Clarkston officials hope to allow plenty of time for a new city manager and clerk-treasurer to learn the ropes before Art Pappas retires June 30.
The first round of interviews begins this week.
In October, Pappas announced plans to retire and will leave his tri-fold position as city manager, clerk, and treasurer after 45 years of service.
The city plans to replace Pappas with two new hires: clerk-treasurer and city manager, both part-time ? the new city manager will potentially work a 3-day week, while clerk treasurer works 2-3 days.
Pappas collects a manager salary of $28,460; a treasurer salary of $11,900 (plus an additional $3,105 per year paid to the treasurer from the Sewer Operating Fund) and a clerk salary of $2,585, for a gross earning this year of $46,050.
The new employees? pay was tentatively set at $17 per hour, but at a meeting Monday, replacement committee members said they couldn’t recall how they’d arrived at the number; Pappas said he didn’t know, either.
The city received about a dozen resumes from those interested in filling one of the two positions.
‘We were once again blessed as a city,? said Charles Inabnit, councilman and committee member. ‘We had some very outstanding resumes come in. We are a very lucky community.?
Councilwoman Kristy Ottman, also a member of the committee, said the plan was to have both positions filled by mid-May, allowing for six weeks of training with Pappas.
‘We need to give our applicants time, if they have jobs, to send in notice,? she said. ‘We need to allow for some wiggle room.?
In the meantime, Ottman noted, the city did not intend to limit itself in case the current applicants didn’t work out and therefore would not outwardly reject any late-arriving resumes.
‘We don’t want to have to start the process all over again,? she said.
Initially, Pappas agreed to stay on as treasurer ‘for a while? while the new hires settled in, but said the committee since decided otherwise, and wrote job descriptions for a city manager, as well as clerk-treasurer.
An advertisement for the jobs was placed with the Michigan Municipal League.
‘I’m glad,? said Pappas. ‘I’m delighted they did it this way, and I think it’ll work out fine. I’m not unhappy at all, and my wife is even happier.?
Pappas did say, however, there were still a lot of unanswered questions, and much work to be done.
Also, training of new employees should occur concurrently, he said.
‘They should each be here at the same time so one knows what the other does,? he said. ‘I don’t change hats when I’m working, I just move from one thing to the next, and they’ll need to get that all sorted out.?
Setting up adequate work space in the small city office may also pose a problem; the building currently houses a work station shared by Pappas and administrative assistant Marcy Rotondo on one side, and a meeting area’including board table and about a dozen folding chairs’on the other.
The city council will conduct public interviews of for both positions this week; two candidates will interview for clerk/treasurer Thursday, April 4, beginning at 7 p.m. A third interview may or may not take place, depending on the candidate’s personal circumstances.
An additional three applicants will interview for the city manager position the following day, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The process will take place both evenings at the city offices, located at 375 Depot. Call 248-625-1559 for more information.