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09/02/2021 - SpecialThursday, September 2, 2021 8:30 AM City of Clearwater Main Library - Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 Main Library - Council Chambers City Council Special Meeting Agenda - Final Special Meeting: City Manager Candidates Meeting will be televised beginning at 1:00 p.m. September 2, 2021City Council Special Meeting Agenda - Final Welcome. We are glad to have you join us. If you wish to address the Council, please complete a Comment Card. Comment Cards are on the right-hand side of the dais by the City Clerk. When recognized, please hand your card to the Clerk, approach the podium and state your name. Persons speaking before the City Council shall be limited to 3 minutes unless otherwise noted under Public Hearings. For other than "Citizens to be heard regarding items not on the Agenda," a spokesperson for a group may speak for 3 minutes plus an additional minute for each person in the audience that waives their right to speak, up to a maximum of 10 minutes. Prior to the item being presented, please obtain the form to designate a spokesperson from the City Clerk. Up to 60 minutes of public comment will be allowed for an agenda item. No person shall speak more than once on the same subject unless granted permission by the City Council. The City of Clearwater strongly supports and fully complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Please advise us at least 48 hours prior to the meeting if you require special accommodations at 727-562-4090. Assisted Listening Devices are available. Kindly refrain from using cell phones and electronic devices during the meeting. Citizens wishing to provide comments on an agenda item are encouraged to do so in advance through written comment. The City has established the following two options: 1) eComments via Granicus - eComments is integrated with the published meeting agenda. Individuals may review the agenda item details and indicate their position on the item. You will be prompted to set up a user profile to allow you to comment, which will become part of the official public record. The eComment period is open from the time the agenda is published. Comments received during the meeting will become part of the official record, if posted prior to the closing of public comment. The City Clerk will read received comments into the record. 2) Email – Individuals may submit written comments or videos to ClearwaterCouncil@myclearwater.com. All comments received by 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting (September 1) will become part of the official record. The City Clerk will read received comments into the record. 1. Call to Order 2. Citizens to be heard re items not on the agenda 3. Other Council Action 3.1 Discuss city manager candidates and next steps. 4. Closing comments by Councilmembers (limited to 3 minutes) 5. Closing Comments by Mayor 6. Adjourn Page 2 City of Clearwater Printed on 8/31/2021 Cover Memo City of Clearwater Main Library - Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 File Number: ID#21-9687 Agenda Date: 8/2/2021 Status: Agenda ReadyVersion: 1 File Type: Action ItemIn Control: City Council Agenda Number: 3.1 SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION: Discuss city manager candidates and next steps. SUMMARY: Page 1 City of Clearwater Printed on 8/31/2021 8219 Leesburg Pike Suite 800 ● Tysons, VA 22182 ● 703.923.8300 ● www.bakertilly.com PRESENTED TO CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA FINALIST REPORT C ITY MANAGER THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2021 The information provided here is of a general nature and is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any individual or entity. Baker Tilly US, LLP, trading as Baker Tilly, is a member of the global network of Baker Tilly International Ltd., the members of which are separate and independent legal entities. © 2020 Baker Tilly US, LLP Memo To: Mayor Frank Hibbard and members of Clearwater City Council From: Chuck Rohre, Managing Director Anne Lewis, Director c.c.Jennifer Poirrier, Human Resources Director Date: August 24, 2021 Subject: Clearwater, Florida City Manager Search On behalf of Baker Tilly, we are pleased to transmit this Finalist Report to the City of Clearwater. We received 109 applications in response to the posting for the City Manager position and 12 candidates were presented to the City Council on August 5, 2021. Four candidates were invited to interview. Finalist Report. Information presented in the Finalist Report includes: •Recruitment brochure which described the qualifications and desired capabilities for the City Manager •Interview schedule •Interview guide which explains the types of questions that should be avoided in an interview •Candidate materials o Cover letter o Resume o Candidate Questionnaire o Due Diligence Questionnaire o Candidate narratives of their most significant professional achievement, and a critical problem they have encountered in their professional work with their analysis of the situation, the solution, and the outcome o Reference Report o Gap report o Structured interview questions The information provided here is of a general nature and is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any individual or entity. Baker Tilly US, LLP, trading as Baker Tilly, is a member of the global network of Baker Tilly International Ltd., the members of which are separate and independent legal entities. © 2020 Baker Tilly US, LLP Gap Report Earlier in the search, we created a detailed benchmark for the City Manager position based on a compilation of City Council responses on a questionnaire related to successful performance in the City Manager position. In turn, the candidates completed a companion questionnaire. We have compared the candidates’ responses to the benchmark to identify possible gaps in their leadership and management styles. While there are no right or wrong management styles, understanding how candidate competencies, driving forces, and behaviors compare to the benchmark can help determine a candidate’s fit with the position. In viewing the summary Gap Report, please remember that scores are based on standard deviations and not percentages. Scores are color-coded and assess the candidate’s compatibility as follows: Blue Exact match Green Good compatibility Yellow Fair compatibility Red Poor compatibility Interview Process Council interviews are being conducted in-person. Interview questions are included within each candidate’s materials. The Senior Executive Team will host a meet and greet for the candidates. Subsequent to their interaction with the candidates, the SET will be asked to participate in a feedback survey. The following questions will be asked: 1.Please comment on the overall strengths and positive attributes [candidate] would bring to the City Manager position. 2.Please comment on any areas where [candidate’s] experience would not be a good fit for the City Manager position. 3.Are there any areas of follow up on [candidate] that should be explored? The survey results will be provided to you during the morning of your panel interviews. Similarly, the Community Forum attendees will also be provided with an opportunity to offer feedback. This effort is being organized by City staff. Results will also be provided to you during the morning of your panel interviews. Next Steps A briefing will be conducted following the final interview to obtain feedback from the City Council and discuss next steps. TABLE OF CONTENTS •RECRUITMENT BROCHURE •INTERVIEW SCHEDULE •INTERVIEW GUIDE •CANDIDATE 1 – MILTON DOHONEY •CANDIDATE 2 – CHARLES DUGGAN •CANDIDATE 3 – JON JENNINGS •CANDIDATE 4 – KEITH MOFFETT RECRUITMENT BROCHURE The City of Clearwater, Florida is seeking a collaborative, experienced and strategic leader to serve as its next City Manager. PUBLIC SECTOR EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT CITY MANAGER CLEARWATER, FLORIDA REOPENED RECRUITMENT—JUNE 2021 THE COMMUNITY Clearwater, a community of nearly 120,000 residents located on Central Florida’s Gulf Coast, has a long-standing reputation for supporting a professionally operated and innovative local government and is recognized as one of the most desired places to live and work in the southeastern United States. Clearwater Beach, a 3-mile stretch of white-sand beach on a barrier island backed by hotels and restaurants, has recently been ranked as the #1 beach in the U.S. by TripAdvisor for several years running. As the county seat of Pinellas County, Clearwater is one of three principal cities in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area, most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area. This vibrant and dynamic community is strategically located just north of St. Petersburg and is a short and scenic 25-minute drive to Downtown Tampa, located east on the Courtney Campbell Causeway, the northernmost bridge across Old Tampa Bay. The I-75 corridor is within close-proximity to Clearwater, via I-275, and provides great north-south access throughout Florida. Orlando is less than a two-hour drive to the northeast by using Interstate 4. Clearwater averages more than 244 days of sunshine annually and the city is comprised of many unique amenities that are emerging as significant destination attractions. The Cleveland Street downtown district and the islands of Clearwater Beach are continuing to grow in popularity and distinction. Both the downtown and Clearwater Beach have expansive marina facilities making that area especially attractive to boaters. The city is also serviced by two nearby airports. Tampa International, hailed as America’s favorite, ranks high in convenience and ease of travel, and is located just 19 miles from the beach. The St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport is even closer to the beach (11 miles) and with rapidly expanding service, accessible from an ever- increasing number of cities. THE COMMUNITY (CONTINUED…) The Church of Scientology is a significant property owner in downtown Clearwater, and the new city manager will be responsible for building a relationship with this entity. Ruth Eckerd Hall and the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre are two popular local attractions that are important local partners who host waterfront shows at Coachman Park. These venues and other special events have helped Clearwater carve out a reputation for live music and the performing arts and are attracting large crowds and world-class musicians. The community also takes great pride in being the home of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the spring training home for Major League Baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies. In 2020, the city council approved moving forward with a multi-million- dollar investment into implementing the Imagine Clearwater Master Plan, which includes a 4,000-seat covered amphitheater as a cornerstone of a redeveloped Coachman Park. The city is committed to working closely with a strong and diverse group of neighborhoods and neighborhood associations in an effort to maintain and continuously improve the community’s quality of life. THE ORGANIZATION Clearwater is governed by a city council that consists of five (5) members, including the mayor, all elected at-large serving four-year overlapping terms, with elections held every two years. Appointment of the city manager requires the affirmative vote of four (4) council members, and the city manager may be removed by an affirmative vote of four (4) members, or by a majority of the council at two separate meetings held at least two weeks apart. The city has a record of prudent fiscal management and has been recognized with the coveted GFOA Distinguished Budget Award for its budgeting and accounting excellence for 33 straight years. VISION: Clearwater will be a uniquely beautiful and vibrant community: That is socially and economically diverse; That invests for the future; and, That is a wonderful place to live, learn, work, visit, and play. MISSION: The Mission of the City of Clearwater is to: Provide cost effective municipal services; Facilitate development; and, To support a high quality of life and experience. POSITION PROFILE Appointed by the city council to serve as the organization’s chief administrative officer, the city manager is responsible for leading an organization of 1,836 FTEs with 12 direct reports, and a Combined Funds budget (including capital contributions) of $542 million. Of this total, the General Fund accounts for approximately $152 million. The city manager is responsible for overseeing the preparation and presentation of the annual budget as well as for all other financial and operational activities and services provided. The city manager’s functional areas of responsibility include but are not limited to: police and fire protection and rescue services; emergency management; public communications; engineering design, streets and stormwater maintenance and construction; marine and aviation services; public utilities including water and sanitary sewer construction, maintenance, treatment, distribution and collection; solid waste and general services; library services; parks and recreation; planning and development; economic development and housing services; and community redevelopment. The city’s internal services include finance and budget, auditing, information technology and human resources. A unique enterprise utility owned and operated by the city is Clearwater Gas System, the 4th largest and “fastest-growing” municipal gas system in Florida, serving over 28,000 natural and propane gas customers, which includes 20 municipalities and unincorporated areas of north Pinellas and Pasco counties. There is an assistant to the city manager and two assistant city manager positions that provide staff support to the city manager and department directors as assigned. CITY OF CLEARWATER ORGANIZATIONAL CHART KEY PRIORITIES The next city manager will be expected to address several issues during the first 12 months on the job. Examples include the continued use of the Penny for Pinellas local option sales tax and implementing the city council’s funding priorities as a part of the ten-year levy. Some of the priorities include: a continued focus on the enhancement of the downtown waterfront and implementation of Imagine Clearwater; completing the upgrades to the spring training stadium; pursuing the next steps required to replace city hall offices; continued enhancements and improvements to the city’s utilities and other infrastructure; replacement of the city’s public safety buildings; and, continuing to seek progress in working with all stakeholders toward the revitalization of Downtown Clearwater. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE A master’s degree in Public Administration, Public Affairs, Human Resources Management, Finance, or a related field is desired. To be competitive, candidates should possess a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible management experience as a department director or five (5) years as a city manager, assistant or deputy city manager, OR an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered. Residency within Clearwater city limits is required within 12 months of being appointed to the job. CANDIDATE PROFILE The current city manager is retiring after 20-plus years of service, and the city council is seeking prospective candidates that are experienced, strategic and collaborative. The current city attorney is also retiring after 27 years of service, creating an environment of new leadership in two critical city council appointments. The ideal candidate will be fiscally prudent, possess outstanding “people skills” and have a record of exceptional leadership. The new city manager must demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate with the city council, employees and the community. Experience working on successful commercial, neighborhood and downtown revitalization and redevelopment is strongly desired. Candidates with a record of listening to and facilitating compromise and problem solving among competing stakeholder interests will have a distinct advantage. The city manager will be expected to effectively negotiate on behalf of the city with developers, neighborhood groups, property owners and other governmental and nonprofit agencies. Experience working for a similar sized municipal or county organization, or an organization of similar complexity in an executive and management capacity is important. A strong background in municipal budgeting, finance and strategic planning is also desired. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS The starting salary for this position will range from $210,000 to $270,000, depending on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. The City of Clearwater offers an outstanding array of benefits including 100% paid employee coverage for health, dental, life and disability insurance; 10 paid holidays; and, $600 per month vehicle allowance. Florida does not have a state income tax. Visit https://www.myclearwater.com/home/ showpublisheddocument?id=8883 to review more of the City’s employee benefits. APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS Qualified candidates are invited to submit their cover letter and resume online by visiting our website: https://bakertilly.recruitmenthome.com/postings/3002 This position is open until filled; however, interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply no later than Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Following the first review date, resumes will be screened in relation to the criteria outlined in the recruitment brochure. Applicants selected as finalists for this position will be subject to a comprehensive background and reference check prior to an on-site interview. For more information, please contact Anne Lewis at Anne.Lewis@bakertilly.com or (703) 923-8214 or Chuck Rohre at Chuck.Rohre@bakertilly.com or (214) 466-2436. More information about this outstanding community can be found on the city’s website: www.myclearwater.com. Confidentiality: Under Florida’s Public Records Act, information from your application is subject to public disclosure at any point in the recruitment process. The City of Clearwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and values diversity at all levels of its workforce. 2500 Dallas Parkway, Suite 300 | Plano, TX 75093 | 972-481-1950 | https://bakertilly.recruitmenthome.com/ INTERVIEW SCHEDULE 1 CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER INTERVIEW SCHEDULE September 1-2, 2021 Wednesday, September 1, 2021 One-on-One Interviews Opal Sands Hotel on Clearwater Beach (Candidate Arrival: 7:50 am) Mayor Hibbard Councilmember Bunker Councilmember Beckman Councilmember Allbritton Councilmember Hamilton Interview Location Aqua Boardroom Sea Shore Sea Watch Sunset Salon Sea Side 8:00 am - 9:00 am Milton Dohoney Keith Moffett Charles Duggan Jon Jennings Break 9:05 am - 10:05 am Keith Moffett Charles Duggan Jon Jennings Break Milton Dohoney 10:10 am - 11:10 am Charles Duggan Milton Dohoney Break Keith Moffett Jon Jennings 11:15 am - 12:15 pm Jon Jennings Break Milton Dohoney Charles Duggan Keith Moffett 12:20 pm - 1:20 pm Break Jon Jennings Keith Moffett Milton Dohoney Charles Duggan 1:20 pm - 2:45 pm Candidate Lunch Break and Travel to Next Session Opal Sands Hotel 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Candidate “Meet & Greet” Session with Clearwater’s Senior Executive Team Ruth Eckerd Hall 1111 McMullen Booth Rd, Clearwater, FL 33759 Great Room 4:15 pm - 5:30 pm Candidate Break Snacks to be Provided 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Community Forum Ruth Eckerd Hall Main Auditorium 2 Thursday, September 2, 2021 City Council Interviews Individual City Manager Candidates City Council Chambers Candidates arrive 30 minutes prior to scheduled interview and are free to depart at the conclusion of their interview Time Candidate 8:30 am - 9:30 am Milton Dohoney 9:35 am - 10:35 am Charles Duggan 10:40 am - 11:40 am Jon Jennings 11:45 am - 12:45 pm Keith Moffett 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm Box Lunch provided to Council and Staff 1:00 pm City Council Reviews Candidates and Next Steps Review Candidates, Set Negotiation Parameters and Authorize Commencement of Negotiations with Selected Candidate 6:00 p.m. Regularly Scheduled City Council Meeting Item added to Agenda, if discussion from earlier is not complete INTERVIEW GUIDE Interview Guide Introduction The structured interview can be the best tool for evaluating candidates, particularly in today's litigious society. This section has been prepared to assist interviewers by providing guidance and suggestions for interviewing candidates. Legal Issues In preparing for the discussion with the candidate, it is important to remember the interview is a very critical part of the employment process and is covered by anti-discrimination laws. Summary of Protected Classes The purpose of state and federal laws regarding discrimination in employment is to ensure hiring decisions are based upon the applicant’s ability to perform the job, not on arbitrary factors unrelated to job performance. In general, it is unlawful to base a decision to hire or not hire an applicant on any of the following criteria: race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, familial status, disability, public assistance, age, sexual orientation, or local Human Rights Commission activity. Questions based upon any of these elements may open an employer to potentially costly claims for discrimination. It is illegal to base a decision on one of these criteria, even if the information is obtained outside of the interview process, or inadvertently during the interview. The development of specific interview questions not only assures all important aspects of the job are covered during the interview, it helps to ensure that interviewers avoid potentially dangerous subjects. Illegal Interview Questions to Avoid Various federal and state laws regulate questions that the employer can ask a candidate. Interview questions must be related to the job the candidate has applied for. The interviewer’s focus must be: “What do I need to know to decide whether or not this person can perform the functions of the job?” Examples of illegal questions are listed on the following page. This is not, by any means, a complete list, but can serve as a guide for types of questions to avoid. Interview Guide 1.National Origin/Citizenship ·Avoid questions about where the applicant or the applicant’s parents were born. ·Avoid inquiries about an applicant’s name such as asking the derivation of one’s last name. 2.Age ·Avoid questions about age/date of birth. ·Do not ask a candidate when he or she graduated from high school/college. ·Avoid asking about dates of military service. 3.Gender ·Avoid asking questions related to an applicant’s gender or gender identity. 4.Race/Color ·Avoid questions regarding an applicant’s race. ·Avoid questions or comments regarding color of hair, eyes, skin, etc. 5.Marital/Family Status ·Avoid questions about marital status. Do not ask applicants if they are single, married, or divorced. ·Avoid asking whether an applicant’s spouse is employed or about the occupation of the applicant’s spouse.·Do not ask if the applicant has any children. 7.Salary History ·Avoid inquiries related to the candidate salary history and/or compensation to comply with pay equity legislation. 8.Religion or Creed ·Avoid inquiries into an applicant’s religious denomination, religious affiliations or religious holidays observed. ·Applicants may be asked if they are available to work on Saturday or Sundays, if needed. 9.Affiliations ·Avoid asking applicants to list all clubs, societies and lodges to which they belong. ·Avoid any information which would solicit information on the race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry of its members. 10.Disabilities ·Avoid this area entirely. Pre-job offer medical inquiries are prohibited! Do not ask if applicants smoke, are under a doctor’s care, if they have received disability insurance, about their general health condition, their workers’ compensation history, or if they have any disability conditions. 