Portland council committee vetting finalists for city manager

File photo Portland City Hall

Write a Comment

By Ann Fisher

The subcommittee that's been tasked to search for Portland's new city manager is expected to choose two or three finalists when members meet in executive session Thursday, March 16.

Some 70 applicants have emerged since the job posting went live on Jan. 20, according to city spokesperson Jessica Grondin in a March 7 news release. The first review of applications was on Feb. 16, and in-person interviews are scheduled for April 14 and 15.

Mayor Kate Snyder established the City Manager Search Subcommittee on Oct. 18 after former city manager Jon Jennings announced he was stepping down to take a job in Florida, effective Nov. 1. The council appointed Danielle West, the city's longtime corporation counsel, to the post of interim manager on Nov. 2 to serve in that capacity until a new manager is hired.

Finalists for the job will take part in both one-on-one interviews and a panel interview with city councilors, along with a panel interview with city staff. They will go on tours of the city and attend both a staff reception and a community reception on April 14 so the public can meet the candidates and offer feedback.

The council hopes to make an offer to a candidate by the end of April, Grondin said, and bring forward an action item at a May council meeting.

The City Manager Search Subcommittee continues to seek input from the public to get feedback from residents on what they believe are important qualifications for Portland’s next manager. Two listening sessions will be held via Zoom at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 22 and 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 29. At each of the sessions, the subcommittee will outline the search process and answer questions. Feedback was also solicited via a community survey that generated 720 responses.

Search committee members include Snyder, at-large Councilor Pious Ali, at-large Councilor April Fournier and District 5 Councilor Mark Dion. The subcommittee’s work can be found in the city’s agenda portal.