City Commission To Use PAR Group In Search

The search is up to PAR. That is the PAR Group, a consulting service out of Lake Bluff, Illinois which has provided
Executive Search Assignments for more than twenty five years. This is the same group which helped Manhattan when they
recruted Ex-Eity Manager Gary Greer.

The City will pay $12,500 plus expenses. The City turned down a proposal by the League of Kansas Municipalities for
$4,750.00 plus expenses. Acting City Manager Ron Fehr tolk the Commission: "This firm is very familiar with Manhattan,
having successfully performed these services a little over four years ago, and was retained by the City of Manhattan to
develop and implement a new comprehensive classification and pay system program for the City of Manhattan in 1998."

The Commission voted 5-0 to approve the PAR Group.

The executive search process would be as follows, subject to mutually agreed upon modification:

1. Interview, individually, the Mayor and City Commissioners, and interview Department Heads, key Staff and others
(community, business, and university leaders, public interest groups, neighborhood representatives, etc.), as desired, all
toward achieving clarity and consensus concerning the specific nature of duties, responsibilities and expectations of the next
City Manager. Interview data will be used to prepare a Recruitment Profile for approval by the City Commission.

2. Conduct an intensive independent professional search and recruitment effort, utilizing an extensive local, regional and
national contact network, seeking out qualified Candidates who may not otherwise have an interest in your recruitment.

3. Place announcements in professional publications relating to the position under recruitment and on the internet to provide
maximum exposure of the position's career opportunity and to ensure an open recruitment process.

4. Process all applications received from recruitment and announcement efforts, including timely acknowledgments of receipt
of application and status of recruitment information to all Applicants, on behalf of the City.

5. Screen all applications received, matching all Applicants' credentials with the specific criteria qualifications stated in the
Recruitment Profile.

6. Interview prospective Final Candidates and make background inquiries and reference checks with current and past
employers and verify claimed educational achievement.

7. Present a written report to the City Commission on applications received for the position, including resumes and
background information on those individuals considered to be most qualified and best suited for the position, recommending
approximately 8-10 such persons for personal interview consideration.

8. Facilitate the City Commission's selection of Candidates to be invited for person interview and appointment consideration;
we recommend you interview no fewer than five Candidates.

9. Arrange for additional background inquiries of Candidates selected for interview, to include criminal court, credit, and
motor vehicle records checks and print media searches, as desired.

10. Prepare interview questions and procedures for use by the City Commission, developing a process which will ensure that
the same questions are asked of each Candidate and that each interview is thoroughly and consistently evaluated.

11. Attend Candidate interview sessions to facilitate effective discussion and deliberation toward the Commission's selection
of a Final Candidate and also assist in employment negotiation between the Final Candidate and City Officials, as desired.

Here is a Memo given to the Commission:

BACKGROUND

At the City Commission Goal Setting Session held December 18, 1999, the City Commission discussed aspects of how to
proceed with the City Manager selection process. The City Commission believed there was merit in entertaining a proposal
from The PAR Group, of Lake Bluff, Illinois, who assisted the previous City Commission with the selection of City Manager
in 1995. The City had also recently received information regarding the League of Kansas Municipalities LEAPS Program or
the League Executive/Administrative Position Search Program and suggested that proposals be requested from both The
PAR Group and the League of Kansas Municipalities for these purposes.

DISCUSSION

Attached to this memorandum are the proposals we have received from The PAR Group and the League of Kansas
Municipalities. It is important to point out that the level of services proposed by these two entities vary significantly as is
evident in the attached material. The primary differences are in the amount and level of experience with this type of service, as
well as the on-site participation by representatives in all aspects of the process. The League of Kansas Municipalities'
proposal for less than a full range of services is $4,750.00 plus expenses. The proposal by The PAR Group for a full range of
services is $12,500.00 plus expenses. Within The PAR Group proposal is a copy of the recruitment profile that was
developed for the 1995 City Manager selection process. It is very probable that this recruitment profile can be updated with
minimal work and much of the consultant's time proposed for the initial stages of the process could be reduced substantially
thereby allowing the fee to be reduced accordingly. It appears that the proposal by The PAR Group is the only one that
provides a full-range of comprehensive services, including recruitment, screening, interviewing, negotiating, and ultimately the
selection of the City Manager.

ALTERNATIVES

It appears the City Commission has the following alternatives concerning the issue at hand. The City Commission may:

Approve the selection of The PAR Group to assist with the City Manager selection process.

Deny the selection of The PAR Group for this process.

Select the League of Kansas Municipalities or another entity for such purposes.

Suggest modifications to meet the needs of the City Commission.

Table the issue.

RECOMMENDATION

City Administration recommends to the City Commission that The PAR Group, of suburban Chicago, Illinois, be selected
once again to assist the City of Manhattan with the selection of a City Manager. This firm is very familiar with Manhattan,
having successfully performed these services a little over four years ago, and was also retained by the City of Manhattan to
develop and implement a new comprehensive classification and pay system program for the City of Manhattan in 1998. I
think you will agree that hiring a City Manager is certainly one of the most important decisions you will make as a City
Commission. Although the League of Kansas Municipalities provides a very broad range of important and quality services to
Kansas communities, I believe retaining the services of The PAR Group, which specializes in this endeavor, is the best option
for the City of Manhattan at this time.
  p>
EasyCounter