City administrator succession and transition policy approved

CLINTONVILLE – The Clintonville Common Council approved a succession and transition policy for the city administrator position in cases of a temporary absence, planned separation, or unplanned vacancy.
The council approved the policy at its April 14 meeting.
The proposed policy was discussed by the Clintonville Finance & Personnel Committee at its April 13 meeting. At the meeting, Clintonville City Administrator Caz Muske told the committee that the city currently does not have a policy that specified who the primary or secondary city administrator designee would be if the city administrator had an extended absence from their job.
She added that after June 5, her last day with the city of Clintonville, the city could hire an interim city administrator or temporarily delegate the city administrator duties to different staff members with the city.
“The point of this policy is operational continuity,” Muske said. “It talks a little bit about records systems and access, communication, recruitment, and permanent appointments.”

Committee member Brandon Braden said it would be a good idea for the city to have such a policy for future members of the city council.
“It does seem like every time there’s a transition, that each transition is its own unique situation,” Braden said. “…So, I don’t know if we want to get too detailed on it.”
Committee Chairman Greg Rose asked Muske where she was in the process in putting together the information for hiring a permanent replacement for her as city administrator.
Muske said she could do that if the council directed her to, but if the council wanted to hire a recruiting firm to find a permanent city administrator, then the recruiting firm would do that work.
Braden recommended not adding additional work to an outgoing city administrator because they are already trying to make sure that everything that needs to be completed before they leave is in fact completed.
“I would like that unless we know internally who we’re going with, that going with a professional service to go out, put together a packet, make sure it hits all the best circles of places where people might be looking to work versus putting that on an outgoing city administrator is in my opinion the better way to go,” Braden said.
Rose said he agreed with Braden about hiring a recruiting firm to find a permanent city administrator but added that the use of a recruiting firm for finding a permanent city administrator would not be the same as finding an interim city administrator.
Muske said the recruiting firms she had contacted can help a municipality with finding a permanent city administrator as well as an interim city administrator.
Braden said he thought the proposed policy was a good starting point but said that he didn’t think the city council needed to rush to approve it.
“It’s best to probably take action, I guess, sooner than later,” Rose responded.