11.Arrest Record ·Avoid inquiries; the background check will review the applicant’s criminal history, if it exists. 6.Sexual Orientation ·Avoid all questions related to sexual orientation or sexual identity. Interview Guide Suggested Questions As you prepare for the interview, you may want to develop additional questions based upon your review of the candidate’s resume or the background material. Those candidate-specific questions might probe subjects such as: · Explanation of gaps in time; · Short tenure in position; · Explanations of apparent weaknesses in experience or education/training; and · Clarification on anything that is not clear. Interviewing Techniques In general, open-ended questions that require candidates to answer in sentences are preferable to closed- ended questions that can be answered with one word or “yes” or “no” answers. Open ended questions encourage the applicant to: · Express goals, values, qualifications, or feelings; · Exhibit his/her ability to communicate; · Provide additional information regarding experience and background; and · Probe “choice points”. Examples of open-ended questions include: · How do you handle...? · What do you do if...? · How do you feel about...? · What have you found to be successful in handling...? · What are some examples of success in...? Limited use of directive (closed-ended) questions can be used to gather information that is factual and objective. As the interview proceeds, it is important to note the candidate’s answers in addition to how content of the message is delivered. Body language and tone of voice are particularly important factors to notice. Probe for as many details as possible such as names, dates, and other verifiable information when necessary. It is also a good idea to ask candidates for their thoughts and feelings about a situation. Interview Guide Additional Questions Often candidates may be somewhat brief in their responses. If you feel a need for additional information, the use of probing questions such as the following can draw out additional information: · Why did you say that? · Can you think of an example of that situation? · Is there something noteworthy in your experience in this area? Other Considerations Other considerations include how the candidate handles the stress of the interview and whether he or she appears to be avoiding some area(s) of inquiry. Immediately after the interview, it will be helpful to note your overall feeling about the discussion and how you feel about the candidate. Remember, the best predictor of success in any position is previous success in the same or similar position. Look for information on accomplishments and things the applicant has actually performed. CLEARWATER, FLORIDA – CITY MANAGER INTERVIEW APPRAISAL FORM Key MILTON DOHONEY CHARLES DUGGAN JON JENNINGS KEITH MOFFETT N: Needs Improvement Q: Qualified S: Superior COMPETITIVE FACTORS N Q S N Q S N Q S N Q S 1. General Impression: Energy, confidence, dependability, and initiative. Conveys a strong interest in the position, the organization and the community. Demonstrates integrity and effective interpersonal and communication skills. 2. Big Picture Focus: Provides a strategic long-term focus; actively inspires and engages others; receptive to new ideas. 3. Effective Working Relationships: Provides evidence of establishing effective relationships and regular communication with Council, develops information/ options/ recommendations that support policy-making; helps Council identify areas of consensus. 4. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Demonstrated experience in developing and applying an equity, diversity, and inclusion framework in making and implementing policy, community relations, and staff management. 5. Financial Management: Strong working knowledge of finance and fiscal planning; can link the City’s strategic goals to budgets; can promote long-term financial sustainability. 6. Strategic Planning Experience: Experience addressing and negotiating complex issues related to strategic long-term planning; development and execution of strategic goals. 7. Organizational Leadership: Can ensure organizational alignment is consistent with adopted strategic goals; can delegate effectively providing clear expectations, providing performance feedback and holding staff accountable; develops staff. 8. Community Engagement: Has experience in engaging all segments of the community and bringing diverse perspectives to the table; demonstrates outreach and inclusion of stakeholders; expands opportunities for collaboration. 9. Building Partnerships: Provides evidence of building and maintaining effective relationships and partnerships with a wide variety of stakeholders, demonstrates excellent negotiation skills and the ability to achieve compromise. 10. Personal Leadership Style: Appears to be highly ethical, with unquestionable integrity, appears to remain calm under pressure, can maintain individual confidential information and sensitive data; authentic (someone who walks the talk). Key D: Do Not Recommend R: Recommend H: Highly Recommend MILTON DOHONEY CHARLES DUGGAN JON JENNINGS KEITH MOFFETT OVERALL CANDIDATE RATING CANDIDATE 1 – MILTON DOHONEY Ms. Anne Lewis July 21, 2021 Bakertilly Dear Ms. Lewis, I am requesting acceptance of this cover letter, and attached resume for consideration towards the Clearwater Florida city manager position you are currently recruiting. My background consists of over 20 years of top level administrative roles achieved across four large cities. While leading very large organizations with budgets that ultimately spanned over $4B I also demonstrated an ability to build relationships throughout the government and across the community. I have excelled particularly in the areas of economic development, public safety, special events, and organizational development. I have developed a reputation for being a highly skilled collaborative results oriented leader. I remain poised in the storm which has played a significant role in the success that I have achieved working with some very dedicated public servants. In early 2020 I was charged with leading the COVID response effort for the City of Phoenix. That was a labor intensive effort that took quite a toll on our organization. At the same time we had over 100 consecutive nights of social justice protests. As the Phoenix Police Department was also a direct report to me that too proved to be a very emotionally charged experience. In February of this year I elected to retire from the City of Phoenix. My intention was always to take some time to reconnect with my family and then to seek out a city manager position in a community that would benefit from my skills and experience. I have watched the City of Clearwater grow and develop over the past 3 decades. I have been coming to the city for that period of time for personal reasons, and also visiting nearby Tampa for various conventions. In reviewing the organizational chart it is apparent that Clearwater embraces diversity. That is an organizational value that resonates with me. I appreciate the consideration of my candidacy, and look forward to the next steps. Sincerely, Milton Dohoney Jr. Milton Dohoney Jr. ICMA-CM dohoneym@gmail.com (513)720-8155 SUMMARY Accomplished leader with demonstrated success in executive positions in four municipal organizations with staff sizes of 3,500 to 14,500. Provided results-oriented leadership impacting operations, organizational culture, and fiscal management. Reputation for complex problem solving, excellent communication skills, and remaining calm under pressure. Seeking an executive opportunity that enables me to take advantage of my skills and experience while continuing my professional growth. EXPERIENCE City of Phoenix, (Arizona) 7 Years Assistant City Manager Direct oversight of Law, Police, Fire, Emergency Management, Convention Center, Library, and major events like the Super Bowl, and Final Four. Worked with the executive team on $4B budget development. Served on the strategy team for collective bargaining, and working on government affairs agenda. Served as chief operating officer supervising several members of the executive team. Responsible for executive recruitment, teaching in all leadership programs, and mentoring. Provided leadership on the development of police civilian oversight options. Served as Incident Commander for COVID19 coordination. City of Cincinnati, (Ohio) 8 Years City Manager/Chief Executive Officer Directed all aspects of the executive and administrative functions of the municipal government. Provided leadership on transformational development projects like The Banks (waterfront development), streetcar, and neighborhood revitalization. Negotiated federal consent decree with the DOJ and police department. Developed a P3 that created the first casino in the city. Responsible for $2.5B budget, coordinating legislative agenda and oversight of 6,000 employees. Lexington Fayette Urban County Government, (Kentucky) 3 ½ Years Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Led the administration of a 3,500 employee organization. Responsible for budget development including judiciary, policy development, and legislative support. Provided catalytic leadership in transforming the last significant public housing development into a mixed-income neighborhood, including a community school. City of Louisville, (Kentucky) 4 Years Deputy Mayor (Chief Administrative Officer) Responsible for the administrative operations of a 4,200 person organization. Played a key role in the merger of City and County governments. Direct oversight with labor negotiations with five unions. Member of the leadership team that created Fourth Street Live, Xtreme Park, and significant neighborhood revitalization. Director of Public Safety – 2 Years Holding the rank of colonel had direct oversight of Police, Fire & EMS. Responsible for the appointment of executive staff members and discipline of sworn and civilian personnel. Provided police powers to private sector security professionals. Led the coordinating effort to provide security for the Kentucky Derby post 9/11. Department of Community Services – 10 Years Assistant Director Managed the operations of a city department focused on community engagement and environmental stewardship. TEACHING EXPERIENCE Arizona State University – Public Management Program Bellarmine University – Non-Profit Management Program University of Louisville – College of Business Eastern Kentucky University – College of Business & Economics EDUCATION & SPECIAL TRAINING MS Personnel Management – University of Louisville BA Psychology – Indiana University Southeast PUBLICATIONS “Chief Considerations: How Phoenix, Arizona Modernized the Recruitment Process for Its Top Law Enforcement Position” Public Management (May 2017) “Phoenix Peels the Onion to the CORE,” Public Management (November 2015) “Positive Results for City of Phoenix’s Customized Organizational Review Process 2015” Alliance for Innovation Newsletter “Cincinnati Re-invents its Riverfront,” American Infrastructure (Summer 2011) “Recession Provides Opportunities to Enhance Leadership Skills,” The Forum (2010) “Cincinnati’s Neighborhood Enhancement Program Produces Results, Forges Partnerships,” Public Management (December 2008) “Collaboration Key to Advancing Housing Opportunities,” Public Management (August 2006) CIVIC/PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Vitalyst Health Foundation Board of Directors Dignity Health/St. Joseph’s Hospital Community Board International City/County Management Association – ICMA Arizona City/County Management Association National Forum for Black Public Administrators AWARDS NFBPA Marks of Excellence Award - 2019 Assistant City Manager of the Year Award for Arizona – 2019 ICMA Program Excellence Award – Phoenix Tucson Water Exchange 2017 City of Phoenix Excellence Award – 2016 American Society for Public Administration Administrator of the Year – 2013 LEADERSHIP MOMENTS PUBLIC SAFETY Negotiated Cincinnati Police Consent Decree Designing Internationally Recognized Inclusive Police Chief Hiring Processes Presidential Rally & Aftermath Phoenix Monsoon 100-Year Flood Recovery Lexington Ice Storm Recovery Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) Kentucky Derby Security Planning Post 9/11 TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS Burton Barr Central Library – Recovery & $10M Restoration The Banks – (Cincinnati Waterfront Development) Streetcar System Development Park DuValle Revitalization Fourth Street Live Bluegrass Aspendale Revitalization Horseshoe Casino Area Development Sheraton Grand Phoenix Hotel - Sale Lexington Transit Expansion COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Founder of the Regional Neighborhood Network (Louisville) Neighborhood Enhancement Program (Cincinnati) Community Police Trust Initiative (Phoenix) Created Citizen’s Government Academy (Cincinnati) SPECIAL EVENT COORDINATION Dignitary Visits Super Bowl XLIX College Football Championship Final Four Planning & Execution World Choir Games World Equestrian Games Prep CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 1 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP Candidate Questionnaire Name Milton Dohoney Jr Primary Phone 513 720-8155 Email dohoneym@gmail.com Please List Your Current (1) and Previous Three (3)Position Titles & Places/Organizations of Employment (include start/end dates by month/year, plus the position & organization): 1.Assistant City Manager, City of Phoenix, April 2014 – Feb 2021 2.City Manager – City of Cincinnati, August 2006 – Dec 2013 3.Chief Administrative Officer – Lexington Fayette Urban County Government, Jan 2003 – Aug 2006 4.Deputy Mayor/CAO – City of Louisville, Jan 1999- Dec 2002 Currently / Most Recently Reports to (by title): Reported to City Manager at the City of Phoenix Population Served (last 2 organizations): Phoenix – 1.7 million Cincinnati – 316,000 Employees Supervised & Budget 1.) Number of Direct Reports 2.) Number of Employees in Department 3.) Number of Employees in Organization 4.) Department Budget 5.) Entire Organization’s Budget 1.12 2.80 3.14,500 4.$15M 5.$4.3B Highest level of education achieved (include degree and institution): MS University of Louisville BA Indiana University Southeast Licenses (include states); Professional Certifications; Specialized and Advanced Training; and Awards: ICMA Credentialed Manager Instructions: The purpose of this questionnaire is to provide us with additional information about you as a candidate and to gather examples of professional work that illustrate your background and experience. This information will be shared with hiring officials and others involved in making decisions about candidates selected to move forward in the selection process. Please respond to each of the following questions by providing pertinent information. Some questions ask you to provide examples; please be sure to describe your direct level of involvement in the project or initiative. Please be succinct – limit your responses to 300 words. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 2 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP 1. Please tell us why you are interested in this position and why you are considering a career move at this time? I retired from the City of Phoenix this past February with the intention of taking some time off and then pursuing a city manager’s position again. It is my desire to be selective about the community that I work in. It needs to be a place that is growing, embraces diversity and inclusion, has a positive reputation for good government, and it needs to be a community where my skills and experience would be a good fit. I believe that applies to Clearwater. I have been to Clearwater and the Tampa area many times so I am familiar with some of what the area has to offer. 2. What is your current title, essential functions and scope of your overall responsibilities? What is the governance structure of your current organization and describe why you consider these, or previous experiences, preparation for the Clearwater City Manager position? I was the assistant city manager for the City of Phoenix for 7 years. I served as the chief operating officer for the organization. I supervised 5 deputy city managers, police, city attorney, emergency management, convention center, census, special events, the COVID response effort, and I was responsible for developing the city’s police civilian review initiative. Also during my tenure there I supervised, HR, the Library system, Fire, Government Relations, and Parks for a few years. The City built and owned the Sheraton Convention Hotel. When I arrived in 2014 I was asked to become president of the Hotel Corporation. I also was a member of the collective bargaining team, and the budget prep team. Both Phoenix, and Cincinnati have the council-manager form of government. In Phoenix I was the number two person in an organization for the 5th largest city in the US. My experience gained there is highly relevant to the requirements that Clearwater is seeking. For nearly 8 years I was both the chief executive, and chief administrative officer for the City of Cincinnati. That is 15 years of top level experience in a council manager form of government which has prepared me to lead the Clearwater organization. 3. Briefly summarize your leadership and management style and describe your approach to managing a) people, and b) projects. How do you get things done and make decisions? I embrace service excellence. I am an collaborative, family oriented, results oriented leader. My approach is to share information broadly with the team articulating the vision/direction that has come from the policymakers. I generally outline a structure that will enable us to perform within. I want there to be no doubt with the staff that I am dedicated to their success. Part of that involves discussing with them the resources that they need in order to do their job. I work to ensure people can see the importance of their role in executing the overall vision. To ensure accountability I initiate frequent communication with a collective effort to remove any obstacles that might be an impediment to our success. My words and my actions model that we are all there to be problem solvers, not just focusing on process for process sake. For projects I like to assemble interdepartmental teams for key items. It ensures we are not locked into a silo approach, and it gives people opportunities to work on things they may not otherwise see. It can be a good skill builder. I also like to have at least a couple of people that are the far opposite of subject matter experts. If what we’re doing doesn’t make sense to an inhouse person from another department it may also be confusing to the residents we serve. Finally, where appropriate I like to have co-leads on projects so that if something happens to one the project does not get off point. 4. How do you incorporate the values of diversity and inclusion into an organization you lead? Diversity and inclusion needs to be institutionalized. It’s intuitive for me that the workforce top to bottom needs to reflect it, but to ensure it happens we need to review how we recruit. Who does it, how are our materials designed meaning both words, and photographs. Depending upon the area demographics it should likely be in multiple languages. HR should gather data not only on our hires, but also our retention efforts, disparities on discipline, make up of interviewing panels, and pay equity. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 3 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP I would also want to ensure that we examine the content of our training courses, or other organizational development efforts to ensure we are being inclusive in our professional development efforts. Additionally, I want to make sure that our projects or special assignments are staffed in a diverse or inclusive manner. As the top administrative executive I need to model what I’m ascribing to which means I need to espouse the importance of organizational values which includes diversity and inclusion. When we have the opportunity to acknowledge and respect the observances of other cultures that are reflected in the workplace we should consider the best way to do that. That encourages people to see that their employer values them. 5. Describe your approach to public outreach, community engagement, and seeking community input. What methods have you found to be most effective? Recognizing that our residents receive information and engage in a variety of ways it is imperative that our outreach be managed accordingly. We need to disburse information across multiple platforms i.e. using our website, taking advantage of social media platforms like Nextdoor, ensuring we are using accessible tools like Zoom if we are still operating with remote access only due to COVID. In addition to working through our Communications office I would also want to utilize our libraries as resources for community engagement. The same for community centers as well as requesting other community partners work with the City where applicable to help us reach/engage with the public we serve. I have used multiple budget meetings across the neighborhoods to let people see what is being proposed but also to provide input on the front end for what they would like to see the budget address. I have used time blocks where I respond to chat sessions when I was the manager in Cincinnati where the public could engage with me. Ensuring that all interactions are not in City Hall or on city property is important. For specific issues I have used focus groups, survey monkey, utility bill inserts, and PSAs. Though not as popular as it once was we also still use traditional media to help get the word out about engagement. Having special events like Neighborhood Summits which we did annually in Cincinnati was also very effective at spurring community engagement. 6. Describe your experience and approach to financial management, budget development, and fiscal sustainability. Briefly describe a challenging situation involving your organization’s annual budget and what steps you took to address the issue(s), and the outcome. From an experience standpoint I have had responsibility for submitting budgets to policymakers 12 times, meaning my name was on it. I have been involved in developing the budget but did not have the final administrative say for an additional 12+ times. That does not include my experience developing departmental budgets which goes back some years. Budget development is a collaborative process that involves the finance & budget staff, the city manager’s office, department heads, policymakers and community stakeholders. I like to have individual discussions with the electeds to see what their ideas are for what needs to be addressed in the upcoming budget. I also support having a public process to ensure the residents can submit their feedback across a variety of platforms. Through our finance and budget teams we do revenue forecasting, engage with local economists in order to have a basis for our budget assumptions. There has to be ongoing communication between the staff and council about fiscal policies. We have a responsibility to recommend sound policies that recognizes the value of adequate reserves, debt ceiling management, rating agency watch points. I support using one time revenues to cover one time expenses, and developing financing options for the things Council wants to see happen. Unfortunately I’ve had several years where there were gaps that we needed to close. I’ve used strategic cuts, across the board cuts, raked unspent funds from projects that have been completed, deferred or paused projects to ensure we stayed balanced. One year in Cincinnati we had a $14M shortfall and everyone was expecting me to come forward with recommended cuts. I had asked our economic development head and our finance director to review our prior agreements that had clawbacks in them and make sure the provisions of the contracts were being fully adhered to. That exercise did uncover an agreement from years ago where the company had not generated the sufficient number of jobs as promised when they got their incentives. In fact that CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 4 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP had moved some jobs from the city location to a facility outside the city. We were able to obtain a refund in excess of the $14M we needed which removed the need for cuts for that one year. While one could argue some luck was involved I would submit it is also an example of being aggressive to turn over every stone to look for options. Two of the cities I’ve worked for had serious pension issues. The ARC required huge financial investments every single year which dented the ability to have money for raises etc. This necessitated having strategies and policies just for addressing pension obligations. 