City Manager Search & Survey... Another excellent survey that's really not frustrating at all.

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Winston Lumpkins

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Jan 21, 2023, 3:53:50 PM1/21/23
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Hi folks,
Liz Trice shared this on another forum, and I think it's relevant to our work as well.  Thanks Liz, for sharing! 

I recommend reading the job posting below before taking the survey. 
They do at least mention the employee shortage...  Did you know that the city manager gets an automobile allowance?

I am a little concerned to see no questions about transportation issues at all... 

The City manager nominates the head of the Public Works Department after all, and though I think Mike Murray is doing a great job, he is only the interim head.  That will be one of a slew of appointments that get made pretty much right away...  In addition to being the person who a failed traffic calming petition can be appealed to, and the person who crafts the CIP budget, which is so very, very important. 

Anyway, I thought I'd share this with y'all...  I'm having some... thoughts.
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PORTLAND, Maine – The City of Portland and its search firm consultant, Baker Tilly, has issued the job posting and recruitment brochure for its search for the next City Manager in Portland.
Interested candidates can view the recruitment brochure and view the job posting and apply here. The first review of applications will happen on February 16, 2023. For more information, interested candidates can contact Anne Lewis at Anne....@Bakertilly.com or 703-923-8214.

Baker Tilly has also developed a survey to gather critical feedback from City staff and community members. Those interested in contributing to this can take the survey here.
Mayor Snyder established the City Manager Search Subcommittee on October 18, 2021. The Subcommittee’s work can be found in the City’s agenda portal at www.portlandmaine.gov/agendas. The City Council appointed Danielle West to serve as Interim City Manager until a new manager is hired. She assumed her duties on November 2, 2021.

Job posting:  https://bakertilly.sharefile.com/share/view/s025c03b0ceed41c4860c50e6a26c6caf

Survey:  https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=v2OTYdhbR0CwlFh91zJzkndRRAJeWotArOTW0EDdQDFURTRFV0hCMVM4SU9ISkk4NUEwTjA3OVRUNiQlQCN0PWcu
-------------
~Winston

Winston Lumpkins IV (he/him/his)

Chair, Portland Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee
https://www.portlandbikeped.org/

winston....@gmail.com
207-408-1508


Scsmedia

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Jan 21, 2023, 7:47:07 PM1/21/23
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I have no problem with the city manager having a car allowance or a car. All of the city key staff have such and are essentially on call 24 hours a day in the case of a major emergency. 

I have not yet read the job description, but the city manager should be required to live in the city. John Jennings was given at least a temporary pass as he owned a home in South Portland and had kids going to SoPo High School. 

Mike Murray is a city hack who was in the right place to fill in for Chirs Branch. He has no specific public work expertise. 

The city manager is to carry out policy, not set it, so their philosophy on transportation is irrelevant. 

Steven Scharf 




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Celina R Azevedo

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Jan 21, 2023, 10:42:17 PM1/21/23
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Jon Jennings didn’t let his official mandate stop him from promoting terrible policies and decisions, with no particular regard for Council, or from choosing top City staff based on their alignment with his priorities. There’s nothing really stopping the Manager from being just another politician, overtly or behind the scenes, so it’s wise to look into which policies any candidate would support. 

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Zack Barowitz

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Jan 22, 2023, 8:06:51 PM1/22/23
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I just took the survey, it was pretty painless. I agree about the paucity of transportation issues; there were like twenty policy areas listed but transportation was not one of them. I think this is important because city staff/managers have a profound effect on policy in at least the following ways:
  • Staff makes many (most) policy recommendations that the Council ends up adopting. For example, they will be making a recommendation to the Council to adopt a c.750 city code which staff + consultants have been working on more or less in secret for c.3 years. Council will have maybe 4 sessions to approve what amounts to about 10 person-years worth of work.
  • Staff prioritizes policies. For example: Both roads and sidewalks must be cleared of ice and snow but one receives adequate resources and the other does not.
  • Staff has broad discretion as to the means and methods by which a policy is implemented. For example, excessive speeding could be addressed with changes to road design or law enforcement.
  • Staff sets non-legislative policy (like a "30 day return policy" in a store). For example: The Peaks Island Golf Cart Policy was a result of executive action; not Council approval.
Thanks,
Zack

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Damon Yakovleff

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Jan 22, 2023, 9:41:01 PM1/22/23
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I just took the survey too, and it wasn't that bad. At least there are open-ended questions where we can add transportation-related criteria. Here's a direct link if you are looking for it: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=v2OTYdhbR0CwlFh91zJzkndRRAJeWotArOTW0EDdQDFURTRFV0hCMVM4SU9ISkk4NUEwTjA3OVRUNiQlQCN0PWcu

While I agree with Steven that in an ideal world, the City Manager should take policy lead from the Council, we all know this world is imperfect. Here are just a few examples where a City Manager ignored Council and Citizen-led transportation policy decision-making and implemented their own vision:
  • Developed a budget that eliminated Bike / Pedestrian Coordinator Position (even though it was revenue neutral)
  • Reversed back-in-angle parking on Spring St. (did this due to vague pro-business concerns, over the objections of staff and contrary to best practice)
  • Stalled or killed the State and High Two Way process, even though it had the go-ahead to move forward from the steering committee
  • Stalled or killed Franklin St. redesign, even though it had a plan ready to move forward after a long and involved public process
  • Prevented meaningful discussion of Elm/Preble Two Way 
  • Stalled progress on Libbytown Congress and Park Two way
  • Ignored need to increase city sidewalk snow clearing effort despite years of evidence that it was underfunded and under prioritized
  • Pressured study consultants to eliminate crosswalks on Commercial Street so that cars wouldn’t have to stop as much
  • Opposed traffic calming measures, such as curb extensions, even when they would be built by a developer, for example as proposed by Portland Housing Authority at Front St.

There are probably other examples, but for me that is enough to ask the search committee to ask at least some questions about sustainable land-use and transportation planning. 



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Zack Barowitz

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Jan 23, 2023, 8:42:05 AM1/23/23
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And to pile on we can include to tacit de-staffing of the Bike Ped committee. 

But going back to the compensation package, $200 doesn’t seem like that much compared to the heads of other non-profits like Wayneflete, the PMA, and (of course), Maine Medical. And I don’t really have a big problem with the vehicle allowance (although the last manager’s red BMW was a bit flash). 
Zack 

Rosemarie De Angelis

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Jan 23, 2023, 8:59:07 AM1/23/23
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A red BMW? If there’s going to be a vehicle allowance, it should be an electric vehicle for sure.

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On Jan 23, 2023, at 8:42 AM, Zack Barowitz <zbar...@gmail.com> wrote:



Zack Barowitz

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Jan 23, 2023, 3:17:24 PM1/23/23
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Good point Rosemarie. We have that charging station in front of Cityhall. 
Zack 

Rosemarie De Angelis

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Jan 23, 2023, 3:44:09 PM1/23/23
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Damon,
I think these are all excellent points. Again, I think that residents need to hold counselors feet to the fire. City Manager cannot do something that is not allowed by the council. He or she does not have the authority to act on his or her own. By definition, the City Manager service at the wheel of the council. The council needs to do his job and from what I see, that is not happening in Portland.

Rosemarie, Rosemarie 

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On Jan 23, 2023, at 3:17 PM, Zack Barowitz <zbar...@gmail.com> wrote:



Rep. Grayson Lookner

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Jan 23, 2023, 9:56:56 PM1/23/23
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Maybe we should propose a charter amendment where the residents of the City of Portland get to vote on the city manager who then serves a term of 4 years??? Oh wait 🤔

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