Shawnee City Commissioners have interviewed the two prospective candidates for the city manager position, and all that is left is for them to select the best candidate. Commissioners spent nearly two hours discussing the matter in executive session Thursday night and will reconvene at 2 p.m. today.
Commissioners interviewed Thursday Gary Dumas of Fayetteville, Ark., and Brian McDougal of Valdosta, Ga., for the position. Each were given time to be questioned by commissioners and time to ask commissioners questions.
Dumas is the director of operations with the city of Fayetteville, and McDougal is city manager in Remerton, Ga.
Candidates were asked what they would do during their first 100 days in office if they were hired.
Dumas said he would spend the first 100 days to get to know the community and the commission to develop a strategic plan. He said the plan would set the stag for what the city would do during the next two to three years.
He said he’s not sure of what the issues are in Shawnee, but the discussions would give him a jump start on putting together a plan of what the city wants.
McDougal said he would listen first to understand the opportunities and issues in Shawnee. He said he then could begin to understand the goals, objectives and priorities the city commission set.
“We need to get to know each other,” he said.
Commissioners also asked about establishing trust in the community, being visible to the public and management style.
Dumas said to gain trust is critical but maintaining it is more critical.
“The best way to treat people is the way you wanted to be treated,” Dumas said, adding he would do that to keep trust in the community and with the commissioners.
Dumas said his management style is not to micro-manage but to give department heads room to grow, evolve and develop.
“You can’t do that by micromanaging,” Dumas said.
Dumas said his door would be open to residents. He said his current organization has multiple levels of interaction. His primary objective as a city manager would to be out and participate in the city activities.
McDougal said he would have an open door policy and to be more proactive in the community. He said the city staff may need to “go to them.”
McDougal said he would be part of the community and be involved in various civic organizations like he currently is. He said he thinks being part of the community is a part of the job description.
“The city manager’s face in the community is what people need to see,” he said
He said when it comes to trust, it is something people need in government and once you lose it, it is hard to get it back.
“If everyone could go to the store and buy trust, we all would have it,” McDougal said.
McDougal said one way to develop trust is to provide residents with correct information and build relationships in the community.
He said his management style is to hire professionals and letting them to do their jobs. McDougal said he is very hands-off and lets department heads and employees do what they were hired to do.
Candidates were asked how they would deal with the potential economic crisis Shawnee may see during the economic downturn the nation is seeing.
Dumas said there will be hard decisions needing to be made in the near future.
“We may need to re-evaluate the priorities is where we all are heading,” he said, adding the community needs to develop its own economic development.
He said economic development is about attitude. In order to grow, everyone in the Shawnee community will need to become economic developers of the future, Dumas said.
McDougal said the city needs to prepare for rainy days by putting money in the reserves, so the city can operate in the days of need.
Commissioners entered into a nearly two-hour executive session Thursday night to discuss both candidates and the possible hiring of a city manager.
About 10:15 p.m., the commission returned to open session. Mayor Linda Peterson said it had been an extremely long day so commissioners wanted to take a break for the evening and take executive session up again Friday.
The board recessed and will reconvene at 2 p.m. today to further their discussions.
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Reporter Kim Morava contributed to this report.
Amanda Gire may be reached at 214-3934.
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Shawnee City Commissioners have interviewed the two prospective candidates for the city manager position, and all that is left is for them to select the best candidate. Commissioners spent nearly two hours discussing the matter in executive session Thursday night and will reconvene at 2 p.m. today.
Commissioners interviewed Thursday Gary Dumas of Fayetteville, Ark., and Brian McDougal of Valdosta, Ga., for the position. Each were given time to be questioned by commissioners and time to ask commissioners questions.
Dumas is the director of operations with the city of Fayetteville, and McDougal is city manager in Remerton, Ga.
Candidates were asked what they would do during their first 100 days in office if they were hired.
Dumas said he would spend the first 100 days to get to know the community and the commission to develop a strategic plan. He said the plan would set the stag for what the city would do during the next two to three years.
He said he’s not sure of what the issues are in Shawnee, but the discussions would give him a jump start on putting together a plan of what the city wants.
McDougal said he would listen first to understand the opportunities and issues in Shawnee. He said he then could begin to understand the goals, objectives and priorities the city commission set.
“We need to get to know each other,” he said.
Commissioners also asked about establishing trust in the community, being visible to the public and management style.
Dumas said to gain trust is critical but maintaining it is more critical.
“The best way to treat people is the way you wanted to be treated,” Dumas said, adding he would do that to keep trust in the community and with the commissioners.
Dumas said his management style is not to micro-manage but to give department heads room to grow, evolve and develop.
“You can’t do that by micromanaging,” Dumas said.
Dumas said his door would be open to residents. He said his current organization has multiple levels of interaction. His primary objective as a city manager would to be out and participate in the city activities.
McDougal said he would have an open door policy and to be more proactive in the community. He said the city staff may need to “go to them.”
McDougal said he would be part of the community and be involved in various civic organizations like he currently is. He said he thinks being part of the community is a part of the job description.
“The city manager’s face in the community is what people need to see,” he said
He said when it comes to trust, it is something people need in government and once you lose it, it is hard to get it back.
“If everyone could go to the store and buy trust, we all would have it,” McDougal said.
McDougal said one way to develop trust is to provide residents with correct information and build relationships in the community.
He said his management style is to hire professionals and letting them to do their jobs. McDougal said he is very hands-off and lets department heads and employees do what they were hired to do.
Candidates were asked how they would deal with the potential economic crisis Shawnee may see during the economic downturn the nation is seeing.
Dumas said there will be hard decisions needing to be made in the near future.
“We may need to re-evaluate the priorities is where we all are heading,” he said, adding the community needs to develop its own economic development.
He said economic development is about attitude. In order to grow, everyone in the Shawnee community will need to become economic developers of the future, Dumas said.
McDougal said the city needs to prepare for rainy days by putting money in the reserves, so the city can operate in the days of need.
Commissioners entered into a nearly two-hour executive session Thursday night to discuss both candidates and the possible hiring of a city manager.
About 10:15 p.m., the commission returned to open session. Mayor Linda Peterson said it had been an extremely long day so commissioners wanted to take a break for the evening and take executive session up again Friday.
The board recessed and will reconvene at 2 p.m. today to further their discussions.
———
Reporter Kim Morava contributed to this report.
Amanda Gire may be reached at 214-3934.
