City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
POST OFFICE BOX CC
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, CA 93921
(831) 620-2000
To: Vice Mayor Talmage and Councilmember Beach
From: Mayor Burnett and Councilmember Hazdovac
Subject: Ad Hoc City Council Vacancy Interview Committee
The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea held its General Municipal Election on April 10, 2012. Jason Burnett was elected Mayor and vacated his seat as a Councilmember. This created a vacancy on the City Council.
The City Council held a special meeting on April 24, 2012 to determine the process for filling the vacancy. The Council decided to request applications from residents interested in serving on the City Council. The City Council determined "All applicants must submit to the City Clerk a cover letter and resume detailing their interest to serve with their qualifications and background by the deadline of Monday, April 30th, at 5:00 p.m. Mayor Burnett and CouncilMember Hazdovac then will review .all the applications and bring a recommendation for full Council consideration at a special meeting to be held during the week of May 7.
This ad hoc City Council vacancy interview committee met and developed a set of criteria upon which to evaluate the applicants. These criteria were developed based on the City Council goals and objectives, City Council discussion, and input from the general public. The committee divided the criteria into major criteria and minor criteria.
Major criteria are based on the adopted goals of the City Council. Those four goals are:
• Community Character,
• Long-term Vitality,
• Organizational Effectiveness, and
• Fiscal Stability.
These goals are longer-term in nature and lead to the adopted City Council objectives and key projects that are integrated into the City Administrator goals, the City's budget prioritization, and employee performance planning. The ad hoc committee utilized these major criteria as a standard for evaluating the City Council's needs.
Minor criteria are based on the City Council discussion and public input primarily from the
special meeting of April 24. These criteria are:
• A City Council that is familiar with the City and its challenges and opportunities,
• A City Council composed of individuals who demonstrate involvement with public service to the community,
• Councilmembers who have a breadth of experience with a special expertise to complement the City Council,
• A City Council composed of individuals with diverse experience with city government Boards, commissions, and volunteering,
• A City Council that has the ability to work effectively and collaboratively to meet its goals, objectives, and key projects.
The City received ten applicants for the vacant seat on the City Council. The ad hoc committee developed a set of questions based on the major and minor criteria. The ad hoc committee met with and interviewed all ten applicants. Each applicant was asked identical questions in interviews lasting thirty minutes. Applicants were given 5 minutes for opening remarks, and 3 minutes for closing remarks. The questions were as follows:
• Why are you interested in serving on City Council?
• What is your past experience with city government (especially in Carmel-by-the-Sea)? What is your experience serving on or working with boards, commissions, volunteer organizations?
• We have ten well-qualified candidates. What unique qualities, experience and expertise do you bring? Please describe how your expertise and qualifications would complement the current City Council to best serve the community.
• If you have run for office, please describe how this enhances your candidacy. If you have not, please describe why we should choose someone who has not run for office.
• What is your approach to government decision-making?
• Can you please give one example each of decision the Carmel-by-the-Sea City council has made that (a) you agreed with and (b) you disagreed with? Why?
• What are the top three issues facing community that will come before the City Council and how would you approach these issues?
• How comfortable are you operating in the public sphere and handling criticism of your decisions?
• Do you have any time constraints or other obligations that we should be aware of? How much time can you put into serving the community on the City Council?
Of the ten candidates, five have run for office in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Of the three who ran for
office in the recent municipal election, none received a substantial fraction of the vote. All
candidates were therefore evaluated equally with the committee recognizing that none of
them has been elected to office by the voters of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
The applicants were (in alphabetical order):
• Kristy Downing
• Carolyn Hardy
• Stephen Hillyard
• Michael LePage
• Tom Leverone
• Rich Pepe
• Bob Profeta
• Harrison Shields
• Carrie Theis
• Linda Wilde
The ad hoc committee carefully considered the information presented by each applicant and evaluated that information against the major and minor criteria.
The applicants all demonstrated a strong commitment to service and a desire to serve the Carmel-by-the-Sea community. All ten can provide a great service to the City and all applicants were encouraged to serve in a capacity, either on a Commission, committee, or volunteer, in the event they were not selected by the City Council to serve as a Councilmember. The deadline for applying for openings on the Activities and Cultural Commission, the Forest and Beach Commission, and the Planning Commission was extended to Monday, May 14th to allow any applicants who are not chosen as a Councilmember to apply for those commissions.
Of all the candidates, two present themselves as having a particularly strong ability to complement the expertise of the existing City Council, to contribute to the four goals adopted by the City Council, and to likely meet the objective of being appointed unanimously by the City Council. We recommend the full City Council consider both Carrie Theis and Steven Hillyard to fill the vacant seat. After consideration of the above information and allowing time for public input and deliberation, we believe the full City Council can make a decision on May 8th
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