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September 28th, 2010
Council to try city manager selection again Tuesday

STAFF REPORT

The San Marcos City Council is meeting again Tuesday night, likely to select a new city manager.

All signs point to Round Rock City Manager Jim Nuse as the front runner among the three finalists announced by the city two weeks ago. However, that choice has not been confirmed.

The other finalists are Peoria, IL, City Manager Scott Moore and Kilgore City Manager Jeff Howell.

Following a “meet and greet” session with the finalists and San Marcos residents last Wednesday, the city council met in a two-hour executive session that included additional interviews with the finalists. The council adjourned that night without making a selection.

All three candidates have experience as city managers in other municipal capacities.

Nuse has served as Round Rock’s city manger since January 2003. He also has worked for Round Rock in different capacities since 1983, serving first as an engineer and assistant director of public works, followed by service as public works director for 17 years, before being promoted to chief of operations/assistant city manager.

Nuse submitted his resignation to the Round Rock City Council in June to be effective Jan. 15, 2011. He said was retiring from Round Rock at a time when it was good for the city for him to leave. He said he hadn’t planned who his next employer would be, as his priority was to leave when Round Rock was “in good shape,” though he looked forward to the possibility in San Marcos.

Moore has served as Peoria city manager since August 2009. Before then, he was assistant city manager for Wichita, KS, for four years, and served as city administrator for Ellsworth, KS, from June 1997 to August 2005.

Howell has served as Kilgore city manager since June 2005. He was previously the city administrator of Bridgeport from June 1999 to June 2005. Howell also has been an administrative services manager, fiscal services coordinator, fiscal officer, administrative assistant, municipal services specialist, and parkway inspector for the City of Fort Worth.

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6 thoughts on “Council to try city manager selection again Tuesday”

  2. Jim Nuse Is Finalist for City Manager (announced this pm after Executive Session)

    …here is a copy of the press release…

    “The San Marcos City Council has named Jim Nuse, Round Rock City Manager, as the sole finalist to be the new City Manager in San Marcos.

    After meeting for two hours in executive session Tuesday night, the City Council gave direction in public session to consultant Kay Stroman of The Stroman Group, LLC, to begin negotiations with Nuse on a proposed employment contract.

    No formal action was taken by the City Council. After the negotiation process is completed, the City Council will vote on the appointment at a regular meeting, possibly on October 5 or October 19, said Mayor Susan Narvaiz.

    The other two candidates under consideration were Jeffrey Howell, City Manager of Kilgore, TX, and Scott Moore, City Manager of Peoria, Il. Stroman received 67 applications for the post after a national search.

    The City Council interviewed five semi-finalists on September 14 and 15 and held a public meet and greet with Nuse, Moore and Howell on September 22. The City Council received written comments from attendees that were utilized in narrowing the field to Mr. Nuse.”

  4. On Sept. 13, 2010 I posted, before the finalist were announced or the first person was interviewed.
    —————————————————————————————————-
    shh! don’t tell anyone. This is just between you and me, OK.

    The council is going to interview a couple of people on Tuesday and then Wed. morning they are going to interview a few more. They are coming back (in executive session of course) in the afternoon where Susan is going to tell the council who the top candidate is going to be. The Council will get to pick the second choice so we can have a show and tell with a public reception for the two candidate. I kind of feel sorry for the second choice because he/she is going to think they actually have a shot at the job and will have to go through the whole public ordeal. The first candidate will be announcement in the next meeting as the new City Manager. It is probably going to be the ex city manager of Round Rock. He is Susan’s guy. His name is Jim Nuse and he is “retiring” from the City of Round Rock. Of interest, the marketing logo for the City of Round Rock is Purpose. Passion. Prosperity. If that isn’t pretty. near. perfect. I don’t know what is.

    Remember,don’t tell anybody, it’s our little secret.

    ———————————————————-

    It was all performace art from the hiring of the search consultant to the delayed announcment so that it would look like a lot of consideration was going into the selection.

  5. Charles,
    I remember your post thinking wow, that is a pretty specific prediction (yeah, we will call it a “prediction” for now). I searched, and sure Mr. Nuse announced his retirement on June 11th, and Mr. Menchaca was fired June 25th, but what are the odds the two would soon be spoken in the same sentence? Many of us doubted that our city should have had the search done in only 60 days, and look how it is all going to fall together. I mean, we are talking about a national search, for a job that pays $170K a year, and in the end there was no need too.
    Pretty. Near. Perfect.

    P.S.
    Charles, I need your lotto numbers for tomorrow (given your prediction record that is! )

  6. Our consulting fee, ($20,000 for executive “search”) paid in this case,

    was a relative bargain….

    in comparison to recent consulting figures ($164,000 for “branding”),…

    and proposed incentives ($20,000,000 to Carma for Paso Robles)

    It’s your money folks,….

    and your deciding majority on City Council at work…..(again)

    Your utility rates are increasing as well.

    They have an open checkbook, and we have runaway spending.

    Our city debt has more than DOUBLED ($125,000,000 in 2005 to well over $300,000,000 here in 2010) in only five years.

    Please vote on November 2nd.

    At some point, for anyone and everyone, it becomes critical.

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