By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
With an application deadline in the rear view mirror, efforts to seek out the next leader of economic development activities in Whitewater are moving full steam ahead in March.
At a meeting Feb. 27, City Manager Cameron Clapper and Human Resources coordinator Judy Atkinson discussed the recruitment process for a new economic development professional with the board of directors of the Community Development Authority.
In previous discussions, the economic development position was intended to have a salary range of $60,000 to $79,000, but Clapper at the most recent CDA meeting said up to $90,000 could be offered to a top-tier candidate.
The city’s deadline for applications for the economic development position was March 1; as of the Feb. 27 meeting, Atkinson reported 11 candidates had thrown their hats into the ring.
This is the second go-around of bringing an economic development professional into the mix of municipal staffing positions. Last fall, city officials made a similar overture that yielded 14 candidates and an employment offer that ultimately did not pan out.
Atkinson discussed with the CDA board the different phases of the application process, including an initial screener done via Skype or phone. The exercise, she said, has been fruitful in the past, and the CDA board agreed to continue the practice for the latest recruitment effort.
In the last round of interviews conducted in the fall, Atkinson said there were a few red flags raised that helped in narrowing the list of applicants.
“They looked good on paper, but after I spoke with them, it was deemed they were not a good fit,” Atkinson said.
Throughout the recent discussion, CDA board members implored Atkinson and Clapper to do the all-important due diligence, yet move with expediency.
The city has operated without an economic development director since the departure last summer of Dave Carlson. Since then, Clapper has assumed a portion of Carlson’s duties alongside his role as city manager.
“We want to get this position filled as expeditiously as possible within the confines of people’s time and your time,” Council President Patrick Singer said at the meeting to Atkinson and Clapper. “This is a very critical position we want to make sure we get right.”
Councilmember James Allen, who like Singer, has a seat on the CDA board of directors and said he hopes a new candidate will be named soon.
“We’ve been dragging our feet,” Allen said.
After the preliminary screening, finalists likely would go through a series of interviews. Because it is a top-level directorial position, Clapper said finalists would most likely have daylong interviews and interface with a variety of people throughout the community.
Elected officials and city staffers alike expressed hope the chosen candidate would bring stability to economic development oversight within municipal government at a time when renewed efforts are being made to grow and broaden the city’s tax base.
“Our goal is to have someone be here at least five years, if at all possible,” Atkinson said.
