City managers do just that: manage a city.

With a penchant for staying in the background, they dont manage to attract attention.

But in the past several weeks, some of those who manage the five incorporated cities in Clatsop County have been in the news, either because they have just been hired, they have received a raise or the city council evaluated them for the first time in five years.

Its not easy being a city manager. There are many constituencies to balance: the city council that does the hiring, the department heads who need direction, property owners who pay taxes, businesses that need services and other public agencies or surrounding communities seeking partnerships on various issues or projects.

Its more than a 9- to-5 job, too.

 The contract for Seaside City Manager Mark Winstanley, for instance, says he is expected to devote time outside normal office hours, but he will not receive additional overtime pay or other compensation.

With all of these expectations, however, is there an established job description or set of prerequisites a person must meet to qualify as a city manager?

The short answer: No.

It depends on the size of the community and the complexity of issues in that community, said Kurt Fritsch, who was hired in June to be Warrentons city manager.

Its not a one size fits all.

 

Not a usual hire

 That was proven when the Gearhart City Council recently hired its new City Administrator Chad Sweet, who has neither a college education nor experience working in city government. He is taking over from former City Administrator Dennis McNally, who had a 16-year run at the job.

The City Council approved Sweets hiring 4-1, with City Councilor Joy Sigler opposing it. She told the City Council in a written statement that the city manager should possess the qualifications outlined in the citys advertised profile. The Council should secure a city manager whose education and experience meets the current and future challenges of our city, she said.

Mayor Kent Smith and the other city councilors, however, said Sweet, who managed the Surfsand Resort in Cannon Beach and was a lieutenant in the Gearhart Fire Department with 15 years experience, would be a good city administrator.

Chad understands the philosophy of Gearhart, which is hard to describe, said Councilor Dorothy Well at the time. I think Chad instinctively knows what it means to have a Gearhart philosophy.

 

Drawing on experience

Whether managing by instinct or by extensive experience, local city managers must juggle a variety of issues, and many rely on their education and training.

I still have two college textbooks in my office, Winstanley said. Every so often I pick one up and say, I know I read something about this in school.

Usually those issues are about accounting procedures, said Winstanley, who started out as Seasides finance director in 1985. He was hired as city manager 16 years later. Along with a bachelors degree in business administration, he has taken graduate courses in engineering and accounting.

His background as a municipal finance director helped this year, when, because of reduced revenue, he had to lay off the citys finance director and do the job himself, once again. Winstanley also is spending more time covering for the human resources director, who now works only 40 hours a month.

 Recognizing Winstanleys increased responsibilities, the Seaside City Council recently gave him a 4.2-percent raise over his 0.9-percent cost-of-living increase.

Like Winstanley, Astoria City Manager Paul Benoit worked for the city before becoming city manager. He was Astorias community development director for 17 years, then left for three years to work as an assistant city manager in Alameda, Calif., before returning to manage Astoria.

Benoit has a bachelors degree in marine affairs from the University of Rhode Island and a masters degree in marine affairs, emphasizing coastal planning, from the University of Washington.

 

Management skills called key

Although Cannon Beach isnt a large town with 1,700 full-time residents, its just slightly larger than Gearhart the official job description requires the city manager to hold a bachelors degree in public administration or related field and have at least five years management experience in a municipality.

For Cannon Beach City Manager Rich Mays, having management skills on a resume is more important than demonstrating technical ability.

Its tougher to learn management skills, being a leader, Mays said. You can always learn the technical skills and the issues.

Before coming to Cannon Beach six years ago, Mays was a city manager in Missouri and Illinois, and he worked in the parks and recreation field before that.

 He has a masters degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University. His education, he said, really helped me set the groundwork for my career.

Despite his emphasis on management and leadership techniques, his knowledge about Oregon statutes and his performance on issues ranging from municipal finance to public works are constantly being evaluated by the City Council, his employees and the public.

