By Kellen Olshefski
SLN Staff
The City of Elkhorn Human Resources committee took its first look at how the city would move forward following former Department of Public Works Director Martin Nuss’s departure earlier this year.
From discussion Monday night, it seems the city is leaning towards replacing Nuss rather than reorganizing the department.
City Administrator Sam Tapson said Monday night after talking with alderman and city staff, the collective sense is hiring someone to replace Nuss is necessary.
“If you really look at what you’re asking the department of public works to do and the oversight required and the tons of things that improve departments of public works, you need a management person in there,” he said.
“You need someone that’s capable of developing policies consistent with the council’s directive, that can execute, that can plan, that can do data analysis and all the rest of it. I don’t think that’s fair, at this point in time, to lay on your utility director.”
Alderman Scott McClory said Monday night he would like to see the city continue along it’s same philosophy in that the hiring process will be quick, but won’t be rushed or sloppy.
McClory made a motion Monday night to recommend to the full council the city look to begin the hiring process to fill the public works manager vacancy.
McClory reiterated again that he would like to make sure this isn’t something the city just begins to look at, noting he wants to make sure the city is moving forward with filling the position and filling it in a timely fashion.
Tapson said with approval by the council Tuesday night, the city could be prepared by the end of the week to get recruitment information out into the marketplace, setting the process into motion.
“I would think we should shoot for a 30-day window,” McClory said. “It’s already been two months. Your (Utilities Director John Murphy) job is not getting any easier.”
Tapson said with a 30-day window, it would be about a two-week submittal time for references, though the real key to the hiring process is getting a team together to interview potential candidates.
“Again, I’m not drilling it down to the minutia, I just would think that whether we meet the deadline or not, we should aim for a deadline of a 30-day turn around post vote,” he said. “It’s been two months already.”
Alderman Hoss Rehberg said he doesn’t think the city should put a deadline on it, noting though he would like staff to work as quickly and diligently as possible.
Tapson said with a 30-day window, he thinks the city could hit most of the process including identifying a candidate and a conditional offer. He said negotiating the employment arrangement would be the only potential thing that would slow the process down.
The committee approved McClory’s motion 3-0.
All members of the council were in attendance at Monday’s human resources committee meeting, except for newcomer Cathy Bensaid, who was set to be sworn in to the Aldermanic District 6 seat at Tuesday night’s City of Elkhorn Common Council meeting.