7. Very briefly, describe your experience, working knowledge and any success you have achieved working in the following areas: a.Neighborhood and downtown revitalization / redevelopment b.Capital project / facility planning, funding, and construction of utilities, infrastructure and building improvements c.Strategic goal setting and citizen based strategic planning a.I have experience working with downtown enhancement district organizations where property owners pay an assessment to ensure clean & safe, marketing, security, streetscapes etc are provided. I have worked with developers on infrastructure projects for neighborhood subdivisions involving impact fees. I have extensive experience working on downtown revitalization including doing several transformational projects both in downtown and in neighborhoods. One example is I have worked on the complete demolition of large scale public housing developments and replacing them with a mixed income neighborhood with ancillary retail. b.I have worked on capital planning, replacing firehouses, building new parks, doing a wraparound infrastructure program to coincide with a new downtown casino that abutted a neighborhood. c.I have worked on a strategic goal setting process that involved only council members. I have also lead a 100 person community planning process for the empowerment zone application back in the 80s. I was trained by the GE company under an agreement reached with then CEO Jack Welch. 8. Have you utilized any performance measurement and benchmarking strategies or practices in determining the effectiveness and quality of services provided to the customers, visitors, and residents of a community? Please describe an example or two. In both Phoenix and Cincinnati we used resident surveys to determine customer satisfaction with our service delivery. There was online options for leaving feedback regarding services or to express a concern. We also gathered data regarding certain field operations. For example we knew how many houses a solid waste operator would service on a shift, how many patrons visited each of our 17 library branches each day, how many people visited each pool, how many kids fed at Kid’s Café… By tracking use data and repeat use where trackable we were able to validate our effectiveness in service delivery. This also assisted in our budget planning. The more we are able to provide services online like payments, or plan review in the Planning Dept. the more data we were able to collect. This information also helped in determining staffing levels. 9. Briefly describe the type, source and nature of overall feedback you have received from colleagues, supervisors and direct reports on areas you could improve or continue to develop to increase your overall competence or proficiency as a leader or manager? I have done a couple of 360 exercises which ICMA requires every 5 years for Credentialed Managers. As the top executive I have been reviewed by either the Mayor or Council Committee. I have also received anecdotal feedback from the workforce on various projects or issues I have lead/managed. I pay attention to what was liked/appreciated and what people may be complaining about regarding the outcome. I ask my direct reports how they like to be lead/supervised, I also ask them what more they need from me in order to be successful. The way they answer those questions can inform some things I may need to do or do better in order to be responsive to them. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 5 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP 10. Please describe your experience in making public presentations and provide an example of a difficult issue you had to address either in a public meeting or with a group of community stakeholders. During the course of my career I have made presentations and given speeches in front of every audience imaginable. City councils, churches, community gatherings, online vehicles like Teams, or Zoom, (with technical help) are all sources I have used to do presentations. Years ago I was lead facilitator for a community visioning process for our Empowerment Zone application. I was invited on two occasions some years ago by the White House to do a presentation for an event they were doing. I’ve been on a number of special television shows to talk about things local government was doing. I’ve done podcasts that could be repeated to provide vital information for various populations. When more granular engagements are necessary, like for a zoning change hearing, or the creation of an outward facing new policy I have always found it important to bake a lot of time into the process to give people time to reflect on what’s being proposed so that they can make enlightened responses. 11. Inherent in every manager’s job is the need to evaluate, hire, discipline, promote or even end the employment of an employee or senior leader in an organization. What is your philosophy and leadership approach toward employee performance evaluations, development, training, selecting and leading others, which may include department or division directors, etc.? Include your views on succession planning and the key ingredients required to build a great team. As time passes a local government’s needs change. That is why I get directly involved in the development of hiring materials for directors and others that are in my direct line of reporting. Each time there is an opening we repeat the process. One of the things that goes into it is me doing an overall assessment of the collective skill & talent coming from the exec team. I make a judgement on whether or not we are missing a key ingredient to making us a complete team, and determining in consultation with the HR director where we might insert it into a future search process. I develop performance goals in concert with the executive rather than simply telling them here’s what I expect. I factor in policy maker direction on what they want to see from the administration. Sometimes policymaker demands causes us to adjust a particular department head’s goals. I usually do 1:1 updates weekly and my assistant cm’s are doing likewise with their direct reports. Feedback is also fluid/in the moment so everyone is aware if we are needing to address a performance issue. I engage with HR on what our training or organizational development curriculum looks like particularly around customer service standards, and leadership development. I usually teach a segment of the course. In selecting new execs I support a two round process with different panels. Even if a candidate comes past me in panel format I may circle back for a 1:1 discussion to help me decide. For key hires like police chiefs I have flown to their city and talked to community people about them. To groom for succession I ensure people are being rotated on assignments, or reporting to broaden their exposure. I like a mixture of promoted up and outside hires to keep the team fresh. 12. Briefly describe your experience (if any) leading and/or managing: (experience in all areas is not a requirement) a.Intergovernmental cooperation or collaboration to address or resolve a regional or multi- jurisdictional problem, challenge or opportunity, b.Bond rating and/or a rating process review, c.Management of municipal utilities including water, sanitary sewer, natural gas, etc. d.Public library operations, e.Addressing public concerns such as water, water quality, sanitary sewer, or storm sewer utility rates, annual budget presentations, major construction updates, or other significant issues of concern related to elected officials, businesses, neighborhood and citizen groups, public hearings, etc., f.Working collaboratively with community, neighborhood, civic and business organizations and leaders, g.Marine and aviation services, CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 6 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP h.Affordable housing, homelessness and/or housing related issues, including policies, i.Neighborhood revitalization programs, policies, and initiatives, j.Commercial development and redevelopment. a.I had a leadership role with a multi-jurisdictional effort for three mega sporting events, 3 presidential visits, two FEMA sponsored COVID testing sites, and a valley wide effort to address homelessness. b.When working in Cincinnati I participated in several meetings with our rating agencies including traveling to New York for in person reviews. I also worked with the CFO in Phoenix and participated in visits from the rating agencies. c.In Cincinnati we operated the sewer district. The director was my hire and was a direct report. In Phoenix we operated the water utility. d.I have had oversight of library operations in 3 cities e.I’ve had extensive experience making budget related presentations in two cities, conducted citizen outreach budget meetings in Phoenix, served on the Planning Commission in Cincinnati addressing a wide range of issues of interest to the public. I also have experience working on strategy sessions to persuade the Council to accept doing two sewer rate increases in order to do a $1B underground pipe replacement project. f.Over 30 years experience working with all of those groups on issues ranging from policing, economic development, transportation, infrastructure, housing,& public policy g. No marine experience, but I do have experience working on airport expansion in two cities. h. I have experience working on homelessness issues in Cincinnati, and Phoenix. I worked on housing related issues including policies in 4 cities Louisville, Lexington, Cincinnati, & Phoenix. i. I created the NEP or Neighborhood Enhancement Program in Cincinnati. I founded the Regional Neighborhood Network when I was working in Louisville. I worked on the demolition and build back of two major public housing developments in Louisville, & Lexington. We created two new mixed income neighborhoods. j. I worked on downtown commercial development projects in 4 cities including the creation of 4th Street Live in Louisville which still operates today. I was president of the Sheraton Hotel Corporation in Phoenix which was a city built and owned facility. I also lead the negotiations for the sale of the property a few years ago. 13. Describe your approach toward embracing and utilizing newer technologies in order to improve responsiveness, efficiencies, and/or enhance services to the community. I completely embrace using newer technologies where affordable, and where we can make a strong business case to policymakers to support the necessary investment. For me that is the key, being able to articulate the difference a technology upgrade would make. Transitioning from manual operations is advisable when possible. Many local governments are confined to using legacy systems because a system overhaul is an expensive and time consuming undertaking. It also may not be politically popular. In Phoenix we replaced the phone system that was 25 years old, the police system that tracked several functions and installed a new software that allowed us to track every time an officer drew their weapon and pointed it at someone. In addition to embracing the newer technology it is also important to factor in the cost in time and money for doing the necessary training so the users (employees) are prepared to utilize the new enhancement. 14. Describe your experience and level of familiarity with developing strategies to address “climate change” and assessing the impacts on a local government organization and the community it serves. The City of Phoenix is one of the C40 Cities which is an international network dedicated to addressing climate change. The executive that facilitates the city’s participation was a direct report to me. We development goals that we wanted to reach and put practices in place that affected our day to day operations. For example we diversified our fleet with electric vehicles, we developed a tree and shade CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 7 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP master plan, we redesigned bus shelters, and we developed water conservation strategies as Arizona has been in drought mode for many years. We created a sustainability office and hired a team to help departments establish operational practices consistent with where we were trying to go as an organization. 15. What is your view on departmental leadership in terms of setting goals, meeting established deadlines and overall individual and team accountability? Goal setting is a collaborative process but I believe each department needs to have a set of goals that are transparent to the internal and external stakeholders. Given that, organizations I run embrace open communication deadlines are well known, review discussions are ongoing, and accountability is required. My style is to critique individually in private but to communicate directly with a full team if performance from the team is not where it needs to be. If an individual needs a performance plan I work with HR to develop it. If an exec would benefit by having a coach there have been times where I have worked with HR to bring one in. As the leader ultimately I am responsible and accountable for the administrations timeliness and overall performance. Therefore I need to be actively engaged to make sure we are on track at all times. I also believe in doing an after action on projects and significant issues so we can be poised to improve going forward. Factoring into this has to be honest communication using whatever performance appraisal tool that the organization has. 16. Describe your experience leading economic development projects or initiatives. What types of incentives have you used? Why are said incentives effective? Over the course of my career in executive level positions I have been directly involved in securing a HQ, expansion deals, waterfront development projects, relocation deals, hotels, a baseball stadium deal with the Milwaukee Brewers for their spring training facility in Phoenix, an arena project, developing a streetcar system and relevant transit oriented development, a downtown casino in Cincinnati, an airport expansion project. My experience is that incentives have to be tailored to the particular deal in front of you rather than a blanket application of all incentives for everything. Cities need to weigh what they are actually gaining over the life of the deal in determining what level of incentives if any to put within a deal. The tools I have personally utilized in helping my cities win deals include: land, land swaps, air rights, master development agreements, cash, secured state or federal assistance, policy changes, zoning assistance, infrastructure, job training assistance, sale lease back arrangements, TIF, abatements, rebates, parking assistance, public private garages, new market tax credits, P3s, operating leases, land clearance assistance. Each deal typically has some gap. My approach with my team is to creatively find a solution to help get the gap closed. Though it’s hard to call it an incentive or tool but sometimes a city needs to be willing to use the word “No”. That can at times help a deal to come together if it’s meant to. Finally, though not an incentive in the traditional sense agreeing to form one “city team” to address all the facets of bringing the deal on line through build out is considered value added by developers because if it expedites implementation it saves them money. 17. What methods, strategies or approaches have you used, or would use to ensure open, candid, accurate and essential two-way communication with elected officials such as the Mayor and Council members? How do you identify, prioritize and address initiatives and priorities desired by the Mayor and City Council? I have worked for Councils ranging from 9 to 15 members. I am responsive to how they prefer our communication be handled. I’ve had some, Mayor’s included that wanted a standing meeting to discuss things. Others wanted it to be more fluid. Some only desired a direct communication when it was something pertaining to their particular district otherwise wanting one of my assistant cms to speak with their chief of staff. Some of that is determined based on if they have an outside full time CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 8 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP job or not. From my end in some instances we have submitted weekly reports to Council, and always made sure they get noticed before we are about to put anything out to the media. I know how to respect confidences so what one shares with me I hold it unless they expressly want me to test it out with others. They do sometimes need me to be in a sort of shuttle diplomacy role if they are not getting along with each other. In terms of prioritizing or addressing initiatives it is influenced by the structure of the government. If everyone is there by virtue of a district election and the culture is to defer to the Councilperson on district related things I abide by it. The prioritization comes in if several people want something from a given department. Then I work to make sure expectations on speed of response is managed. If everyone is at large depending upon what they are asking I will diplomatically remind them that what they are asking needs to go through a council committee or receive a vote from the full body so that it’s a majority driven direction rather than the preferences of one individual. The other part of that which I believe is critical is sharing information with the members of my leadership team. We process it as a group and discuss the best ways to address what is being asked for. That also facilitates better responses within departments. Additionally, I pay attention to how elected officials process information. If I know a person is a visual learner that informs how I present information to them. Finally, I work with them to make sure we are on the same page regarding communication protocols. For example, when they send an email at 10pm is that simply to be there for when I review them the next morning or are they expecting an immediate response regardless. 18. Describe any other areas of expertise or experiences that are relevant to this position that have not been addressed in previous questions. One of the traits my candidacy offers is a professional who is poised under pressure. During the course of my career I have experience dealing with floods, sewer explosions, massive fires, mass shootings, crane accidents, ice storms, plane crashes, securing international events, and coordinating large scale events like Super Bowls, Final Fours, and one college football championship game. 19. The full salary range for this position is $210,000 - $270,000 annually that is dependent upon the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience. Are you comfortable with this range? If not, please explain why. Yes, I am comfortable with this range. 20. Since 2000, please explain all situations where you were in a position for less than two years and describe the reason for your departure. Also, if not currently employed, please describe the terms of the departure from your most recent employer. I have never worked anywhere for as short as two years. In fact 4 has been my shortest tenure. I chose to retire (temporarily) from the City of Phoenix this past February after 7 years there. I was asked to organize and lead our COVID response effort at the beginning of the pandemic. It was extremely labor intensive and emotionally draining. We had over 2000 employees test positive, and we had double digit deaths just on my watch. We performed a lot of activities we had never done before. Our international airport is owned and operated by the City so we had to figure things out on the fly on the airport property. At the same time I was running the COVID operation I was also up late working with the police. PD was a direct report to me. We had social justice protests for 100 consecutive nights some going until the wee hours. Additionally we were informed by the FBI that we should at least plan for trouble for the upcoming election. We have about 70 polling places which again turned out to be a monumental undertaking. After doing all that for one solid year I needed to step away from that and recharge which is exactly what I’ve done. I always had the intention of getting back into the profession but only as a city manager. Phoenix is the only city where I was not in the top administrative post. I much prefer it to being a number two like I was in Phoenix. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 9 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP 21. If an electronic file search of media and blogs is made through Google (or other search engines), what would be disclosed about you that could be construed as negative? It is advisable that these issues be disclosed by you and explained - rather than being asked to react to reports discovered by the prospective employer. Other than traffic tickets I have never been in trouble with the legal authorities. I’ve been in the business a long time and being mentioned in articles on controversial topics is part of the environment that I work in. There was an article about what turned out to be a deferred comp deposit that the city made to my account per my contract that was written about a few years ago. Beyond that I am not aware of anything that would embarrass the City should they choose to hire me. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 1 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP Due Diligence Questionnaire Name Milton Dohoney Jr. Date Completed 07/24/21 Instructions: Please respond to each of the following questions. Depending on your response, you may need to provide additional information. In those cases, please be sure to provide the details requested. 1. Have you been subject to a formal charge regarding a conflict of interest, violation of ethical conduct, malfeasance or misfeasance in the performance of duties? If so, please explain the circumstances. No 2. Have you ever been the subject of an investigation, or censured by a grand jury, board of inquiry, a judicial conduct or disciplinary board or similar body? If so, please provide details, explain the circumstances and final outcome. No 3. Have you been subject to any disciplinary actions, including suspension, probation, or demotion in your adult working career? If so, please provide relevant details, explain the circumstances and the final outcome. No 4. Has any organization, corporation, institution, or former employer dismissed, or asked you to resign for any reason, or from any position? If so, please provide relevant details, and explain the circumstances. No, however I did resign after 8 years in Cincinnati when the incoming Mayor signaled a major change of direction. 