Interim city manager not seeking permanent CM position
The City Council is set to interview five internal candidates for the open city manager position during a special meeting planned for Wednesday.
The Council voted Aug. 28 to open a two-week period for internal candidates to apply for the position following the sudden resignation of former city manager Mike Bailey on Aug. 7. That window closed Sept. 11.
The Human Resources Department received five applications from internal candidates. Interim City Manager Laura Sanders said it is too early in the hiring process to share specific information about the applicants publicly, but that she is impressed with all five.
“In keeping with the City’s well-established practice and as a matter of Human Resources best practices, it is too early in the process to publicly identify the applicants,” she said. “But it is safe to say each of these candidates have years of experience and are highly qualified.”
Sanders said she did not apply for the role but is grateful for the opportunity to serve as interim city manager until the job is filled.
“While I am honored that the Council asked me to serve as interim city manager during this transition, I had made some important personal decisions prior to Mr. Bailey’s resignation that took this position off the table for me at this time,” she said. “Once the permanent selection is made, my goal is to return to my role as assistant city manager and continue supporting the City of Bartlesville in that capacity.”
The meeting Wednesday will begin at 9 a.m. at City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave. The Council will open in a public meeting but is expected to move to an executive session to interview each of the five candidates separately. Executive sessions are closed to the public, in accordance with Oklahoma law. No action can be taken in an executive session.
Following the interviews, the Council will return to open session. Any actions the Council chooses to take must occur during the open session. The public is invited to attend all portions of the meeting that are not executive session. The meeting will open and close in the Council Chambers, located on the first floor of City Hall. The open portions of the meeting will also be streamed on the City’s webcast, which can be viewed at www.cityofbartlesville.org.