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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/23/2016 04 City Manager Recruitment Profile Brochure ApprovalBUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDASTATEMENT Item No. 4. For Meeting of: February 23, 2016 ITEM TITLE: Approval of Yakima City Manager recruitment profile brochure SUBMITTED BY: Randy Beehler, Communications & Public Affairs Director SUMMARY EXPLANATION: In mid-January, the City Council selected The Prothman Company to conduct a search for the next Yakima City Manager. After having interviewed all Council members and completing additional research regarding the requirements of the position, the firm developed a recruitment profile brochure that will be utilized as one tool to advertise the position. At its February 23rd study session, the Council is being asked to review the recruitment profile brochure and approve the salary range included in the brochure, as recommended by The Prothman Company. ITEM BUDGETED: STRATEGIC PRIORITY: NA NA APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL: Interim City Manager STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff requests Council's consideration of and decision regarding the salary range included in the Yakima City Manager recruitment profile brochure developed by The Prothman Company. BOARD/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: N/A ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date Yalkiiir is City Marna air irecdruiini rn >irnn Ipirolille brochure 2/.18/2016 Type Cover Memo City of Yakima Washington CITY MANAGER $160,000 - $195,000 Plus Excellent Benefits Apply by April 3, 2016 (open until filled) IOTI-II4AN CITY OF Y A K I M A, WASHINGTON ♦ CITY MANAGER WHY APPLY? Located in Cen- tral Washington, nestled in the Upper Valley of Yakima County, Yakima is a premier place to live, work and play, offering beautiful weather, a low cost of I ving, and a strong sense of community. Separated from Seattle and Portland by the Cascade Mountains and from Spokane by the Columbia River and a stretch of farmland and rolling hills, Yakima has been the cultural, business, educational, and governmental focal point of the Central Washington region since it was founded more than 125 years ago. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced public sector management professional looking to make a difference in an active and growing com- munity. This position offers the right candidate a chance to work with a largely new City Council and dedicated staff to achieve the City's goals and provide outstanding services to its citizens. If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding career opportunity and love the great outdoors, this is the right position for you! THE COMMUNITY Located in South Central Washington, Yakima is home to over 93,000 residents, making it the larg- est city in Yakima County and the 9th largest city in the state. Originally built along the new Northern 12077-IMAN Pacific Railway company line, Yakima has grown from its agricultural roots to become a vibrant and diverse metropolitan city. This Yakima County community has a total area of roughly 28 square miles and is within a 3 -hour drive of Seattle, Washington, Spokane, Washing- ton, and Portland, Oregon. With a rich history and a bright future, Yakima is an attractive, growing community, and is known as the "Heart of Central Washington". With warm summers, cool winters, and four dis- tinct seasons, Yakima boasts 300 days of sun- shine a year. Yakima's semiarid climate allows for residents and visitors alike to enjoy year-round recreational activities including water and snow skiing, fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding, white water rafting, picnicking, golf, and much more in addition to the area's 23 parks. The economic base of Yakima is primarily agricul- tural, though over 250 manufacturing firms also produce a variety of products including aircraft and aircraft parts, wood and plastic products, and communication technologies. The region is a world -leading producer of apples, and produces 75% of all hops grown within the U.S. along with more than 30 varieties of fruits and vegetables. The area is also home to more than 70 wineries, producing some of the highest rated wines in the world, and multiple craft breweries and distilleries. Yakima has enjoyed many awards over the years, including the "All -America City Award", presented by the National Civic League, in both 1994 and in 2015, and the "2015 Tourism Champion of the Year Award". 2 CITY OF Y A K I M A, WASHINGTON ♦ CITY MANAGER THE CITY Incorporated in 1886, the City of Yakima operates under a Council -Manager form of government. The Council consists of seven members (including the mayor), with each member serving for a term of four years. The City Manager oversees all City departments, which include Administration, Com- munity Development, Utilities and Engineering, Finance and Budget, Human Resources, Public Works, Fire, Legal, Police, and Airport. The City employs 767 FTEs and has a total 2016 adopted budget of $228,106,000. The City's mission is to create a culturally diverse, economically vibrant, safe, and strong community, and to provide outstanding services that meet the community's needs. Yakima aims to govern re- sponsibly by effectively managing and protecting public resources, building trust in government through openness, diverse leadership, and com- munication, and strategically focusing on enhanc- ing Yakima's quality of life. THE POSITION Working under the direction of the City Council, the City Manager is the chief executive officer and the head of the administrative branch of City gov- ernment. The City Manager plans, organizes, and directs the overall administrative activities and op- erations of the City in accordance with policies de- termined by the City Council. The City Manager provides general supervision over administrative affairs, appoints and removes department heads and employees, and ensures that all laws and or- dinances are executed. 