5. If you have been in your current, or most recent organization, for less than two years, please describe why you are interested in a career move at this time? N/A 6. Is there anything, in your personal, professional, or social media background history that our Firm, an employer or resident could possibly perceive, view or interpret as factually or potentially embarrassing to anyone? Would, or could, this information impair your ability to perform the essential duties of this job if discovered at a later time? If so, please explain, provide details of the circumstances and current disposition. At some period after I left Cincinnati there was a story or question raised regarding a $20K payment to me that was supposedly made to me on my first day there. It turns out it was in reference to the actual day the City made a payment into my deferred comp account per my contract. There was nothing inappropriate about it. 7. Do you understand that we may disqualify your candidacy from this search if valid, verifiable, and reliable information emerges, contrary to any information you provide us during this process? Yes Professional Narratives Request NAME: PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Please prepare a narrative of your most significant professional achievement from either your current or a previous organization. Please limit your narrative to no more than one page. Among the most significant achievements of my career was having a major role in the large-scale economic development revitalization of Cincinnati Ohio. When I went there in 2006 by it’s own admission the city was reeling from past economic failures. Frequent reference was made to an unfinished subway system that was abruptly halted decades prior, and the inability to develop and execute a development on some of it’s most prized real estate in the city, an 18 acre tract of land that sits right on the Ohio river between two sports stadiums. From news stories, to barber shop chatter the narrative was the city didn’t know how to do big things. With the Mayor’s vision, and majority support of the City Council I played a significant role in galvanizing departments, community leaders, devising communications strategies, and deal structuring to create what is now called The Banks. It was once dirt and now it is comprised of several hundred million dollars of investment. Restaurants, apartments, a corporate tower, a hotel and more now sit between where the Reds and Bengals play games. We had to negotiate an agreement with County government who owned half the land, obtain support from the sports teams, and work on an extremely complicated set of strategies to finance the deal. Our team had to devise very complicated plans to construct an underground parking facility above a flood plain that was built to withstand flooding when the river rose above sea level. In addition to working on pulling a wide range of elements together, I also ensured that each of the relevant city departments were focused on their role in executing the plan to construct The Banks. I was there long enough to personally assemble the staff to get this done. I hired the directors of planning, finance, budget, economic development, communications, police, fire, community development, that all had to play key roles in the execution of the plan. Today the Banks is continuing to develop with a major park slated to be completed some six years after I left for Phoenix which addresses whether or not the project was sustainable. At the same time the waterfront development initiative was underway I was also playing a key role in the development of the Cincinnati Streetcar project. Requiring another engineering feat to lay tracks on the City’s uneven terrain, overcoming a plethora of obstacles, facing at times intense opposition from the media and the public we persevered. I hired the project leadership, went with the Mayor to both the State Capitol, and Congressional halls in search of funding, helped sell a reluctant neighborhood culture, and instilled a “we will not be defeated” mentality amongst the staff. We broke ground and started construction and advanced the project. I helped choose the cars, and negotiate the purchase agreement. I had moved on to Phoenix but the project did get finished and today the initial leg of the streetcar moves about downtown Cincinnati and an adjacent area known as Over the Rhine. This project too resulted in millions of dollars of investment, transit-oriented development, enhanced real estate values, and was a significant step in creating an environment of multimodal transportation. In fact Kansas City piggybacked on the Cincinnati contract to purchase the streetcars that are operating in the city right now. The success of executing transformative economic growth projects helped to pave the way for acceptance of other things that the city had not seen. As an example, I was able to hire the first outside police chief in Cincinnati’s history, who also happened to be the community’s first African American chief. CRITICAL PROBLEM Please prepare a narrative of a critical problem that you have encountered in your professional work, your analysis of the situation, the solution, and the outcome. Please limit your narrative to no more than one page. This was a difficult question to respond to as I have worked in cities that have faced a number critical problems including floods, ice storms, mass shootings, sewer explosions, major budget issues, consent decree negotiations, civil unrest, airport expansion, and a major set of current issues involving the Phoenix Police Department and the community it serves. However, I have chosen to talk about the challenge Phoenix is currently facing trying to manage through and recover from COVID19. At a time when our city and our state have consistently placed among the worst in the country for ongoing outbreaks the city government organization has had to figure out a way to serve the public while dealing with the impact of the pandemic internally. Since we first reached the conclusion that we were in the midst of a serious situation back in March we have changed the way we do business and redefined what service delivery looks like. I was given the latitude to determine the best way for us to organize. I elected to go with an Incident Command structure and I have been serving as our Incident Commander from the very first day. I am overseeing a team of over 60 people and through them a variety of departments that have been asked to help us execute the plans that we develop. It is an evolving situation so we have to develop strategies as we go. We are trying to provide service while experiencing heavy impacts internally. We have had nearly 700 employees test positive, and have had 5 employees to pass ranging from field staff to a deputy director at the airport. Many employees are scared, with some refusing to accept any role that has them coming into city facilities. I convene a WebEx 3 times per week with our 60 member team. I oversee daily reporting to the City Council. I have organized multiple testing partnerships where the City connects with a clinical partner to provide community testing in different parts of the city that have been underserved. I have negotiated a new partnership with a cancer center to serve as our clinical partner in operating a mobile testing van. The City has purchased a van and equipped it with pieces that can determine a test result in 15 minutes We have turned our Convention Center into a day respite center for the homeless to escape our 100 plus degree weather. Though we have our 16 library branches remaining closed, we have developed a method of curbside service for a constituent population that still wants to be served. City Hall remains closed to the general public unless you have an appointment. We have redesigned the lobby to facilitate zoning plan drop offs and people coming in for appointments. We are distributing 800 tablets to children in public housing which we run, so they are able to do schoolwork since classrooms are shut down. Though our senior centers are closed we have organized home delivery of meals. With a spike in DV (domestic violence) I have lead a team to place dedicated computers in facilities around the city so people needing emergency orders of protection can access the court from a safe location and get the help they need. We have never embraced teleworking as an institution but we devised a plan to enable over 3000 employees to telework. As of right now they are slated to be out until the end of October. I have organized a citywide effort to redesign city facilities to make social distancing and high touch cleaning permanent. I have worked with our HR team to devise policies to help our employees address their needs from emotional counseling, flexible leave, city run day camps for their kids, testing for their family members, and matching job reassignments so people can still work even if their agency is shut down. In the midst of the pandemic our city like many others have had nightly social justice protests. Since the police department reports to me and has since I went there I am involved in developing the steps we are taking to ensure transparency. We are serving the pubic including those protesting when the department has experienced almost 200 officers who have also tested positive. The overall solution is to evolve strategies that take care of our staff, creatively serve our public, and help hold us together until we can emerge from this situation. It has been emotionally draining because the people that get sick have faces we know, the same for those we have lost. It is a test of Phoenix’s resiliency and the most elongated test of my leadership skills of my career. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER MILTON DOHONEY JR. CONFIDENTIAL REFERENCE REPORT Reference Relationship: 1.Supervisor 2.Direct Report 3.Supervisor 4.Professional Peer 5.Direct Report Questions Answers 1.What is your professional relationship to the candidate and how long have you known this candidate? 1.I hired him and was his supervisor for six years. 2.He was my direct supervisor, and we worked together for four years. He oversaw police, fire, and emergency management. 3.I hired him in 2006 as City Manager. I was his supervisor. 4.He is one of my trustees. He has been for at least four years. 5.I reported to Milton for five years in his role as Assistant City Manager. 2.What do you consider to be his greatest strengths as a professional? 1.He is good in resolving issues. He is organized and methodical. 2.His vision would be his strength. He can resolve situations and breaks them out. 3.It is his professionalism. Milton is very organized and is a great leader to his staff. 4.He is thoughtful. He does not talk too much. He sits back and reflects and then gives his opinion. He has a great sense of what his role is and gives good input to the board. 5.Milton is decisive, knowledgeable, passionate about public service, and has a great sense of humor. He was a true mentor and very good leader. All respected his judgment. 3.Are there significant areas in his professional work performance where improvements are needed? 1.No. He is a seasoned professional with forty years of experience. He is the complete package. 2.In my opinion, no. 3.Not from my standpoint. I gave him very high marks on his evaluations. Milton is very good in what he does. 4.Not really. He has been pulled in many different directions by the city. He keeps getting more responsibilities by them, so he could learn how to say “no” more often. He is not quick to judge. 5.When you first meet him, some find him a little intimidating, but you soon see that he is cordial and approachable. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER MILTON DOHONEY JR. 4.Describe his approach to problem- solving and decision making. 1.He is extremely organized and methodical when approaching problems and issues. Specifically, on public safety problems and emergency management. 2.He can take a scenario or situation, and break it down into pieces, and show people what the beginning, middle, and end would look like, and kept us moving in that direction. 3.He is an out of the box thinker. We faced tough economic times during the 2008 recession, and he had to be creative in solving our financial issues. 4.He will often let others speak on an issue, and then he will weigh in. He takes peoples’ input, and then has a great way to synthesize it, and gives his opinion. 5.Milton is very methodical and organized and works very hard to gather as much data and talk to as many people as he can. He is decisive and once he makes a decision or takes a position, he will not back up from it because of pressure. 5.Describe his management and leadership qualities? 1.He is an inspirational leader. He is very good in motivating people to do their best and develop relationships with them. He talks honestly with them and is straightforward on issues. He is concerned about motivating people to do their best work.2.He is an excellent communicator and is the boss each Chief dreams of. He will let you do your job, but if there is anything to bring up, he will.3.He is also very good in proper utilization of staff. He empowers them to take on the roles and managing them well.4.He is inclusive. He wants to hear other people speak, but it is clear he is in charge. You can tell our staff feels like he has their back. He supports his team, but also knows they can do better and keeps up with best practices. His staff really care about him. He means a lot to them. He has their respect.5.I felt very comfortable going to him with programs or concerns and his guidance was invaluable. He engages people easily and has a pleasantly authoritative manner that gives him standing in tough situations. People here sought him out and appreciated his willingness to listen. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER MILTON DOHONEY JR. 6.How would you assess his communication skills for oral presentations and written material? 1.He is very straightforward, and even keeled. He is prepared and does not get flustered. He knows his material and is very much in command in his presentations. 2.He is thoughtful in knowing who his audience is. He is good in getting people to understand what the big picture is. If he does not understand something from someone’s perspective, he will try to break it down to understand it and show it to others. He offers transparency and honesty. 3.Excellent communication skills, whether that was written or in presentations. We have a council form of government, and there were many times he had to go out to the community or to corporations to give presentations. 4.He is factual. He is not overly emotional. He has a calm demeanor. He does not get ruffled easily. 5.Milton is an excellent public speaker; I would call him inspiring. He uses humor to his advantage with an audience and is clear in his message. In smaller groups, he uses stories to get the point across. 7.What is/was the most significant contribution that he has made to your organization? 1.His leadership of the public safety departments, police, and fire. He hired the Police Chief and Fire Chief. He oversaw and supervised them. He organized our efforts to attract major events like College Football Championship or the Superbowl. 2.He has great listening skills. Milton does not try to solve things for you if you do not ask that of him. He will listen and will let you work things out when talking. He does this with our Mayor and City Council. He is also processing what are potential outcomes of whatever decision you would choose and plans for it. 3.Even though we faced tough economic times, Milton was still looking for opportunities to invest and grow in our future. We had some major economic fields that continued to bring jobs. We were able to get banks to approve our projects, and we were able to pull it off and it was a large economic deal that we haven’t had in years. He brought hotels, office towers, revitalized houses and developments during these times. 4.Fire and police report to him. We are the 5th largest City in the County. We have been in protests, and he has helped behind the scenes. Our Council has different views on what to do. He has been guiding staff to be attentive to the divergent requests by the council, but also finding ways to keep being supportive of first responders. 5.Milton was tagged to lead our response to the pandemic and give employees a real sense of comfort and safety to the extent possible in that CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER MILTON DOHONEY JR. environment. 8. Do you have an opinion about why he is considering a move at this time? 1. He was a City Manager before he came to us. He has always seen himself returning to the role. This opportunity allows him to do that. He was the #2 here and is looking forward to being in the lead chair. 2. I honestly think he wants to be #1. He wants to be the city manager. He was in prior places, and he has developed so many skills and he want to take them and be the city manager somewhere else. 3. I don’t know specifically why, but I think it is because he is a high achiever and looks for an opportunity to come in and use his skills. 4. He really wants to be a city manager again. He has been the #2 at the 5th largest city. He would be great. 5. Milton was at a point where he believed the city manager form of government was under attack here and did not want to be a flash point in that discussion. Phoenix is a very tough political environment. 9. Are you aware of anything in the candidate’s background that would be a problem for a prospective employer, if it became public knowledge? 1. No. 2. Not at all. 3. No. 4. No. 5. Nothing. 10. Do you have any additional comments about the candidate that you have not already provided? 1. Anyone who hires him would be lucky to have him. He is very talented and committed to local government. He is a seasoned professional that would provide a steady leadership. 2. Because he has policing experience, I can bounce scenarios off them. He is understanding and wise in his communication. He has literally been the best boss I have ever had. 3. If I had the opportunity to hire him again, I would. He really was the kind of partner that anyone who really wants to be successful should have at their side. 4. I was joking with him that I would give him a bad review, so he didn’t have to leave. I think he is wonderful, and I would hate to lose him. But I am understanding that in a professional development standpoint that this would be a good move for him. I would hate the idea of losing him to another city, but it would clearly be their gain. 5. Milton is a great leader and very committed to the professional management of cities. He would be a tremendous asset to any city. Comparison Analysis For Consulting And Coaching Job Competencies Hierarchy Zone Range Person Primary Driving Forces Cluster Zone Range Person Job Behavioral Hierarchy Zone Range Person Milton Dohoney Jr City of Clearwater, Florida – City Manager Interview Questions Wednesday, September 1-2, 2021 Candidate Name: ________________________ 1.Describe the most challenging management situation you ever experienced and how did you strive to resolve the challenge? What was the outcome and, if you could revisit the situation, would you do anything differently? 2.If you have reviewed our budget and Certified Annual Financial Report, what is your assessment of our financial condition and what recommendations do you have for us for improvement and to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability without raising taxes? (Follow-up to Question 2) Tell us about your approach to ensuring the city’s long-term financial health and sustainability and comment on how you keep the city council apprised of financial impacts, provide opportunities for community input, and frame policy issues affecting our long- range fiscal health. 3.Describe your experience with grants and other external revenue sources. 4.How does the strength of the Florida Public Records Act affect your approach toward municipal operations and media relations? 5.What is your expertise and experience with major infrastructure projects and capital expenditures? What techniques have you utilized to adhere to timelines and budget parameters? 6.Describe your management style and in your daily activities, how do you ensure accountability and avoid priorities of the mayor and city council falling through cracks or otherwise being unachieved? 7.Tell us how your professional training, experience and personal qualities have prepared you to become our next city manager. 8. If there are any gaps in your professional expertise compared to the city’s needs, how will you overcome them? 9.What do you consider to be the City of Clearwater’s top three assets and how would you capitalize on them? (Follow up) Conversely, what are the top three challenges and how would you advise the city council to approach them? 10.How do you keep your elected body informed, individually and collectively? . 11.If the mayor and city council adopted a policy or collectively expressed a stance with which you had significant professional disagreement, how would you express that disagreement and seek resolution? Can you cite an example in your response? 12.Discuss your approach to and experience with economic development and diversification of the tax base. Can you share both a success story and a project that did not turn out as well as you hoped and what you learned from it? 13.This is a two-part question. First, please tell us about your management style with department directors. Then, describe how you view the interaction of department heads and other staff with the city council, versus the city manager’s role. 14.The city council values clear, direct and honest communication, which includes high levels of transparency. What are your views regarding transparency at the local government level, and how have you approached this in your experience? 15.To what extent have you researched Imagine Clearwater and what are your thoughts on its implementation? 16.What role does citizen input have in city operations and what techniques have you found successful in capturing and analyzing that input? 17.Give us some examples of cases where you have introduced new technologies to improve productivity or service delivery in a local government organization? 18.How would you go about assessing the City’s overall long-term sustainability as an organization and community -- beyond the traditional financial models of the past? 19.Describe an example of a public-private partnership in which you played a significant role. 20.How do you believe others would describe your management and decision-making style? With a highly experienced senior staff, how would you evaluate their abilities and establish your management approach? 21.Describe your general approach to employee development, motivation and discipline. 22.One of the essential roles of the city manager is the establishment and maintenance of relationships with multiple constituents, both within the organization and in the community. Describe how you have enhanced or repaired a strained relationship. 23.A major landowner in Clearwater is the Church of Scientology. How would you establish a productive working relationship with that organization, and if you have had a similar experience in another community, please tell us about it? 24.Describe your experience and expertise with strategic planning and visioning for a community in which you have managed. 25.To what extent do you believe contact with citizens and citizen’s groups is important? How do you typically handle this responsibility? How will you build relationships with the community? 26.Cities across the country are trying to find just the right balance in protecting their character and history, while encouraging more growth and development to expand the tax base. What is an example of a city or town that you feel is finding the right balance, and what lessons from that city or town would you bring to Clearwater? 27.What strategies do you use to encourage inclusiveness and build consensus among diverse interests in a way that meets the needs of the community rather than the interests of a few? Give us an example that demonstrates this. 28.In what ways have you learned about people from other cultures and backgrounds and how does that influence your work? 29.Tell us about your approach to and experience with joining a new organization and community and establishing your presence. If you become our city manager, what would you hope to accomplish within the first six months and then during the next three years? 30.What lessons can local governments learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with respect to equitable delivery of services and distribution of resources? 