A four-member screening/search committee has been appointed to execute the initial tasks necessary to find the next permanent manager of the City of Batavia.
City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. tonight announced that a committee of Council members Patti Pacino and John Canale, Public Works Director Matt Worth and Human Resources Specialist Dawn Fairbanks will convene in the next couple weeks to set the wheels in motion toward filling the position that was left vacant by the departure of Martin Moore in June.
Assistant City Manager Rachael Tabelski has been serving as interim city manager for the last three months.
Speaking at Council’s Conference Meeting at the City Hall Council Board Room, Jankowski said the board has been working on developing a plan to replace Moore for quite some time but “due to private and personal information, (Council) was ethically and legally bound to safeguard that information.”
He said that Pacino, Canale and Worth (a department head who functioned as interim city manager for several months after Jason Molino left in January 2018) will act expeditiously to set a schedule pertaining to screening potential applicants, placing advertisements for the job both locally and nationally, and interviewing candidates.
He said Fairbanks will serve as a coordinator, with her duties to include contacting The Novak Consulting Group of Cincinnati, Ohio, the consulting firm that assisted in the search to hire Moore in August 2018.
The firm’s agreement with the city included a free search should Moore leave within two years of his employment date, but there will still be costs related to advertising and travel, for example.
Following the meeting, Jankowski made it clear that Council was "following the precedent" used in the search that resulted in Moore's hiring.
"We all were of the general consensus that we were at the point to form the screening committee, just like we did the last time," Jankowski said, noting that no vote was conducted during an executive session last week. "We have done our due diligence."
When asked if any Council members suggested hiring Tabelski, he said there has been talk in the public about that but would not disclose any internal discussions.
"Rachael has every right to apply for the job and I think she will," he said. "And she definitely is qualified to apply. She is doing a good job at this point."
Tabelski has said publicly that she wishes to be considered for the position.
Ultimately, a vote of Council members will determine who is hired. The process is expected to take another four to six months, Jankowski said.
Jankowski also introduced a resolution to supplement Tabelski’s current salary with a $1,000 per month stipend for additional responsibilities in light of the absence of a city manager.
“I am requesting the same as what we gave Matt Worth (when he filled in as city manager),” Jankowski said. “I think it is fair to offer the same stipend.”
Council members Kathleen Briggs and Paul Viele said they supported the measure, and the resolution was moved to the Oct. 13 Business Meeting.
The additional pay would be retroactive from July 20 and continue until the city manager post is filled.
