City manager job in Federal Way nets more than 80 applicants

Published 7:35 pm Monday, June 1, 2009

The city council is gearing up to review the more than 80 applications it received from individuals eager to become Federal Way’s new city manager.

The council advertised for only a few short weeks and, unlike the last time it did a search in 2006, chose not to hire professionals to recruit applicants. The city manager search began shortly after the city signed a separation agreement with former city manager Neal Beets on May 5.

“I can only speak for myself, but I’d say, yes, this has been a successful recruitment,” Deputy Mayor Eric Faison said.

Applicants from across the country — California, Virginia and Colorado, for example — are vying for the position. The council is not yet ready to reveal the applicants’ names or residences. The council will likely narrow the applicant pool before contacting the finalists and conducting interviews with them, Faison said. The public’s turn to engage in the search will follow, he said.

There were more candidates than Faison expected, he said. Some are qualified and some lack the professional qualities the council is seeking.

“A lot of those were not great, frankly,” he said. “They were people who pressed the send button. But there certainly are some very good candidates (as well).”

It is hard to say what attracted the applicants’ interest in the position. Faison noted that the last time the council did a city manager search, rumors of a strong mayor form of government were beginning to spread. This may have kept applicants from applying — for fear they would get the job, then quickly lose it if voters chose to change Federal Way’s form of government from a city council/city manager structure to a strong mayor structure, he said. The measure failed in 2007, when it was put before Federal Way voters.

Despite the abundance of applicants, the council is still aiming to fill the position within the stated time frame of two to five months, Faison said. The sooner the position can be filled the better, he said. But depending on who is selected, that person may be currently employed elsewhere and may wish to give a notice of leave, Faison said. The council was scheduled to discuss the applicants in an executive session Tuesday.

“I think our decision will be made within the next few months,” Faison said.

Until a new city manager is selected, police chief Brian Wilson is acting as interim city manager and deputy police chief Andy Hwang is acting as interim police chief.