12077-IMAN Other responsibilities include: ➢ Prepare the budget annually and submit it to the Council and be responsible for its admin- istration after adoption ➢ Prepare and submit to the Council at the end of the fiscal year a complete year-end financial report of the City for the preceding year ➢ Administer all finance and fiscal matters of the City, countersign warrants, approve claim vouchers, and authorize travel for administra- tive personnel ➢ Perform such other duties as may be pre- scribed or required of him or her by the Coun- cil, not inconsistent with the City Charter OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES Yakima — Regional Center: Yakima has been the cultural, business, educa- tional, health services, and governmental focal point of the Central Washington region since it was founded. As the largest city in Washington State between Seattle to the west and Spokane to the east, Yakima serves as the regional hub for the central portion of the state. Economy/Employment: The Yakima Valley economy is heavily reliant on the agriculture industry. Because of that, the local economy is protected from booms and busts more common elsewhere. The Yakima Valley economy performs at a consistent and stable level. Howev- er, due to the area's reliance on the agriculture industry, average wages tend to be lower than in areas featuring more tech and manufacturing - based businesses and unemployment rates are generally higher than the Washington State aver- age. Significant Pending Economic Development Infrastructure Projects: The City of Yakima is actively engaged in several significant, pending infrastructure projects either independently or through public/private partner- ships. In 2016, construction is anticipated to begin on both the revitalization of a major transportation corridor/entrance into the city — North 1St Street (approximately $12 million in City, state, and fed- eral funding), and the SOZO Multi -Sports Com- plex, a $13 million (approximately $4 million in City funds, $7 million in private funds, $2 million in 3 CITY OF Y A K I M A, WASHINGTON ♦ CITY MANAGER state funds) public/private partnership between the City and the non-profit SOZO Sports of Central Washington. The $14 million Yakima Central Pla- za project is pending final construction approval from the Yakima City Council and would be paid for with $7 million in public funds and $7 million in privately -donated funds. Redevelopment of a 220 - acre former lumber mill in north -central Yakima is ongoing. The mill site property, which is privately owned, represents the single largest developable retail, industrial, manufacturing, etc. site within the city. Total redevelopment costs are not yet known, but cleanup of a former City landfill at the site is expected to cost between $13 million and $15 mil- lion. New Council Majority: As a result of the general election of 2015, four new Council members were elected. The new Council now includes a female majority (6 women, 1 man), the first elected Latino members (3 of the newly -elected members), and four members 37 - years -of -age or younger. THE IDEAL CANDIDATE Yakima is looking for a City Manager who is a re- spected leader with previous experience in a full service organization of similar size and complexity recognized for excellent customer service. This person must be a creative problem solver with the ability to think seven to ten years in the future and must also have a thorough understanding of mu- nicipal government budgeting and finance. ROTI-IMAN The new Yakima City Council brings diversity and new perspectives, with four members currently serving their first terms, having taken office in January. The successful candidate will have excel- lent skills in working with City Council members, both individually and as a corporate body, and will have highly developed skills in assisting councils in reaching consensus while supporting City Council members as leaders. Regional relationships are very important, so the new City Manager must have excellent skills at cooperating and sharing resources with neighbor- ing agencies, cities, and the County. A track rec- ord of building and maintaining regional relation- ships will be a plus. The ideal candidate will be a good listener who consistently deals well with per- sonnel throughout all levels of the organization and can be relied upon to serve as a mentor for those interested in professional development. The Council is seeking a City Manager who ap- preciates the significance of being out in the com- munity and gaining the trust of residents. This po- sition requires a City Manager who understands the importance of providing services to a culturally diverse population. With Latinos comprising about 40% of Yakima's population, having conversation- al Spanish language skills will be a plus. The ideal candidate will also have taken the time to understand what is special about Yakima. The new City Manager should not only be a fit with Ya- kima's culture, but will be someone who appreci- ates life in Eastern Washington and wants to live in the Yakima community. Candidates should be able to organize and ex- press ideas through excellent oral and written communication to a wide variety of audiences, such as the City Council, community groups and other boards and committees. He or she should be able to work effectively with opposing viewpoints in the community and must have the ability to not react personally to criticism while exhibiting a high level of diplomacy. The ideal candidate will be comfortable relating to and reaching out to citizens in a diverse communi- ty who represent a variety of interests and back- grounds, as well as being accessible and respon- sive to them. He or she must be able to embrace community involvement and take an interest in community events and activities. 4 CITY OF Y A K I M A, WASHINGTON ♦ CITY MANAGER EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE A bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university in public administration, business man- agement, or closely related field is required, and ten years of experience, with a minimum of five years of related experience as a City Manager, Assistant City Manager, or exempt level depart- ment head, or any satisfactory combination of ex- perience and training which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the above duties. A master's degree in a related field is preferred. A valid Washington State driver li- cense or the ability to obtain one within six months of being hired is required. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS ➢ $160,000 - $195,000 DOQ ➢ Paid Leave Accrual ➢ Holiday Leave ➢ Medical, Dental, Vision ➢ Life Insurance ➢ Long Term Disability, AD&D ➢ Monthly Vehicle Allowance ➢ Investment Plan ➢ Paid Relocation ➢ Supplemental employee, spouse or dependent life insurance www.yakimawa.gov The City of Yakima is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply by April 3, 2016 (first review, open until filled). Applications, supplemental questions, resumes and cover letters will only be accepted electronically. To apply online, go to www.prothman.com and click on "submit your application" and follow the directions provided. Resumes, cover letters and supplemental questions can be uploaded once you have logged in. ROTI-1ft4.44N www.prothman.com 371 NE Gilman Blvd., Ste 350 Issaquah, WA 98027 206.368.0050 © 2016 Prothman. All Rights Reserved. 5