31.For governmental organizations to thrive in the 21st century, what changes need to be made and what have you done to position your current or most recent employer to be successful in that environment? 32.Are there any areas of your qualifications and experience that our questions have not probed that you would like us to consider? Closing question 1.Do you have any questions for us? CANDIDATE 2 – CHARLES DUGGAN Charles M. Duggan, Jr. 10732 Opal Avenue, Redlands, CA 92374 Phone 415-599-9153 cdugganauburn@me.com July 14, 2021 Ms. Anne Lewis and Mr. Chuck Rohre Baker Tilly Public Sector Executve Recruitment Dear Ms. Lewis and Mr. Rohre: I am excited about the opportunity to apply for the City Manager positon with the City of Clearwater. Having spent my formatve years on the beaches of Clearwater, the waters of the Intracoastal Waterway and as a graduate of Dunedin Senior High School, I am well acquainted with the city as well as the surrounding communites in Pinellas County. The Clearwater City Manager positon would satsfy my great desire to work in a community that combines interestng work challenges with superior quality of life in a setng of remarkable beauty. As you can see from my resume, I will bring a varied and comprehensive background incorporatng experience from every level of local government. I am an extremely self-motvated professional interested in partcipatng in an organizaton dedicated to excellence with an emphasis on delivering exceptonal customer service to citzens. Throughout my career I have proven my ability to succeed in increasingly responsible and challenging positons. I have the ability to lead an organizaton efectvely, work collectvely to set realistc goals, communicate and collaborate with a wide variety of individuals, analyze complex informaton and to disseminate clear, focused, realistc recommendatons. I place great emphasis on the tmely, eecient, and cost efectve delivery of high quality services to the public. My educatonal experience combines graduate work in public administraton with a strong business, financial and technology background bolstered by executve leadership training from both Harvard University and the University of Virginia. During my tenure as City Manager with the City of Auburn, I began insttutng High Performing Organizatonal concepts that led to public satsfacton with customer service increasing each year. I have built on that experience with tme spent working for a major water utlity and a premier city in Southern California. Additonally, I previously served on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Innovaton and for ICMA. Both organizatons strive to foster a community of practce shaping the future of local governance. I am positve that a personal interview will more fully display my qualificatons, and my abilites, to join the City of Clearwater team working towards the community’s contnued success. Thank you for your tme and I look forward to meetng with you and the City Council. Sincerely yours, Charles M. Duggan Jr. Enclosure Charles M. Duggan, Jr. 10732 Opal Avenue Redlands, California 92374 415-599-9153 cdugganauburn@me.com SUMMARY Committed local public agency manager with an extensive history of collaboraive, strategic leadership of a high performing management team in a well-educated, quality of life focused community. Extremely skilled at managing and communicaing in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Over thirty years’ experience in local government (13 as a city manager) with strong emphasis in fnancial management, human resources, customer service, informaion technology, intergovernmental relaions, parks and recreaion, and planning. Highly efecive in improving the quality of public services, staf producivity, efciency, and morale while remaining fscally focused and operaing within exising budgetary restraints. Possesses excepional ability: to quickly consume large amounts of new informaionn in assessing needsn forging strategic partnershipsn consensus buildingn displaying emoional intelligencen uiliiing strategic thinkingn and implemening policy changes. Adept at employing innovaive problem solving, team building, and project management techniques. Excellent wriing, interpersonal, and presentaion skills. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & ACCOMPLISHMENTS COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP Current Position: City Manager,n Rerdlandsn CA Supervise eight (8) department heads and advise daily on policy quesions, operaions, personnel issues, ciiien requests and problem situaions. Full service city providing police, fre, parks & recreaion, water, sewer, garbage, airport, etc. Managing During a Pandemic o Led emergency management eforts in a dynamic environment where the situaion changed on a regular basis. o Delivered a 2021 fscally responsible budget that included signifcant budget cuts in all areas. o Conducted extensive public outreach for a 1% sales tax iniiaive that passed with a 58% majority. o Created a plan to conduct a Ciiien Survey, develop a six-year Strategic Plan to include a six- year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), and a prioriiiaion schedule for the next city budget. Implemented a process to improve employee onboarding, career development, mid-career assessments, and end of career knowledge transfer. Previous Position: Division Di,ertto, oo, Ma,in Mnnitiaal aater, Dist,ittn CA Supervised fve (5) department managers, in a division of 63 employees, and advised daily on policy quesions, operaions, personnel issues, customer requests and problem situaions. Charged with aligning all internal service departments towards delivering excepional customer services to all areas of the District, both internally and externally. Created Budget Committee to foster collaboraion and included mid-managers as well as division managers. Developed and communicated responses to the public during 2017 & 2019 Proposiion 218 iniiaives and in doing so built a reputaion for responsiveness, honesty, and competence. Worked closely with other District staf to reduce overdue employee evaluaions from 32% to 9% districtwide. Only division director to have 100% of evaluaions within the division completed in FY2018 and FY2019. Charles M. Duggan, Jr. Page 2 P,ervions Position: City Manager, oo, 11 yera,sn Anbn,nn Alabamaa Supervised 12 department heads and advised daily on policy quesions, operaions, personnel issues, ciiien requests and problem situaions. Full service city providing police, fre, parks & recreaion, water, sewer, garbage, etc. Managed/operated human resources funcion for a staf of 850 employees (475 permanent full ime with temporary and part ime employees all totaling 617 Full Time Equivalent posiions). Introduced higher performing organiiaion concepts to management team. Created employee team to compose City’s Core Value Statement. Oversaw team that led to the creaion and adopion of City’s Comprehensive Plan – winner of “Best Comprehensive Plan” 2012 Alabama Chapter of American Planning Associaion. Created steering committee to develop proposed Downtown Plan and redevelopment. Led adopion of Opelika Road Corridor Plan to revitaliie strategic commercial corridor. Collaborated extensively with Chamber of Commerce on downtown event planning and commercial development policy improvements. Implemented development review team to foster interdepartmental cooperaion, remove barriers and ime delays, during engineering and ioning plan approval stage. FINANCIAL PLANNING & MONITORING Current Position: City Manager,n Rerdlandsn CA Developed the Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget through a three-iered reducion process that ensured fairness while preserving community prioriies in light of the challenging economic environment as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Coordinated with the City’s consultant and provided direcion to staf to support necessary acions to promote the passage of Measure T, the City’s 1% sales tax measure. Completed installaion of six million dollar, Phase 1 wastewater treatment plant improvements on ime and within budget. In process of creaing a six-year, long range fscal plan. Previous Position: Division Di,ertto, oo, Ma,in Mnnitiaal aater, Dist,ittn CA Played signifcant role in 2017 & 2019 Prop 218 efort of the District including managing 2017 Cost of Service Analysis (COSA), creaing fnancial reports, handling a large porion of public quesions, helping to create public presentaions, delivering presentaions, etc. Lead role in $42 million bond fnancing for capital projects. Devised and delivered a series of informaional fnancial presentaions to the Board. Lead role on 2019 Cost of Service Analysis (COSA) and Budget preparaions. Supervised and worked closely with Finance Manager to develop improved fnancial projecions. P,ervions Position: City Manager, oo, 11 yera,sn Anbn,nn Alabamaa Led presentaions to raing agencies that resulted in three upgrades since 2006. Analyied fund balance, debt plans, revenues and fnancial policies to keep budget in line with policy objecives of governing body and sound fnancial pracices. Streamlined budget process to facilitate efcient creaion, review, and adopion. Directed the creaion of ofcial, City Council adopted, fnancial policies. Created Solid Waste Enterprise Fund to better track expenditures and revenues. Charles M. Duggan, Jr. Page 3 Disinguished Budget Presentaion Award for four biennial budgets. Eight consecuive years receiving GFOA Cerifcate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporing CAFR award. RELATIONSHIP BUILDING & COMMUNICATION Current Position: City Manager,n Rerdlandsn CA Attended eighty-nine (89) City Manager introducion meeings with members of the Redlands community. This included service clubs, local businesses, public ofcials, local event holders, public meet and greets at the Community Center, City Departments and City Boards/Commissions. Coninuously and acively monitored ongoing developments relaing to the COVID-19 pandemic, including execuive orders, public health orders, and recommendaions made at the county, state, and federal level for appropriate acion at the City level while maintaining services to the community. Conducted weekly meeings with the execuive team to discuss and coordinate further COVID-19 response in addiion to holding Council Subcommittee meeings as needed for direcion. Led eforts to create an interagency team from the city, local hospital, the University of Redlands and local businesses to ofer vaccinaions to the public. Over 30,000 vaccinaion doses administered. Previous Position: Division Di,ertto, oo, Ma,in Mnnitiaal aater, Dist,ittn CA Spearheaded eforts of internal departments to streamline decision-making and remove barriers to working interacively with all areas of the District. Merged Communicaions and Water Conservaion departments to create a single enity focused on disseminaing the message that water is a precious resource and to lead the District in community engagement eforts. Uiliied feedback from District Directors in making improvements to fnancial reporing as well as the communicaions strategy of the District. P,ervions Position: City Manager, oo, 11 yera,sn Anbn,nn Alabamaa Forged excellent working relaionships with local school system, county ofcials, Auburn University Administraion, State and Federal elected ofcials. Improved interagency cooperaion leading to developed/furthered partnerships on signifcant projects: Auburn University: new Airport terminal, Research Park, Doctor of Osteopathy Schooln Lee County: Jail expansion, Solid Waste disposal bid/contractn Auburn City School system fundingn Chamber of Commerce downtown events. Insituted City Manager’s Weekly eews to update City Council on past week’s events and upcoming aciviies and projects. Created monthly Public Works report to assist City Council’s knowledge on project schedule and status. Ciiien Survey saisfacion with city’s efeciveness of communicaion with the public improved from 59% to 75%. Ciiien Survey saisfacion with Image of the City raised from 78% to 90%. Charles M. Duggan, Jr. Page 4 PAST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOCUS – DISPLAYS ABILITY TO WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH A DIVERSE AUDIENCE Led economic development eforts that resulted in: Job Creaion = 3,790 with Capital Investment = $812,089,292. eew Companies = 14 created $348,876,753 in capital investment and 1,519 jobs. Expansions = 52 resulted in $463,212,539 in capital investment and 2,271 jobs. Sales tax growth: FY2014 receipts approximately 7% higher than FY2013. Travelled internaionally to attend and lead economic recruitment and expansion meeings with CEO and upper level management of transnaional companies (Germany, France, Korea, etc.). Oversaw construcion of West Tech Park – a new 400+ acre technology park dedicated to industrial recruitment. Ensured compleion of infrastructure and Phase I of the Auburn Research Park, a joint-iniiaive between the City of Auburn, Auburn University, and the State of Alabama. Created development review team/process to better support the needs of new and expanding commercial and industrial business and to remove impediments. Collaborated with Auburn Mall owners on compleion of $40M renovaion and expansion. Implemented Commercial Development Incenive Program for sales tax sharing. Facilitated community forums to receive input on development/redevelopment. EMPLOYMENT 2020 – Present City Manager City of Redlands, CA 2017 – 2020 Administraive Services Director/Treasurer Marin Municipal Water District, CA 2006 – 2017 City Manager City of Auburn, AL 2005 – 2006 Assistant City Manager City of Auburn, AL 1998 – 2005 Informaion Technology: Deputy Director, Asst. Dir., eetwork Admin City of Auburn, AL 1991 – 1998 Parks & Recreaion: Director City of Auburn, AL EDUCATION Master of Business Administraton,Auburn University,Auburn, Alabama Elecive courses in Public Administraion (MPA) and Informaion Technology Bachelor of Science, Applied Physics,Auburn University,Auburn, Alabama Elecive courses in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 1 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP Candidate Questionnaire Name Charles M. Duggan, Jr. Primary Phone 415-599-9153 Email cdugganauburn@me.com Please List Your Current (1) and Previous Three (3) Position Titles & Places/Organizations of Employment (include start/end dates by month/year, plus the position & organization): 1. City Manager, City of Redlands, CA, January 2020 – present 2. Administrative Services Director/Treasurer, Marin Municipal Water District, CA, February 2017 – January 2020 3. City Manager, City of Auburn, AL February 2006 – February 2017 4. Assistant City Manager, City of Auburn, AL, August 2005 – February 2006 Currently / Most Recently Reports to (by title): City of Redlands, CA – City Council Population Served (last 2 organizations): City of Redlands 70,000 Marin Municipal Water District 195,000 Employees Supervised & Budget 1.) Number of Direct Reports 2.) Number of Employees in Department 3.) Number of Employees in Organization 4.) Department Budget 5.) Entire Organization’s Budget 1. 8 2. 21 (includes OCM, HR, Purchasing and PIO) 3. 568 4. $ 6,348,247 5. $ 167,000,000 approximately Highest level of education achieved (include degree and institution): Master of Business Administration, Auburn University Concentrations: Information Systems and Public Administration Licenses (include states); Professional Certifications; Specialized and Advanced Training; and Awards: • Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer • 2017 Alabama City/County Management Association Sam Gaston Vocational Excellence Award (Manager of the Year for the state of Alabama) Instructions: The purpose of this questionnaire is to provide us with additional information about you as a candidate and to gather examples of professional work that illustrate your background and experience. This information will be shared with hiring officials and others involved in making decisions about candidates selected to move forward in the selection process. Please respond to each of the following questions by providing pertinent information. Some questions ask you to provide examples; please be sure to describe your direct level of involvement in the project or initiative. Please be succinct – limit your responses to 300 words. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 2 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP 1. Please tell us why you are interested in this position and why you are considering a career move at this time? I am interested in this position because I am very familiar with the City of Clearwater having spent quite a bit of time there in my youth – I graduated from Dunedin Senior High. The city has a great reputation for being well run, as well as progressive, and I know Bill Horne through professional circles, which gives me some perspective on the current state of the city and how it has been managed. The city council is stable, the staff is solid and plans for the city are exciting. I was not looking to leave my current position when I saw this advertisement and I am not applying for jobs elsewhere. The short version is that the City of Clearwater is an incredible community and would be a great place to be the city manager. Additionally, a big factor is that I have family in the area, including my mother, so this position checks all of the boxes from professional to personal. 2. What is your current title, essential functions and scope of your overall responsibilities? What is the governance structure of your current organization and describe why you consider these, or previous experiences, preparation for the Clearwater City Manager position? I presently serve as the city manager for the City of Redlands, CA, which is under the Council/Manager form of government and a full service city. My scope of responsibilities includes supervising all department directors and the work of their departments, including police and fire. I also serve as the link between the governing body and the administration/staff, as well as being the chief policy advisor for the city council. Effectively, I am the CEO of the organization. My local government experience is extensive and I have been active in the profession both nationally and internationally. I have over thirty years of experience ranging from parks and recreation, to IT and other internal services, to a large water utility, to economic development, to more than a decade of direct city management. I have served on the Board of Directors for both ICMA and the Alliance for Innovation. I feel that I would be well suited to handle the challenges associated with being the city manager of Clearwater. 3. Briefly summarize your leadership and management style and describe your approach to managing a) people, and b) projects. How do you get things done and make decisions? a) While it is always important to match my approach with the situation, and to the personality/disposition of the person(s) with whom I am working, my first approach is to be inclusive, to forge a team atmosphere, and to value the input of all participants. In addition to emphasizing that everyone’s voice has a place and will be heard, I work to be genuine and honest in my interactions. Of course, there are times when being direct or demanding is necessary. Regardless of the situation, I am extremely calm at all times and believe that is one of my strengths. Finally, I always find that a good sense of humor is necessary and signals to staff that while our work is incredibly important we should never take ourselves too seriously. b) When it comes to projects, it is important to establish clear expectations about the quality of the finished product as well as the importance of the deadline. Of course, matching the right project manager to the task is the first step. Some projects are too big for an inexperienced employee. I typically then ask the manager to present a schedule which identifies the important steps and decision points. Next, I schedule regular meetings to receive updates and progress reports. It is never my inclination to be a micro manager so the employee gets an appropriate amount of freedom while I make sure that I stay informed. However, if things get off track I must quickly determine if coaching will work to fix the issue, if I need to assign a new manager, or if I need to take charge myself. When I say that I am an inclusive leader it makes me think of the following statement that I hope my employees could make about me: CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 3 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP “His capacity for hearing out another point of view is exceeded only by his willingness to change his own once he's heard you out.“ I am results focused and I welcome anyone’s good idea. 4. How do you incorporate the values of diversity and inclusion into an organization you lead? The first step is to establish the specific needs and desires of the organization. The approach could range from reinforcing a well-established history of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) memorialized in a statement of Core Values. Another approach is to create a DEI plan for the organization and include DEI in organizational goals. Additionally, a more extensive approach would be to join the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) that includes making a commitment to achieving racial equity, focusing on the power and influence of the organization, and working in partnership with others to leverage and expand opportunities. Finally, in all cases, the most important factor is to lead by example and to take every opportunity to reinforce throughout the organization that the polite, professional, equal treatment of all is mandatory. Local government should represent and look like the community it serves. We can achieve this through diversifying the staff, the city’s boards and commissions, and volunteer advisory groups. 5. Describe your approach to public outreach, community engagement, and seeking community input. What methods have you found to be most effective? Public outreach has evolved significantly in the electronic age. Whereas citizen surveys, newsletters, in person workshops, and a comprehensive website all still have their useful functions, cities must now be proficient in the areas of email marketing, social media, and text messaging. Ultimately, the aim is to communicate clearly, in an understandable way, and to mobilize citizens to support the vision and goals of the planned effort. I have found regular, scientifically administered, citizen surveys help to assess the views of those citizens we hear from the least and brings a more comprehensive picture than what we hear from the more vocal groups. I also emphasize with my communications professionals that we want two-way communication and not just a unilateral “spray and pray” approach. They are expected to be gatherers of information as much as they are deliverers. In the end, for big initiatives, few things work better than hitting the road and conducting workshops. When I began my tenure in my present position I attended over 80 “meet and greets” in about a two month period. There is no better way to listen and learn or to signal a desire to be part of the community. 