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Boulder names 7 finalists for city manager position
Officials hope to have pick by early August
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The Boulder City Council has picked seven finalists for the position of city manager, officials announced Friday.
Finalists hail from California to Florida. None is from Colorado.
“In this time when a lot of people aren’t changing jobs because they want to stay safely where they are, that we were able to attract this caliber of candidates in the numbers that we did really speaks a lot to the city of Boulder, and it’s a positive thing for us,” said Mayor Shaun McGrath, who served on the subcommittee that drew up the list of finalists.
“It also hopefully bodes well that we’re going to be able to bring a good candidate in here.”
The finalists are James Antonen, former city manager for Davis, Calif.; Thomas Barwin, village manager for Oak Park, Ill.; Jane Brautigam, city manager for Dublin, Ohio; David Knapp, city manager for Cupertino, Calif.; Robert LaSala, former city manager for Lancaster, Calif.; Marsha Segal-George, general administrator for the city of Orlando, Fla.; and Roger Storey, former deputy city manager for Stockton, Calif.
Frank Bruno, Boulder’s former city manager, left in June to serve as vice chancellor of administration for the University of Colorado. He had served as city manager since 2004.
Deputy City Manager Stephanie Grainger was appointed by the council to serve as interim city manager until Bruno’s replacement is hired. She didn’t apply for the permanent job.
City Councilwoman Susan Osborne, who also served on the subcommittee, said elected leaders wanted a field of at least six candidates to choose from. An outside consultant winnowed down a list of 43 interested candidates to nine. Officials eventually decided to make seven of those contenders finalists.
Osborne said this field of candidates is distinctive in that all of its members have a strong interest in environmental issues.
“Almost all of them bring an emphasis on sustainability and have been in one way or another very creative in their communities in terms of initiating ideas related to the environment, energy and conservation,” she said.
The city will hold a public reception from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 7 in the Boulder Public Library’s Canyon Gallery, 1000 Canyon Blvd., where members of the public will have a chance to meet candidates.
Candidates will give presentations to the City Council from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 8, and the City Council plans to meet from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9, a Saturday, to make its pick. The Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 meetings will be broadcast on Boulder’s Channel 8 television station.
If the winning candidate accepts the job, he or she could be at work by mid-fall, Osborne said.
Posted by backrange on July 25, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
.......Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy..........
Posted by The_Insinuator on July 25, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm surprised that anyone from Ohio would want to spend more than ten minutes in Boulder.
Posted by DianeMad on July 25, 2008 at 4:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just what we need - a City Manager from California, as if we don't have enough idiots from that state as it is. They are the ones who are ruining Boulder. Wish they would all go back to where they came from - California! Same with Florida and Illinois! We should have a City Manager from Colorado (better yet from Boulder). Why is it that we are the "smartest city" yet can't find a manager from this city???????
Posted by UncleEthan on July 25, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by DianeMad: "Why is it that we are the "smartest city"......
Smartest city? The people here are too damn stupid to be able to cross the street without flashing lights at crosswalks and imbeciles from GO Boulder in pink wigs to show the same stupidos how to operate those lights.
So, just what we need, some Einstein from Boulder as City Manager. I'm surprised that Hugo Chavez and Raul Castro didn't make the short list. Dennis Kucinich might be interested. He'd be the perfect choice!
Posted by jim_anchower on July 25, 2008 at 4:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Smartest city?"
"The people here are too damn stupid ..."
"imbeciles from GO Boulder"
"the same stupidos"
" some Einstein from Boulder "
All in one post!
Few feelings of inferiority, maybe?
Pal, I don't see much coming from you to indicate you're much smarter than a Cocker Spaniel. LOL!
Posted by UncleEthan on July 25, 2008 at 4:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by jim_anchower: "Pal, I don't see much coming from you to indicate you're much smarter than a Cocker Spaniel. LOL!"
Well, I can cross the street without any help, can you? By the way, you forgot to mention my references to Chavez, Castro & Kucinich. Did you run out of neurons after all that cut & paste?
Posted by NorCalLovesDaBuffs on July 25, 2008 at 4:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Its too bad people from Colorado feel so inferior to Californians, but it true that you are inferior.
Posted by jim_anchower on July 25, 2008 at 5:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
UE is inferior, but he's not from around here.
Posted by jim_anchower on July 25, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL!
Posted by jrmanville on July 25, 2008 at 6:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In my 23 1/2 years of working for the city, I think we saw 5 different city managers. Either they get tired of constantly wrangling with the council or they are just using the position as a stepping stone to a better opportunity. Whoever they appoint, this too shall pass.
Posted by Horace on July 26, 2008 at 12:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually Dave Knapp was the city manager for Boulder in the 80's to early 90's.
Posted by katiekurt on July 26, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Seems like the City Council could have saved some time and money by using the Board of Regents approach to recruiting - just have one finalist.
Posted by positraction on July 26, 2008 at 9:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Judging from the posts here, Boulder won't be designated Most Cordial City anytime soon.
Posted by UncleEthan on July 26, 2008 at 11:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by jim_anchower: "UE is inferior, but he's not from around here."
Right you are Binky! I've only lived in Boulder for 40 years. Prior to that, Chicago.
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL (I thought I'd use your own favorite signature.)
Posted by UncleEthan on July 26, 2008 at 11:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jim_anchower: A brief search helped 'splain things! You obviously consider every day a 420 smoke-out. Remember, pot, it's not just for breakfast anymore. Oh yeah...
LOL
Posted by philipmay11 on July 26, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why do people think it's the people from other states doing all the bad horrible things to Boulder?
Two of the worst things that have happened in Boulder neighborhoods were done by long term residents... Adverse Possession.
Posted by Donald on July 26, 2008 at 11:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
mussolini would be a good choice
Posted by jim_anchower on July 26, 2008 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Whining is easier than voting LOL!
Posted by billy_goat_gruff on July 26, 2008 at 3:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Not just Boulder. All of Colorado... and Califonians are the biggest culprits with all of their nanny-istic rules and regulations, as well as their "progressive" intolerant attitude toward people speaking freely, being heterosexual, celebrating Christmas or holding traditional, pro-American values."
Love it. Very Orwellian. Tolerance is Intolerance. Ignorance Is Strength.
Posted by UncleEthan on July 26, 2008 at 3:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by jim_anchower: "LOL!"
LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL! LOL!
Posted by billy_goat_gruff on July 26, 2008 at 4 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Such hilarity! What a happy happy bunch!
I haven't seen Uncle Ether gripped by such mirth before.
Usually, he's a bitter old sourpuss, longing for those happier times when you could be heterosexual and celebrate Christmas.
Bless you, jim. LOL!
Posted by cowdog on July 26, 2008 at 5:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This looks like a good group, bringing experience from diverse communities, some of them college towns. Hopefully Boulder can land a strong city manager who is able to bring relevant experience and new ideas to work with the council to address real community issues.
Good to see Knapp on the list. If this is the same Knapp that was the Boulder city manager previously, he will bring an interesting then and now perspective, as well as experience from San Diego and now Cupertino. As much as it is "fun" to bash California, there is much Boulder can learn from the California experience. With about 10% of the US population and a diverse and massive economic engine, California has had to address many issues before the rest of the country. Whether they did it "right" or "wrong" is less important than whether or not there is anything Boulder can learn from those experiences.
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