In his first evaluation in five years, Mays received an average of 3.76 points on a 5-point scale from the City Council. He was rated on how well he was following through on city goals and performing in seven other categories, including labor relations; budget and finance; community, council and intergovernmental relations; and innovations and special skills.

The city manager, the evaluation form said, should have a vision to plan for the long-term, be able to anticipate future problems and start planning solutions for them.

 

Municipal knowledge needed

To be a city manager in Warrenton, the candidate must understand how municipalities function, the principles and practices of public administration and the principles and practices of public budgeting, financial management, personnel management and records management.

 Warrentons official job description also requires the candidate to be familiar with the methods used in employee negotiations, public works contract bidding and in procurements.

As for education requirements, the candidate can gain the required knowledge and skills through various types of education, training and experience. This includes seven years of experience in municipal management, preferably as an assistant city manager or a city manager, or a bachelors degree in public administration or a related field.

Fritsch, who has a bachelors degree in political science with a minor in public finance, along with graduate coursework, meets those requirements.

 He also has a breadth of experience. He worked as a city manager of North Las Vegas, Nev., Henderson, Nev., and McCook, Neb. The number of employees he supervised ranged from more than 1,800 full-timers in Henderson to 80 in McCook.

In Warrenton, Fritsch, who was among four finalists interviewed by the City Commission, by a public panel and by those attending a community open house, manages six department heads and 40 employees.

Ive been in communities of 150,000 and 5,000. They are a lot different in the pace that they are working at, said Fritsch.

 But no matter what the pace, the city manager of any town will be exposed to myriad issues involving public works, human resources and public safety concerns, he said.

Youre not just overseeing one area, Fritsch added.

 

Multiple areas covered

Thats especially true in Gearhart, where the city administrator is one of only eight full-time employees serving a population of 1,440. McNally, who is mentoring Chad Smith, wore several departmental hats during his tenure.

Developed by the Gearhart City Council, with assistance from the League of Oregon Cities, the recent job description posted for Gearharts city administrator emphasized people skills over education.

 It was important that the city manager could embrace and value the Communitys history while maintaining the quality of life residents have come to appreciate and expect, the job description said.

Gearhart is looking for a people person who can gain community support. At times, the Administrator must role (sic) up their sleeves and do what needs to be done in the community, it added.

But the job description also required the new city administrator to know Oregons budget laws, work within federal and state employment laws and understand municipal government organization, powers, functions and relationships.

A bachelors degree was preferred, with a masters degree a plus, according to the job description. But any satisfactory combination of practical experience and education was considered. The candidate had to demonstrate that he or she can satisfactorily perform the job functions.

In addition, the position required at least five years of progressively responsible experience in local government.

 

Overriding requirements

Most cities require their city managers to have bachelors degrees, said Mike McCauley, executive director of the League of Oregon Cities. But to expand the pool of applicants, some small cities may allow experience to override a requirement for a degree, he said.

Gearhart had 69 applicants from throughout the United States.

You would think that without a bachelors degree and without municipal experience some city managers would have greater challenges, McCauley said. But some people are quite adept and may be able to walk in and surprise you.

Sweet, who began his job as Gearharts new city administrator July 1, said he has received nothing but support.

 He spends the mornings with McNally, who the city is paying to mentor Sweet. Although the hourly rate reportedly is $38.50, Sweet couldnt confirm the actual amount.

 McNally also is paid $75 an hour for a maximum of 1,039 hours a year to supervise the installation of the citys new water system, which was begun when he was the citys administrator.

In the afternoons, Sweet spends time working on issues that people bring to him; later he discusses his actions with McNally. He also studies city ordinances and pores over the Oregon Revised Statutes, which he calls fascinating, or at least, more fun than I thought it would be.

Although he has talked with Cannon Beach Mayor Mike Morgan, he hasnt yet met the other city managers in the county.

While he lacks experience in the municipal realm, Sweet said his time spent managing the resort and other Martin Hospitality venues has given him many skills.

Im just working with people, he said. Thats 99 percent of this job, just figuring out what they need and helping them.