6. Describe your experience and approach to financial management, budget development, and fiscal sustainability. Briefly describe a challenging situation involving your organization’s annual budget and what steps you took to address the issue(s), and the outcome. The importance of sound financial management cannot be overstressed. For the taxes that they remit, citizens are entitled to high quality services, ranging from basic life/safety to elevating their quality of life, all delivered in the most cost efficient way possible. My approach is always to emphasize fiscal conservatism and long range planning. A budget is a city’s ultimate policy document containing the clearest statement of that organization’s priorities. It exists as an important tool in realizing the goals of a city’s Strategic Plan/Direction. In my current position, for next year’s budget, I have laid out a multi- stage plan to conduct a citizen survey this fall, create a six-year strategic plan by the end of the year, meet with department directors to establish recommendations on priorities and last, to finalize priorities with the city council. Developing the 2020/2021 budget was one of my greatest challenges. The revenue projections predicted major shortfalls, a possible recession, and prolonged issues resulting from the pandemic. In CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 4 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP addition, the city had structural imbalances where costs, particularly pensions, were significantly rising with no offsetting increase in revenues. Reserves were a safety net but only as a short-term solution. In fact, when projecting farther out, the fiscal year 2021/2022 financial situation would be catastrophic. Knowing the importance of not depleting reserves, I conducted a series of budget cutting rounds with the department directors, three in all, leading to recommendations of significant cuts, laying off 42 positions while freezing another 40 vacancies. This plan affected all of the areas and services that we provide. We then set about to explain the cuts to the public and the reasons behind these actions. The communications mostly occurred through Zoom meetings with the Chamber of Commerce and service clubs such as Kiwanis and Rotary. 7. Very briefly, describe your experience, working knowledge and any success you have achieved working in the following areas: a. Neighborhood and downtown revitalization / redevelopment b. Capital project / facility planning, funding, and construction of utilities, infrastructure and building improvements c. Strategic goal setting and citizen based strategic planning a. In Auburn, we created a Neighborhood Upgrade program utilizing a multi-departmental approach to address infrastructure and beautification improvements in a concentrated timeframe addressing two neighborhoods each year. I also led a major revitalization effort downtown consisting of infrastructure replacement, raising the roadway intersection to curb level to create a town square, and wayfinding. The initiative required working closely with Auburn University, the Chamber of Commerce, and downtown proprietors, who all played a major role downtown. b. I completely revised the Auburn Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to meet budget estimates and to incorporate previously deferred maintenance issues. Project funding arrived through the strategic use of reoccurring revenue, grants, debt, and state and federal funding. I have overseen major renovations at both cities in the areas of wastewater treatment, pipeline infrastructure, street paving, building maintenance and water meter replacements, etc. c. In Auburn, we utilized extensive citizen based strategic planning in creating our last Comprehensive Plan. At the Water District, I led the effort and coordinated all aspects of the most recently adopted strategic plan. Currently, in Redlands we are about to conduct a strategic planning program to be finished before January 1, 2021. I laid out the process in question 6 above. 8. Have you utilized any performance measurement and benchmarking strategies or practices in determining the effectiveness and quality of services provided to the customers, visitors, and residents of a community? Please describe an example or two. The most on-target example I have is from utilizing a Citizen survey to provide benchmarking results. Annually in Auburn, we conducted a survey that compared our scores with those of 600+ other cities. We could see how our performance ratings compared to the same categories as those reported from the other cities. We then used that information to determine if we needed to devote additional resources to a particular area. Of course, we assigned importance factors for each score so that we could focus on the areas citizens deemed most important and where they most wished to see improvement. In Redlands, Fire department response time is another example of where we asked citizens their thoughts about where to concentrate improvements. We have statistics, showing our response times, that we benchmark against our past practice, local agencies, and national standards. We are analyzing the reasons for our delays and setting goals to make improvements. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 5 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP I often speak to staff about the importance of Direction, Support, and Feedback and how they are essential management duties. In the case of improving Fire response times, while the Direction to improve exists, we are cognizant that additional Support is needed in the way of dedicating additional resources to the task. This could include the need for new equipment, replacement equipment as well as new fire stations. 9. Briefly describe the type, source and nature of overall feedback you have received from colleagues, supervisors and direct reports on areas you could improve or continue to develop to increase your overall competence or proficiency as a leader or manager? I strive to be as self-aware as possible which requires regularly inquiring about blind spots or areas needing improvement. In addition to ending every meeting with a councilmember or employee with the question, “What can I do for you?” I regularity ask about what things they see that I can do to perform better as the city manager. One common theme I heard was that my first approach to solving a problem is to begin assembling the hurdles to overcome to achieve success. For those who do not know me well, it sometimes appears that I am creating a list of reasons leading to why we should not move in that direction. I can see how this creates feelings that are off-putting or confusing and I’ve worked hard to signal early on in a project that the approach is actually positive and focused on charting a course to a “yes” by identifying and then surmounting the hurdles. 10. Please describe your experience in making public presentations and provide an example of a difficult issue you had to address either in a public meeting or with a group of community stakeholders. During my career I have conducted countless public meetings and made numerous public presentations on a wide ranging set of topics to include the budget, land use planning, pension reform, utility rate settings, etc. A prime example of a difficult issue was when I was assigned as the point person to present a water rate increase to the public in Marin County, CA, after only two months at the Water District. The agency had a long history of foregoing rate increases, including a period of no increases for nine consecutive years and no increase 17 out of 24 years. Not surprising, the District’s finances were in shambles that included facing nearly depleted reserves and debt levels that had risen exponentially. Adding to this picture was a local watchdog group staunchly against new taxes and rate increases. The group had recently defeated several school tax initiatives, and won awards for doing so, thus they were very strong in their convictions. I quickly absorbed the material, created a presentation devoid of jargon and that was understandable by the layperson, and presented the facts. Afterwards, I was able to forge a working relationship with the group and built a reputation for honesty, transparency and responsiveness. 11. Inherent in every manager’s job is the need to evaluate, hire, discipline, promote or even end the employment of an employee or senior leader in an organization. What is your philosophy and leadership approach toward employee performance evaluations, development, training, selecting and leading others, which may include department or division directors, etc.? Include your views on succession planning and the key ingredients required to build a great team. I stated earlier that Direction, Support, and Feedback are essential management duties. On the subject of feedback, employee performance evaluations are an essential tool (I am aware that there is a movement in some sectors of the HR world to replace the written yearly evaluation and I would need to understand better the replacement before joining that movement). Unfortunately, too many supervisors avoid this opportunity to give genuine feedback. They also miss the opportunity to start providing direction for the new year. In all of my leadership roles I have required that all evaluations must be CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 6 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP completed on time. At the Water District my division was the only one to complete all evaluations each fiscal year. Likewise, with all of the HR departments that I have managed I have stressed the need for developing programs dedicated to comprehensive and robust onboarding, career development, mid-career guidance, and end of career knowledge transfer. Each stage of an employee’s career requires nurturing and developing and by doing so both retention and promotion opportunities are enhanced. Internal promotions are great if the right people are on staff and ready to assume the higher level duties. Thus, it is incumbent on us to prepare future employees and make sure they have the ability to compete for promotions. Having a large pool of well-developed employees from whom to select is the best succession planning achieved. In the past I have developed a well-constructed supervisor training program focused on developing the skills of future managers. For me, the key ingredients to a great team include the ability to adopt a common set of goals and objectives. Just as important is the ability to build a safe environment where debate and deliberations are impassioned yet professional. Another essential aspect for successful teams is for its members to be subject matter experts to help steer decision making to the right options. Finally, a great team should embody a relentless drive for progress and productivity while stressing organizational success over personal achievement. 12. Briefly describe your experience (if any) leading and/or managing: (experience in all areas is not a requirement) a. Intergovernmental cooperation or collaboration to address or resolve a regional or multi- jurisdictional problem, challenge or opportunity, b. Bond rating and/or a rating process review, c. Management of municipal utilities including water, sanitary sewer, natural gas, etc. d. Public library operations, e. Addressing public concerns such as water, water quality, sanitary sewer, or storm sewer utility rates, annual budget presentations, major construction updates, or other significant issues of concern related to elected officials, businesses, neighborhood and citizen groups, public hearings, etc., f. Working collaboratively with community, neighborhood, civic and business organizations and leaders, g. Marine and aviation services, h. Affordable housing, homelessness and/or housing related issues, including policies, i. Neighborhood revitalization programs, policies, and initiatives, j. Commercial development and redevelopment. a. The Auburn University Regional Airport needed of a new airport operations building. The effort required working with the university, the adjacent city, and the county to procure funding and approve design. b. I have extensive knowledge conducting bond rating presentations. At Auburn I led three successful bond rating upgrades during the Great Recession. I also led rating reviews at the Water District. c. I have extensive knowledge of water and sewer utilities to include major plant renovations, CIP development, debt issuance, rate setting, etc. d. I have supervised library staff/functions at both cities and supported/valued the resources that they provide to the community. e. I have conducted many briefings on all of these subjects. I am very comfortable speaking to the public. Being prepared with subject matter knowledge combined with being open and transparent establishes trust and understanding. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 7 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP f. I have worked closely with numerous groups from university students, to Rotarians and other civic/service groups, to having an important partnership with the Chamber of Commerce. Each group brings talents and resources that create a beneficial symbiotic relationship with the city. g. I have managed two cities with local airports. Auburn’s is owned by the university but the city had a role on the advisory board. In Redlands we own the airport. I have no marine supervisory experience but I do have my American Sailing Association certificates to show that I am very familiar with boats and can relate to marina patrons. h. Currently, we are in the middle of a homelessness crisis in CA so I have experience in working towards addressing homelessness and affordable housing. i. In Auburn, one program primarily utilized CDBG funds to improve low to moderate-income neighborhoods. We also bought land and developed small subdivisions that we offered for sale to low income families. j. We had an extensive commercial development program in Auburn that was very active and successful in recruitment and retention of businesses. 13. Describe your approach toward embracing and utilizing newer technologies in order to improve responsiveness, efficiencies, and/or enhance services to the community. Having previously worked in the IT field I feel that I am well suited to encourage, evaluate, and implement new technologies. While in Auburn in the early 2000’s we were among the first to install an IP telephony solution unifying voice, email, and voice messaging. In Auburn and here in Redlands, we are moving to Automated Meter Reading and Infrastructure (AMR/AMI) to allow customers greater access to their accounts enabling them to manage their usage better and detect leaks sooner. Recently, our Police department has added Zoom capabilities to report non-emergency crimes making it easier for citizens to schedule and meet with an officer electronically. 14. Describe your experience and level of familiarity with developing strategies to address “climate change” and assessing the impacts on a local government organization and the community it serves. Climate change strategies extend from preparing your infrastructure to handle the coming changes to regional approaches to slow the impact climate change has on the local environment. In Marin I participated in efforts to identify infrastructure susceptible to climate related damage or failure. On the city front, I have been involved with Comprehensive/General plan efforts to adjust zoning to encourage lower levels of sprawl development and to encourage multi-modal transportation. 15. What is your view on departmental leadership in terms of setting goals, meeting established deadlines and overall individual and team accountability? All managers have to focus on direction, support, and feedback. Each manager should work closely with their direct reports to clarify direction, ensure that the support exists for the assigned tasks, and to give and receive feedback. I am clear in the expectations that I set with department directors. In most cases, we mutually agreed on the timeframe and deadlines so the director is well aware of the promises they are making and have to keep. We achieve accountability through frequent communication, regular updating, all while documenting success and failure in evaluations. I expect department directors to use the same approach within their departments and with their staff. 16. Describe your experience leading economic development projects or initiatives. What types of incentives have you used? Why are said incentives effective? CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 8 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP In Auburn we had a comprehensive economic development approach and an experienced team that recruited industrial and commercial development both nationally and internationally. I have met with business owners/CEOs in Germany, South Korea, France and other nations in pursuit of locating a company in our city. We developed and nurtured a relationship with the State Department of Commerce. We sourced leads at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) RECon event each year in Las Vegas. We created our own workforce development programs and incubator programs. We worked closely with Auburn University to leverage the College of Engineering and other research capabilities/opportunities. The incentives we used ranged from help given to companies in navigating the city departments and assistance with zoning/development approval, to sales tax sharing incentive programs, to developing technology park infrastructure covering hundreds of acres and providing the land as an incentive to locate. Each incentive we used required a cost benefit analysis, and an assessment on how the incentive helped reach the goals of the program in the areas of job creation and sales tax generation. 17. What methods, strategies or approaches have you used, or would use to ensure open, candid, accurate and essential two-way communication with elected officials such as the Mayor and Council members? How do you identify, prioritize and address initiatives and priorities desired by the Mayor and City Council? A colleague and good friend of mine wrote in Making It Work: The Essentials of Council-Manager Relations that “Establishing, nurturing, and maintaining good relations with their elected officials is one of the key components of every city and county manager’s job.” Likewise, the ICMA code of ethics states in Tenet 7 that “Members should maintain a reputation for serving equally and impartially all members of the governing body…” Throughout my career I have strived to treat all members of the governing body equally and that begins with ensuring that all members have access to the same information at the same time. At both Auburn and Redlands I have established the City Manager’s Weekly News which is a weekly, electronic newsletter that includes information about recent accomplishments, memos on upcoming initiatives, and news about upcoming events. If desired, individual councilmembers and the manager can have regular one-on-one meetings. Ultimately, the manager has to be available, approachable, and genuinely interested in helping each councilmember achieve their goals while being mindful that decision-making responsibility lies with the full body. 18. Describe any other areas of expertise or experiences that are relevant to this position that have not been addressed in previous questions. Several years ago, I attend a leadership program at Harvard University. During that program we were asked to compose our career goal statement and I wrote this: “I want to run a city that gives my employees the opportunity to achieve personal and professional success and helps my city become a worldwide leader.” Add to that another statement I am fond of making: “my only job is to make the city council look like geniuses for hiring me.” My focus is helping others to be successful and my experience tells me that when that happens I succeed too. I believe that I can achieve my goals, and those of the city council, with the City of Clearwater. The city has everything needed to become, or stay, a worldwide leader in the delivery of local government services. The combination of its natural beauty, its history of delivering high quality services at a reasonable cost and, especially, with the redevelopment program now underway with the Imagine Clearwater Master Plan the city is well situated to be a model for others to envy and emulate. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 9 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP 19. The full salary range for this position is $210,000 - $270,000 annually that is dependent upon the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience. Are you comfortable with this range? If not, please explain why. Yes 20. Since 2000, please explain all situations where you were in a position for less than two years and describe the reason for your departure. Also, if not currently employed, please describe the terms of the departure from your most recent employer. None except for the current position I hold and that I would not leave other than for the City of Clearwater city manager job. 21. If an electronic file search of media and blogs is made through Google (or other search engines), what would be disclosed about you that could be construed as negative? It is advisable that these issues be disclosed by you and explained - rather than being asked to react to reports discovered by the prospective employer. There is nothing to divulge. Serving as a city manager involves much public scrutiny that often extends beyond the professional to the personal. I have consistently and habitually conducted myself as a professional and there is nothing as a professional, or in my personal life, that could be construed as negative. It is important to conduct oneself in a way that is devoid of controversy. I am not aware of anything that could exist and a search will not uncover anything along these lines. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 1 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP Due Diligence Questionnaire Name Charles M. Duggan, Jr. Date Completed July 23, 2021 Instructions: Please respond to each of the following questions. Depending on your response, you may need to provide additional information. In those cases, please be sure to provide the details requested. 1. Have you been subject to a formal charge regarding a conflict of interest, violation of ethical conduct, malfeasance or misfeasance in the performance of duties? If so, please explain the circumstances. No 2. Have you ever been the subject of an investigation, or censured by a grand jury, board of inquiry, a judicial conduct or disciplinary board or similar body? If so, please provide details, explain the circumstances and final outcome. No 3. Have you been subject to any disciplinary actions, including suspension, probation, or demotion in your adult working career? If so, please provide relevant details, explain the circumstances and the final outcome. No 4. Has any organization, corporation, institution, or former employer dismissed, or asked you to resign for any reason, or from any position? If so, please provide relevant details, and explain the circumstances. No 5. If you have been in your current, or most recent organization, for less than two years, please describe why you are interested in a career move at this time? I currently have a very good position and enjoy the city, my co-workers, and the City Council so I have not been looking for a new position. If it were not the Clearwater city manager position I would not be applying. The reasons causing me to apply for this job stem from the fact that I grew up in the area and would like to return, that Clearwater is an incredible city with a history of being well run and progressive, and that I have family in the area. 6. Is there anything, in your personal, professional, or social media background history that our Firm, an employer or resident could possibly perceive, view or interpret as factually or potentially embarrassing to anyone? Would, or could, this information impair your ability to perform the essential duties of this job if discovered at a later time? If so, please explain, provide details of the circumstances and current disposition. There is nothing in my background or history about which anyone would be concerned or would/could impair my ability to perform this job. 7. Do you understand that we may disqualify your candidacy from this search if valid, verifiable, and reliable information emerges, contrary to any information you provide us during this process? Absolutely. