Administrator Search Update

This upcoming Tuesday, we will be voting on several items related to the Administrator Search process. The first of these is an item seeking a Closed Session to “review and consider the contents of applications for Administrator candidates.” We have had much debate about both the need and warrantability of a Closed Session; however, I believe that we have had sufficient time with the applications, both new and existing, to name our individual choices for the finalist pool. I don’t see the need for further delay for additional review and will be voting no on the Closed Session.

The second item is a motion to identify “up to 8 Administrator candidates by ballot, utilizing assigned numbers, without comments about any candidates; and for the tabulation and selection by majority vote of up to 5 candidates.” I am eager to reach the final stage of interviewing the finalist candidates, and I believe that selecting eight candidates is sufficient to create a diverse pool that is representative of the Board’s diversity.

The final motion exists, as I understand it, in case the voting process with all the commissioners does not yield positive results. I believe it most definitely will, and even if there were hiccups in the process, moving to a subcommittee to make those choices for us is not something I would support.

As I said, I am hopeful and confident that the process of selecting our finalist candidates will go well and that Ottawa County residents will have a pool they can have confidence in, from which we will be able to select a full-time administrator and close this recent period of uncertainty.