THAT NEGOTIATION WITH THE HOPES THAT WE COULD FINALIZE THAT IN A COUPLE WEEKS. I BELIEVE THAT HE COULD START WITHIN, YOU KNOW, 45 DAYS, MAYBE 60 DAYS IS PROBABLY WHAT WE'LL PUSH STAFF TO TO PUSH FOR IS MAYBE AN AUGUST 19TH, NO LATER THAN, WE DISCUSSED SOME PAY SCALES BACK THERE.

WE FEEL LIKE FOR THE MARKET THAT'S HERE WE'LL DIRECT STAFF WITH A DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT'S VERY IN LINE WITH WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

AND THEN WE'LL PROBABLY LEAN IN WITH THE REST OF THE ORGANIZATION AS TO WHAT WE OFFER.

WE WANT IT TO MATCH WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING FOR THE REST OF THE EMPLOYEES.

SO WE HAVE A CONSENSUS HERE, AND WE HAVE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL.

WE'D LIKE TO DIRECT OUR STAFF TO ENGAGE WITH BAKER TILLY, OUR CONSULTANT OVER THERE.

TO PUT THIS THROUGH LEGAL AND TO PUT TOGETHER A CONTRACT.

AND WE'D LOVE TO SEE THAT PUT TOGETHER THIS WEEK OR EARLY NEXT WEEK.

AND THEN I KNOW EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO, TO HAVE THIS ON AN AGENDA QUICKLY AND THAT WE'RE ALL EXCITED ABOUT GETTING THAT PLACE SOME SOLIDITY THERE AND SOME LEADERSHIP.

AND I, I'VE HEARD THESE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS TALK ABOUT SIZE AND THE THE INCREASE FROM BOTH POPULATION SIZE AND ORGANIZATION SIZE. I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS LEADERSHIP, NOT MANAGEMENT.

I BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A MANAGER AND IT SAYS CITY MANAGER, BUT THIS POSITION IS MORE LEADERSHIP THAN IT IS DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT.

AND AND STAFF WILL TELL YOU THAT.

AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO A LEADER, THAT LEADERSHIP QUALITY, THOSE CORE VALUES AND SKILL SETS THAT YOU HAVE, THEY'RE NOT AS SUBJECTIVE TO 50 PEOPLE VERSUS 500.

NOW MANAGING AND GOING FROM 50 TO 500 AS A MANAGER WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT.

BUT AS A LEADER, LEADING A LARGE ORGANIZATION OR LEADING A SMALL ORGANIZATION, YOU LEAD WELL AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT FOLLOW YOU AND TRUST YOU, OR YOU LEAD POORLY AND PEOPLE SEE THAT.

AND I THINK THAT WITH BOTH OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, THEY'RE BOTH STRONG LEADERS.

AND I PUT MY CONFIDENCE IN GRACE IN PATH'S ABILITY TO LEAD US FORWARD.

AND WE'RE GOING TO TURN THE KEYS OVER.

AND STAFF WILL APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE NOT IN OPERATIONS.

RIGHT. SO WE WANT TO WE WANT TO PUT OURSELVES OUT THERE HERE IN THE MONTH OF JUNE AND, AND GET THIS GUY GOING IN JULY.

WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK THAT WE WANT TO FINISH, JUST TO-DO'S, THAT WE WANT TO GET OFF OF OUR DESK AND MOVE THE ORGANIZATION FORWARD BEFORE HE GETS HERE.

WE BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY THAT STAFF AGREES WITH THAT AND THE VISION THAT WE'VE SET AND THAT THEY'LL HELP US GET THERE.

AND THEN COME AUGUST, WE'LL ON BOARD A NEW CITY MANAGER AND WE WILL HIT THE GROUND RUNNING RIGHT IN TIME FOR BUDGET AND AN APPROVAL THERE IN

[00:15:01]

THAT WILL CONCLUDE OUR MEETING.

I WOULD ASK STAFF IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

WE'RE GOOD. GOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED.

OKAY. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN US HERE TODAY.

ASK FOR A MOTION.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

SECOND. MOTION.

AND A SECOND. YOU'RE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU GUYS FOR PARTICIPATING.

APPRECIATE IT.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.