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PROFESSIONAL NARRATIVES Name: Charles Duggan PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT A significant professional achievement of mine was restoring the community’s trust and faith in local government during a time of considerable turmoil. I accomplished this through competently conducting the city’s business, by establishing a reputation for openness, by ensuring that all city actions exhibited a commitment to ethical behavior and by creating a culture striving to reach the very highest levels of government excellence and accountability. The city’s reputation was heavily damaged by the events before and after a 7-2 split vote by the council forcing the then city manager to resign. The two dissenting votes represented a segment of the population known for mistrusting its government and there were loud objections to the forced resignation. Upon being selected as his replacement, I quickly learned that the former city manager had begun a campaign of feeding negative information to the two dissenting council members and the local newspaper. Each bit of disseminated information included a nugget of truth surrounded by much that was either incorrect or intentionally not true. Adding to the intrigue was the fact that during the previous year the newspaper’s managing editor had been arrested on DUI charges by the city’s police department and he was eager to “blow the ceiling off the city hall corruption” that he was sourcing from the former manager. With only six months of experience as an assistant city manager, I was now the city manager and facing several significant challenges. I had to create a two-year budget having no previous budgeting experience. I needed to restore the morale in my executive team of twelve direct reports, who feared retribution by the former manager and segments of the mistrusting public. Moreover, I needed to complete the essential day-to-day tasks of city management while combating a seemingly endless stream of newsprint driven accusations related to corruption or mismanagement. This began in February, lasted approximately nine months, and straddled the general election where all nine councilmember seats were being contested (no staggering of seats). I quickly took stock of the situation and began to bring myself up to speed with the workings of all twelve departments. With them, I set goals, created deadlines for receivables and established a system to measure success. Simultaneously, I forged a working relationship with the nine councilmembers both individually and as a body. They all soon realized my commitment to the Council/Manager form of government and its major tenet of treating them fairly and equally. Relying on my public administration graduate level training and leaning heavily on the resources of ICMA, I organized the work of the departments and stressed the need to strive for excellence and accountability in the delivery of services. I spoke to many citizen groups about the benefits of professional, ethically guided, local government management and about our commitment as a unified staff to deliver excellence. Finally, I worked fervently with the local media and members of the mistrusting public to display a commitment to open government, truthful dealings and responsiveness. In doing so, I reestablished trust in their local government. Given the precarious situation I inherited and my inexperience at the time, I am proud of the results. The city adopted my fiscally responsible, balanced budget that reinstated the city’s reputation with the business community for fiscal conservatism. Relations with neighborhood groups had improved dramatically. Amazingly, the newspaper’s managing editor called to apologize for the past nine months where he stated that my administration was “the most open with whom he had ever worked.” Finally, the next year’s citizen survey reported much improved levels of confidence and trust by the public in their city government. Through this intensive trial by fire I learned that I can make a significant, positive impact on my organization, that I can very quickly absorb large amounts of information and use that information towards making fast, responsible decisions, and that I can calmly and steadily lead my agency to handle the most intensive scrutiny and criticism. This experience shaped my personal style of ethical, strategic leadership that I have continued to demonstrate throughout my career. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PROFESSIONAL NARRATIVES Name: Charles Duggan CRITICAL PROBLEM In working in the public sector, many cities find themselves plagued by an incongruent set of viewpoints from individuals who are seeking services and the staff who are providing said services. Early in my managing career, I found myself faced with this universal problem specifically among developers submitting plans for approval and my staff who were tasked with approving the plans. The developer’s professional engineering consultants regaled me with tales of bureaucratic exhaustion, explaining how it could take eight months or more to obtain approval from my departments through a constant cycle of submittal, rejection, revision, and resubmittal. On the other hand, staff explained how consultants would deliver incomplete plans and expect the city’s professional engineering staff to finish the design because they were, as stated by the applicant, “going to reject and redo everything anyway.” I quickly targeted that the main source of the issue was the limited face-to-face communication that was happening amongst the parties. Applicants would deliver five sets of plans and then staff would spread them across the departments with no real coordination between public works, water, wastewater, planning, etc. Applicants were then left, without much explanation, to decrypt the notes requesting changes. The lack of direct communication was the seed of this major impediment. I decided to meet with both groups and seek input on identifying solutions. When requesting feedback from the development community the leading complaints received were unclear direction and the time it took to obtain city approval for design/engineering plans. They added that such delays are the source of significant cost impacts to their projects. Typically, the applicant initially had to decipher the city code, navigate development regulations, and interpret engineering specifications. Then, once delivered to the public facing city department, the plans had to wind their way through a seemingly byzantine labyrinth of multiple departments and offices each with numerous opportunities to identify a snag and halt their process toward approval. In contrast, when surveying the staff about the reasons causing the delays, I was treated to narratives describing applicants who haven’t followed the “incredibly clear” guidance listed in the city code, developer’s consultants receiving design feedback that they either totally ignored, or, did not address for several months and then expected a turnaround measured in days for review of a new design. I floated the idea of creating a shared commitment between staff and the development community towards the timely review of projects and plans. We would create an interdepartmentally staffed Design Review Team (DRT) that would receive plans and have two weeks to perform an initial review. Then, in a DRT meeting, city staff and the applicant could discuss all notes and deficiencies face to face. That way, staff would have a definitive deadline and we could achieve improvement in understanding and communication amongst all parties. If an engineering consultant didn’t understand a note on their plans they could ask and get an immediate answer. If staff determined that plans were incomplete all parties in the room could discuss the reasons for that determination and what would be needed next time. If both parties decided that parts of the development standards were unclear and needed revision that process could start right then. Although some were skeptical, staff seemed willing to try this method to see if it would yield results. We explained the new process to our regular applicants and they expressed much optimism about the new procedure. Several months after implementation the quality of submitted plans increased substantially, complaints decreased measurably, development consultants who habitually took shortcuts were exposed, and the City Council’s goal was achieved for staff to speed approvals thereby facilitating responsible growth and development. The process has been in place now for more than a decade. Overall, solving this critical problem helped to reinforce for me the power of listening and finding common ground through communication to increase efficiency and satisfaction between departments and the public. We successfully replaced a process that had been institutionalized for many decades with something completely new. It was a very rewarding result. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER CHARLES M. DUGGAN JR. CONFIDENTIAL REFERENCE REPORT Reference Relationship: 1. Supervisor 2. Supervisor 3. Direct Report 4. Direct Report 5. Direct Report Questions Answers 1. What is your professional relationship to the candidate and how long have you worked with him? 1. I have known Charlie for two years and, I was part of the elected body when he was hired. 2. I have known Charlie for 20-22 years and I was Mayor for 20 years and on council for 12 years prior. I was Mayor during his tenure as City Manager. We had eight council members plus the mayor. 3. I have worked for the city for 16 years, and I have known Charlie since October 2019 and I report to him. He is the best city manager I have worked for. 4. Charlie and I attended the ICMA Senior Executive Institute together at the University of Virginia in 2013. Since then, we have served ICMA Executive Board and on numerous committees and task forces. 5. I worked with him directly when he was the City Manager. We are both colleagues and his subordinate. I have known him for over fifteen years. 2. What do you consider to be his greatest strengths as a professional? 1. Charlie is great at working with people; he is one of the best to get people work well together and effectively. Charlie has a knack for doing that. I have worked as an executive for 33 years with professional staff/doctors and Charlie’s skills are top notch. 2. Charlie is a brilliant person with a great educational background and scholastic achievements. He learns fast. He came up through the parks and rec department. Charlie approached him one time and said he had an interest to move up into management. Not long after we hired a city manager that was not a good fit and as mayor, he felt heavily responsible for that. Charlie moved up to assistant and then city manager. He has a broad-based understanding of finances, dealing with people and solving problems. His strongest suit is his intelligence and understanding people. 3. I like Charlie’s approach and style when it comes to “we have this issue; how will we deal with it?” He has a collaborative approach; he listens to directors who are experts in their field though a deliberative process that we can all get behind. He is open to hearing thoughts will share his thoughts during group discussions. He is the first to say “I don’t have all the answers” but he wants to hear from us. He will not make decision quickly normally taking a few days to ponder but he CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER CHARLES M. DUGGAN JR. will make a decision quickly if he has to do it. 4. While Charlie and I attended SEI at same time, we have stayed connected - bounced ideas off of each other, had conversations about leadership or philosophical ideas. He is very self-aware; he reflects on the things he has done throughout his career and how they build upon each other. 5. He took over the City Manager position when the previous City Manager did not work out. Because the council had such confidence in Charlie, he was hired as Assistant City Manager. He worked to earn the respect of the Council and handled a great volume of work and handled the role of both Assistant City Manager and City Manager. 3. Are there significant areas in his professional work performance where improvements are needed? 1. There is always room for people to improve what they do. After Charlie’s first year – which was COVID – it was hard to come up with much to answer this question during his evaluation because he did such a great job. If he was pushed to think of something, there may have been occasions when Charlie could be more forceful with council saying, “you’re going down the wrong path and here is why” but that is not his style and both the previous and current council would have been receptive to hearing this. 2. While it has been five years since we have worked together, I always tell my employees, we can always improve no matter how good we are and move with change or adapt. Charlie is able to do that. I think, at the time we worked together, there were difficulties that when Charlie had an idea or mindset, many times Charlie felt as if he knew the answer and nobody else could be right but him. We had conversations related to that and adapting to change and Charlie did that. He understood there are two sides to every story. 3. Charlie meets with all directors and I meet with him weekly. He is always asking, “What can I do to support you?” he is always self-reflecting on what he can do better. He can always keep that constant communication and feedback. 4. Charlies was with Auburn for a long time and then with a water district before California. He is self-reflective and may at times may blame himself when there are two sides to every situation. He may be a bit of perfectionist. 5. He still wants to learn and improve in any areas he does not understand. He will study or ask questions that will make him competent, or even expert, in those areas. He is intelligent but also a hard worker. 4. Describe his approach to problem- solving and decision making. 1. Charlie has a collaborative style, which was a different style than the previous manager. We selected him because we needed his style to help community and we did not want a fearful environment for staff. Charlie put balm on wounds and helped them heal letting them know that our government is here to help them solve problems. Charlie personally visited with 65 community organizations in town in first few months. He involved staff in teams with problem solving efforts. With COVID he even found remote ways to bring people together. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER CHARLES M. DUGGAN JR. Charlie wants input from appropriate people and then makes his recommendation. For example, the city has challenges with housing (required targets) and Charlie started a process with the development services director on asking the community what housing should look like; they have a rail line being extended into city and have had to work with community on a transit oriented development plan and what that will look like. He has opened doors for community input including a community survey about city services, where they want to spend money, and in what areas. 2. Toward the end of his tenure, Charlie made great strides in hearing and assessing the necessary information and making a decision based on that rather than only his or the general thoughts, perceptions and ideas. We had an interesting dynamic with a major university and interacting with everyone from athletic director to president and balancing the personalities. Our job was a great training ground for Charlie and when he left, he was far better than when he started (and he had no experience when he started). 3. He is collaborative and very intelligent. When we have these discussions, I appreciate his perspective and he wants to know “who are we impacting?” and “what are the unintended consequences?” He is very good at leading a discussion. I can continue to learn so much from him. 4. I can in terms of a leadership in which I chaired. We were trying to elevate leadership throughout our profession and with the 25 committee members we were to get our 10,000 members to advance leadership within organization and how to develop people. Charlie is very well read and he would being things to the table to cause use to think deeply. Charlie was good about adding perspectives to the conversation while identifying gaps and having us talk about the issues and how to weave several good ideas to get people to buy into and get behind. 5. He wanted to get all of the information. He valued all the stakeholders equally. He made sure everyone felt included and heard. He would give clear direction once he made a decision. But on day-to-day responsibilities, he let us do our jobs. If there was something he needed to check in on us, he would ask questions but did it in a way that didn’t feel like he was questioning or decisions. He is very adept in gaining knowledge to make a decision. 5. How would you describe his management and leadership qualities? 1. I would describe Charlie a collaborative, open, and embracing – these all come to mind when I think of his personality. He is open-minded and flexible. He is not fixed on one alternative. The City is in the process of buying property for a city facility and he is open to ideas (not professionally egocentric). Charlie will walk through his position with me if we do not agree on something. 2. In our form of government, he worked for city council and CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER CHARLES M. DUGGAN JR. mayor and everyone else worked for Charlie. He was well liked by the management team and I think he implemented many proactive ongoing educational opportunities for the leadership team. Throughout the community, he was looked as a strong leader, and great reputation. On a 1-10, I give him a nine. 3. Charlie is very relatable, genuine and honest in his interactions. He is approachable and communicates well brings perspective, he mentors. He is professional. His character is honest, genuine, and transparent. He is supportive of staff, and he teaches us to always provide clear direction, be able to support and provide resources to staff, and ongoing feedback. When I finish my presentations to council, he immediately sends me a text with feedback. He also asks me for feedback on his presentations. He does not have an ego. He is humble and wants to do a good job. He leads by example. It is important to him that they bring employees – the onboarding process, mid-career, and transferring knowledge when close to retirement – and able to do their job effectively. Completes employee evaluations and completes his timely as well. He communicated his expectations and followed it. He follows the CDC rules and guidance and wants to keep his workforce safe. 4. He is humble and has a broad perspective. He is very intelligent but does not wear this on his sleeve. He uses humor appropriately and other techniques to soften things to make himself approachable. 5. He did a great job in letting us Department Heads know how he saw our roles. He let people lead their departments and was good in keeping his eye on department issues if there was a chance conflict could come up. He was a great communicator. But he did a great job in keeping Council up to speed, and signaling to them when things were coming down the pipe that would make big impacts on the community. He was able to trust his department heads to give him that information. He articulated how things would go and how things should be run. He let us know how he wanted the meetings to be run, or what policies will need to be discussed. But he wanted us to give him information, and he would make decisions based off of that. 6. How would you assess his communication skills for oral presentations and written material? 1. You will find that Charlie is soft spoken and mild mannered. His presentations are professional, non-emotional and matter of fact. He comes across with stability and professionalism. Charlie portrays, strength, stability, and calmness. His staff often write reports since they are the experts but Charlie will provide his input. 2. Charlie’s written communication was unbelievable. His oral communication either in a meeting or in a televised situation, on a scale of 1-10, I would give him a nine. He comes across as very intelligent and he will be prepared. He will know the CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER CHARLES M. DUGGAN JR. details and facts and come across as a true profession. 3. Charlie is an excellent communicator. He responds to all of council’s questions. He is spot on in interacting with council, comfortable in the setting. He is very clear in his responses. He is well spoken. His written communication is sincere he seeks input or critique; He has been genuine in his communication to staff during the pandemic. He cares about his staff. 4. Charlie made presentations in front of ICMA Board and did a very good job. I don’t have a lot of experience reading his written materials. 5. He is very articulate and matter in fact in an unemotional way. He did it in a way where information needed to be conveyed. He did it in a highly professional way that showed the facts. He was always tremendously prepared. He already knows the item they were discussing with Council. When speaking to a citizen, he was courteous, but was factually correct. If someone had a question, he would give them an answer. He was trusted and candid. People didn’t argue with him, and he is not argumentative. 7. What is/was the most significant contribution that he has made to your organization? 1. Charlie’s biggest impact was his budget efforts. We had a local sales tax initiative on the ballot – and COVID hit and there were reservations about keeping it on the ballot but Charlie said the city needed it. They had the consultant re- poll and Charlie and his team did a great job with information outreach to the public. He put together a great strategy which resulted in the city being in a great financial situation. Charlie partnered with me to keep this moving forward. Charlie is finally getting council to look at long-range financial planning, projects, etc. he improved the administrative and organizational philosophy – moral is high and turnover is low. 2. Charlie believed that everyone needed to expand his or her horizons in management and their understanding that while he may have inherited some that had the will to be better but still needed improvement. He would give them a week to go to class or seminar to improve in their field. Charlie was definitely well received by the employees. 3. In the short time he has been here, he managed the budget shortfall due to pandemic with tremendous leadership. Council had to make tough decisions in where to cut. He carried us in a way that through the process of walking the leadership team through three different budget scenarios of what a percent cut might look like in their departments. There was not one director who said, “You are cutting my department more than others.” We laid off 40 and cut all part time positions. He incorporated communication to our bargaining units. He encouraged the union presidents to listen to the budget presentations. No one would say he was doing something without telling him or her. Because of his communication, there were minimal questions during budget presentation. According to the mayor “one of the best CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER CHARLES M. DUGGAN JR. budgets” during his tenure (of 12 years). An inclusive and transparent process. Charlie also started mid-stream of our one percent sales tax increase of and he brought it home. 4. I think Charlie was proud of the work on the Leadership Taskforce and changing the trajectory of leadership where we talk a lot more about leadership in ICMA than about the nuts and bolts of running a city and how to inspire staff. 5. His significant contribution was unifying the department heads when there was a lot of disarray and distrust from the previous City Manager. He formed a tight night group that was highly effective and worked together. He seemed to manage things well. The City Council knew he was doing things well and financially sound. Charlie is not someone to hire someone just because. His most significant contribution was unifying both us and the Council. He really gave us the confidence to do our jobs, and know that he will be the in between the council and us. 8. Do you have an opinion about why he is considering a move at this time? 1. Charlie has struggled with this decision to leave the city but his interests are to be with him mom and family and this position provides the proximity. Clearwater is a city that would be challenging and interesting to him. Charlie knew and respected Mr. Horne and felt the city was a good fit for Charlie. Council is very supportive and believes he is seeking this position for honorable reasons. 