City to pare applicants for administrator next week

As of Tuesday, 20 people had applied to become Port Washington’s new city administrator.

Kevin Brunner, president of public Administration Associates, the firm hired by the city to help in the search for a successor to retiring City Administrator Mark Grams, said that a number of these applicants are local, and there are some candidates “from across the country.”

The deadline for applications was Wednesday, Jan. 29, and Grams said the firm expected a few more to arrived before the deadline.

Aldermen will review the applications in closed session Tuesday, Feb. 4, and select those candidates they want to consider further, Brunner said.

Those candidates will submit video interviews and PAA will conduct reference reviews on the semi-finalists before the Common Council selects the finalists. 

The finalists would then be invited to the city  for a visit in late February or early March, during which they would not only meet with officials, city staff members and community representatives, they would also go through an assessment center, emotional intelligence test and other exercises.

The Common Council is expected to hire a new administrator in early to mid-March with the person starting work in mid-April.

Grams, who is just the city’s second administrator, is retiring on April 10.

Last week, the Common Council formally adopted a resolution appointing interim officials to handle Grams’ duties if a new administrator is not on staff when he leaves.

The plan calls for calls for Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven to serve as administrator of public works and parks issues and City Clerk Susan Westerbeke to oversee other administrative issues at City Hall, the senior center and recreation department.

Police Chief Kevin Hingiss and Fire Chief Mark Mitchell would handle their respective departments, while Library Director Tom Carson would be in charge of the library.

Grams said that while he will be using some of his vacation time in February, he will still be available to help out.