City narrows search for new manager

Candidates narrowed down to four.

Posted

The City of Page has narrowed their search for a new city manager down to four candidates. The city met with two potential city managers last Thursday and two more last Tuesday.


The city staff and some department heads met the candidates during the day and the mayor and city council members met them Thursday and Tuesday evenings at a social gathering over dinner. On Friday morning, the mayor and council members met with the candidates again, this time asking them questions pertaining to their work experience and what they might do in certain situations if offered the job in Page. The mayor and council members will meet with the other two candidates Wednesday morning for the same reason.


Mayor Diak said he expects the city to hire the new city manager within 30 days. Diak said that all four candidates are qualified for the position, now it’s down to determining who will be the best fit.


“Part of the reason for inviting them here in person is because we want them and their families to know where Page is,” said Diak. “We encourage them to bring their spouse with them too. Page isn’t for everybody. If the family moves here and they don’t like it here, they might only last three or four months before finding somewhere else to live. After they move here is not the time to find out they don’t like it here.”


The new city manager will replace former city manager Crystal Dyches, who completed her last day with the city on June 8.


Dyches informed the mayor and council of her resignation last April, and the city has been searching for her replacement since then.


The city received 21 applications for the position. From that pool the mayor and city council narrowed the applicants down to smaller pool of  finalists. The first round of interviews with potential city managers was done via Skype.


A man named Ken Buchanan has been hire as Page’s interim city manager through a firm called Interim Public Management, LLC, which provides temporary management employees for cities, businesses and other professional organizations.