The Pacific Grove City Council announced a special meeting that will take place at 5pm on Wednesday, Aug. 30, to approve the hiring of a recruitment firm for the simultaneous search for an interim city manager and a permanent one to replace former city manager Ben Harvey, who exited on July 26.
The move to hire Bob Murray & Associates to conduct the executive search at a cost not to exceed $42,000, comes four weeks after questions over whether a council subcommittee—made up of Mayor Bill Peake and councilmembers Luke Coletti and Nick Smith—would hire a firm, or conduct the search themselves.
The questions were raised by councilmembers Joe Amelio and Chaps Poduri at a meeting on Aug. 2.
"I don't know that we have the resources to find the right city manager," Amelio said. Peake responded that he favored hiring a firm.
On Aug. 11, the subcommittee distributed a request for proposals to eight California companies that specialize in recruiting for public agencies, according to a subcommittee report released on Aug. 29. The city received proposals from four companies.
The subcommittee evaluated the proposals based on nine criteria and selected two companies to interview.
"Bob Murray & Associates provided an excellent proposal which addressed all RFP requirements," according to the subcommittee. The company has facilitated 22 city manager placements in California since 2022. "Their recruitment process is comprehensive and includes searching for diverse candidates," the subcommittee's report states.
The only disadvantage is that Bob Murray's cost estimate was higher than the other proposals, the subcommittee said. "However, considering the importance of hiring an excellent city manager, the subcommittee believes the extra cost is warranted."
Currently P.G. Finance Director and Assistant City Manager Tori Hannah is serving as "city manager pro tempore," or "for the time being."
The meeting to vote on a search firm takes place inside P.G. City Hall, 300 Forest Ave., and online. The agenda with instructions on how to participate can be found here.
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