2. I do not. 3. Charlies wants to be close to and take care of his mother. Clearwater came open and I do not think he would consider another position but this life circumstance takes priority. 4. I think he has a few reasons – while at a conference in Clearwater we both commented about the city and how beautiful it is. Carrying on Mr. Horne’s legacy is also important to Charlie. He will also be in closer proximity to his parents. 5. This is closer to home. He wants to get back to that area. I think Clearwater would be a step up for him in a place he would like to be. His skills would match more to this position. 9. Are you aware of anything in the candidate’s background that would be a problem for a prospective employer, if it became public knowledge? 1. Absolutely not and we asked those questions when he was recruited. 2. I am not aware of anything in Charlie’s background - no illegal activities, no arrests, and no skeletons. 3. No, absolutely nothing. When Charlie came on board it was important to council for Charlie to get to know the community, and he did this for 80 meetings during the first two months. 4. Not at all. 5. I am not aware at all. He is a clean guy. He goes to work and then home straight away. 10. Do you have any additional comments about the candidate that you have not already provided? 1. He is a great guy and the city would be lucky to have him. It will be hard to replace him if he leaves. 2. There may be some similarities with the university as large presence and the Church of Scientology as a large presence. 3. I wish him well but I do not want him to leave. He has made CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER CHARLES M. DUGGAN JR. me feel comfortable to share my opinion and has provided an environment to do this regularly. He is supportive of me personally, and he supports his staff. He knows what is going on in each department and when to interject if needed. He trusts us to do our jobs, make our decisions, and prioritize our work. He recognizes we need realistic timeframes to do the work right. 4. Charlie is an innovative, out of the box thinker. He prides himself on bringing in perspectives and supports people who bring perspectives. He does a good job of asking questions rather than telling him what he thinks the answer is – a mentoring colleague – he makes you come up with the answer. 5. You will not outwork or outsmart him. He is not someone who has a personal agenda. What you see with Charlie is what you will get. He is really good in what he does. Comparison Analysis For Consulting And Coaching Job Competencies Hierarchy Zone Range Person Primary Driving Forces Cluster Zone Range Person Job Behavioral Hierarchy Zone Range Person Charles Duggan City of Clearwater, Florida – City Manager Interview Questions Wednesday, September 1-2, 2021 Candidate Name: ________________________ 1. Describe the most challenging management situation you ever experienced and how did you strive to resolve the challenge? What was the outcome and, if you could revisit the situation, would you do anything differently? 2. If you have reviewed our budget and Certified Annual Financial Report, what is your assessment of our financial condition and what recommendations do you have for us for improvement and to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability without raising taxes? (Follow-up to Question 2) Tell us about your approach to ensuring the city’s long-term financial health and sustainability and comment on how you keep the city council apprised of financial impacts, provide opportunities for community input, and frame policy issues affecting our long- range fiscal health. 3. Describe your experience with grants and other external revenue sources. 4. How does the strength of the Florida Public Records Act affect your approach toward municipal operations and media relations? 5. What is your expertise and experience with major infrastructure projects and capital expenditures? What techniques have you utilized to adhere to timelines and budget parameters? 6.Describe your management style and in your daily activities, how do you ensure accountability and avoid priorities of the mayor and city council falling through cracks or otherwise being unachieved? 7.Tell us how your professional training, experience and personal qualities have prepared you to become our next city manager. 8. If there are any gaps in your professional expertise compared to the city’s needs, how will you overcome them? 9.What do you consider to be the City of Clearwater’s top three assets and how would you capitalize on them? (Follow up) Conversely, what are the top three challenges and how would you advise the city council to approach them? 10.How do you keep your elected body informed, individually and collectively? . 11.If the mayor and city council adopted a policy or collectively expressed a stance with which you had significant professional disagreement, how would you express that disagreement and seek resolution? Can you cite an example in your response? 12.Discuss your approach to and experience with economic development and diversification of the tax base. Can you share both a success story and a project that did not turn out as well as you hoped and what you learned from it? 13.This is a two-part question. First, please tell us about your management style with department directors. Then, describe how you view the interaction of department heads and other staff with the city council, versus the city manager’s role. 14.The city council values clear, direct and honest communication, which includes high levels of transparency. What are your views regarding transparency at the local government level, and how have you approached this in your experience? 15.To what extent have you researched Imagine Clearwater and what are your thoughts on its implementation? 16.What role does citizen input have in city operations and what techniques have you found successful in capturing and analyzing that input? 17.Give us some examples of cases where you have introduced new technologies to improve productivity or service delivery in a local government organization? 18.How would you go about assessing the City’s overall long-term sustainability as an organization and community -- beyond the traditional financial models of the past? 19.Describe an example of a public-private partnership in which you played a significant role. 20.How do you believe others would describe your management and decision-making style? With a highly experienced senior staff, how would you evaluate their abilities and establish your management approach? 21.Describe your general approach to employee development, motivation and discipline. 22.One of the essential roles of the city manager is the establishment and maintenance of relationships with multiple constituents, both within the organization and in the community. Describe how you have enhanced or repaired a strained relationship. 23.A major landowner in Clearwater is the Church of Scientology. How would you establish a productive working relationship with that organization, and if you have had a similar experience in another community, please tell us about it? 24.Describe your experience and expertise with strategic planning and visioning for a community in which you have managed. 25.To what extent do you believe contact with citizens and citizen’s groups is important? How do you typically handle this responsibility? How will you build relationships with the community? 26.Cities across the country are trying to find just the right balance in protecting their character and history, while encouraging more growth and development to expand the tax base. What is an example of a city or town that you feel is finding the right balance, and what lessons from that city or town would you bring to Clearwater? 27.What strategies do you use to encourage inclusiveness and build consensus among diverse interests in a way that meets the needs of the community rather than the interests of a few? Give us an example that demonstrates this. 28.In what ways have you learned about people from other cultures and backgrounds and how does that influence your work? 29.Tell us about your approach to and experience with joining a new organization and community and establishing your presence. If you become our city manager, what would you hope to accomplish within the first six months and then during the next three years? 30.What lessons can local governments learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with respect to equitable delivery of services and distribution of resources? 31.For governmental organizations to thrive in the 21st century, what changes need to be made and what have you done to position your current or most recent employer to be successful in that environment? 32.Are there any areas of your qualifications and experience that our questions have not probed that you would like us to consider? Closing question 1.Do you have any questions for us? CANDIDATE 3 – JON JENNINGS Jon Jennings, MPA July 6, 2021 The Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council City of Clearwater One Clearwater Tower 600 Cleveland Street Clearwater, FL 33756 Dear Mayor and Councilmembers, It is with enthusiasm that I submit my application for the position of City Manager for your consideration. After a thorough review of your job description and having followed the news from your region, I am impressed by your insightful analysis of your assets,challenges and goals, especially the Imagine Clearwater Master Plan and planning for a new Comprehensive Plan.I understand that you seek a City Manager with the right professional track record and personality, one that works closely with residents, visitors, employees, colleagues and stakeholders alike. I believe the balance I bring of government and business experience will give you what you want in a trusted, achievement-oriented leader. Managing the Business of the City With over eight years of successful city management experience plus extensive experience with the federal government, I have built a reputation for working with the City Council to implement policy initiatives,and at the same time focusing on the basic needs of constituents.Chosen to lead Portland at a time of failing services, I launched a “Back to Basics” approach,reorganizing departments and allocating funding to shore up infrastructure and the city services that citizens rely on every day. I believe government can and should be efficient and effective. My budget recommendations have always sought to minimize the impact on the taxpayer and at the same time invest to benefit the city today and tomorrow. I am excited about the opportunity to transfer my experience to the areas in which Clearwater is similar to Portland, a diverse waterfront community with engaged citizens, a growing economy and vibrant business from visitors. At the same time, I am eager to be a part of the renaissance that is happening in Clearwater through strategic investments in the downtown and waterfront. Providing Leadership & Excellent Customer Service I take my professional relationships and my work with people, both as a people manager and a public servant with constituents to heart. The first thing I did as City Manager of Portland was listen. I identified what was working and what people liked. Equally, I heard what upsets people. I see it as my responsibility to make things easier for those we serve. As a manager of teams, I work hard to recruit and empower talented individuals to maximize their opportunity. Because of an extremely talented workforce, premier customer service is expected at every level. Innovation, Making Decisions with a Vision for the Future Part of the excitement of working at the municipal level is the intersection of government, residents and the business community to envision and embrace the future.In Portland I have diligently worked in putting infrastructure in place to prepare for innovation.I helped secure waterfront property to attract national businesses to establish Portland as their base. Northeastern University chose Portland as a site for the Roux Institute which will train and grow a technical workforce for Maine. I bring an entrepreneurial mindset to the operations of government which has empowered staff to embrace innovation at every level. I would be honored to speak with you about this role.Please do not hesitate to reach out any time with questions or comments. With every good wish as you lead the City of Clearwater through this very important process. Sincerely, Jon P. Jennings Jon Jennings, MPA Portland,ME (207) 272-8371 jonpjennings@gmail.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonpjennings CITY MANAGER – LEADING FOR THE FUTURE Bringing Public Service and Entrepreneurship Together for a More Efficient & Effective Government Working to the Highest Standards Transparent Communication Measurable, Visible Results Ethics & Integrity Innovation Committed to Public Service ◤CORE COMPETENCIES Prudent Fiscal Approach Proven Budget Management Leading Large Organizations/Initiatives Strategic Planning & Project Execution Outreach & Media Relations Public Speaking/Communication Skills Building Highly Motivated Teams Staff Management & Development Collaboration with Elected Officials Crisis Management & Problem Solving Cross-Department Operations Enhancement of Quality of Life ◤RECENT CAREER HIGHLIGHTS CITY MANAGER/CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER │City of Portland – Portland, ME 2015– Present As the largest city in the state of Maine,Portland has a very complex portfolio of responsibilities.Making strategic decisions and managing a total operating budget of over $292 million including the capital improvement plan,keeping yearly increases to a total of 4%over six years,which represents an average of less than 0.76%increase per year while still making investments for the future of the city.Oversees over 1,290 FTEs with 18 direct reports.Gained diverse management experience overseeing municipal businesses including an international airport,a long-term care facility,and a working waterfront with a port facility, unique responsibilities for a city of this size. ▪Improving Cross-Department Operations & Returned Focus to Highest Standards for Delivery of Basic Public Services Recruited, trained and developed strong teams to achieve efficiency across all departments. Empowered staff to embrace decision making responsibilities through communication and collaboration. Vastly improved and expanded training especially in supervisory roles. Responded to increased diversity and social justice needs by creating an Office of Economic Opportunity and a Workforce Diversity & Inclusion Specialist to increase recruitment of diverse candidates for positions. With the support of the Council, activated an emergency order in March 2020 to quickly mobilize a response to COVID-19 by supporting residents and businesses with funding, temporary outside permits and street closures. Managed a community process to address zoning and other issues impacting the waterfront in the city.Focused on making sure the working waterfront is sustainable for many years to come. Improved customer experience of city services by integrating technology allowing for online transactions. Accelerated critical stormwater and sewer separation projects mandated in the early 2000’s. Leveraged public-private partnerships to build and redevelop city buildings and other important infrastructure investments including a new homeless services center,fire stations and the public works/parks building. Led efforts to revitalize the downtown area through new streetscapes, recruitment and investment in new businesses and reimagining transportation systems. Received the 2019 Maine Town, City and County Management Association’s Leadership Award. ▪Increasing Tax Base & Creatively Attracting New Business by Strategic Use of City Assets Secured Portland as the site for Northeastern University’s Roux Institute creating a graduate school and talent incubator to build diversity of opportunities for Maine’s future in the areas of AI, computer and data sciences, digital engineering, and advanced life sciences and medicine. 1 Jon Jennings, MPA Directed over $4 million into the Housing Trust to leverage private sector investments in affordable and workforce housing. Strategically leveraged City assets to recruit companies to locate in Portland to revitalize sections of the city. ▪Creating the Most Efficient & Effective Government Possible through Innovation Selected by INRIX as one of seven cities to receive initial software to map streets for autonomous vehicles. Created the sustainability director position with a focus on using city assets to introduce and expand electric vehicle infrastructure, solar arrays located to alleviate some of the budget concerns with utilities and to work with the private sector on utilizing new technologies such as smart traffic signals and other upgrades.Led Led effort to significantly upgrade technology systems for added security of data, internal employee needs and enhance community outreach and input. Identified work efficiencies to increase overall productivity in areas such as public parking, moving email and workflow to the Cloud, and integrating digital tools to accurately prioritize needs. ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER │City of South Portland –South Portland, ME 2013-2015 Recruited to expand economic development for the 4th largest city in Maine overlooking Portland. ▪Embraced Economic Development Focus & Achieved “Business Friendly” State Designation Turned focus of entrepreneurial skills toward government service to grow business base. Assisted with the development of the annual budget and capital improvement plan. Led effort to establish a waterfront outdoor venue for music and the theatrical arts. Responsible for attracting new investments and housing opportunities. Worked with the City Manager to establish the Office of Sustainability. Collaborated with the Planning Department to assess zoning in designated areas of the city for future growth. Oversaw the procurement and installation of EV charging stations through a public-private partnership. ◤EDUCATION Master of Public Administration, Business & Government,Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Bachelor of Liberal Studies, History & Political Science,Indiana University, Bloomington, IN ◤ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC SERVICE EXPERIENCE WHITE HOUSE ▪Senior Advisor, Clinton Administration WHITE HOUSE ▪White House Fellow,Senior Assistant to Cabinet Secretary, Director of Policy Coordination,Clinton Administration U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ▪Acting Assistant Attorney General, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General OFFICE OF SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY ▪State Director JON JENNINGS FOR CONGRESS ▪Candidate TEAM HARMONY FOUNDATION ▪Co-Founder/President STONEHILL COLLEGE ▪Joseph W. Martin, Jr. Visiting Scholar 2 Jon Jennings, MPA ◤RECENT BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPERIENCE FRANCHISE OWNER │Red Mango – South Portland, ME 2012-2019 Invested and provided oversight for development of Red Mango Frozen Yogurt stores in ME.. FOUNDER & INVESTOR │Thompson’s Point Development Partners – Portland, ME 2009-2015 Envisioned and founded a $100 million project for the arena/convention center to bring economic development and jobs to Portland. FOUNDER & PRESIDENT/GM │Maine Red Claws/NBA League for Celtics – Portland, ME 2007-2012 After a two-year planning phase &fundraising $1.5M,brought the Maine Red Claws NBA Development team to Portland,a proven market for minor leagues with high fan attendance.Inspired by mentor, Red Auerbach, to ‘give back to basketball’. ▪Leveraged coaching and scouting relationships with the Celtics to secure development affiliations with the Boston Celtics and the Charlotte Hornets. ◤EARLIER ROLES BUSINESS JNG ASSOCIATES, LLC ▪Managing Partner, Consulting/Investing IRON MOUNTAIN, INC.▪Consulting/Government Affairs Strategy GIVENATION.COM ▪Vice President of Business Development,Online Philanthropy SPORTS MANAGEMENT BOSTON CELTICS ▪Director of Basketball Development,Assistant Coach, Scout INDIANA PACERS ▪Scout/Video Coordinator ◤BOARD AFFILIATIONS & HONORS Team Harmony Foundation MTCMA 2019 Leadership Award Massachusetts Special Olympics Hoops for Hope, Bosnia-Herzegovina Genesis Fund (National Birth Defects Center) City Year Boston City of Portland Task Force on Homelessness Maine Historical Society NBA Development League Executive of the Year, 2010 Joseph W. Martin, Jr. Visiting Scholar, Stonehill College, 2001-2002 White House Fellowship, 1997-1998 Anti-Defamation League, A World of Difference Award,1996 The Boston Jaycees’ 10 Most Outstanding Young Leaders Award NBA All Star Coach, 1991 NBA World Championship, 1986 3 CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER Candidate Questionnaire Name Jon Jennings Primary Phone (207) 272-8371 Email jonpjennings@gmail.com Please List Your Current (1) and Previous Three (3) Position Titles & Places/Organizations of Employment (include start/end dates by month/year, plus the position & organization): 1.City Manager/Portland, ME/July, 2015-present 2.Assistant City Manager/South Portland, ME/March, 2013-July, 2015 3.Co-founder, Part-Owner, President/General Manager/Maine Red Claws (now Maine Celtics)/November, 2007-July, 2012 4.State Director/Office of Senator John Kerry/November, 2005-June, 2007 Currently / Most Recently Reports to (by title): The Portland City Council (9 members, including popularly elected Mayor) Population Served (last 2 organizations): Portland: 66,215 (2019) South Portland: 25;548 (2019) *Greater Portland: 514,098 (2019) Employees Supervised & Budget 1.)Number of Direct Reports 2.)Number of Employees in Department 3.)Number of Employees in Organization 4.)Department Budget 5.)Entire Organization’s Budget 1.16 direct reports 2.8.5 department employees 3.1,372 Total FTE’s 4.$895,724 (FY22) 5.$268,216,301 (FY22 Operations Only) Highest level of education achieved (include degree and institution): Masters of Public Administration, Harvard Kennedy School Licenses (include states);Professional Certifications; Specialized and Advanced Training; and Awards: Certifications: FEMA IS-00100.c, ICS-100 Awards: Maine Town, City and County Management Association, Leadership Award, 2019 Instructions: The purpose of this questionnaire is to provide us with additional information about you as a candidate and to gather examples of professional work that illustrate your background and experience. This information will be shared with hiring officials and others involved in making decisions about candidates selected to move forward in the selection process. Please respond to each of the following questions by providing pertinent information. Some questions ask you to provide examples; please be sure to describe your direct level of involvement in the project or initiative.Please be succinct –limit your responses to 300 words. PAGE 1 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDEREDPROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER 1.Please tell us why you are interested in this position and why you are considering a career move at this time? Over the last few weeks, I visited the City of Clearwater and saw first hand a vibrant city with many opportunities and a few challenges. I want to play a role in the continued revitalization of the downtown, bringing Imagine Clearwater and other capital projects to fruition, working with planning staff and the community on the Comprehensive Plan, working with the Mayor and City Council to expand the economic development opportunities by recruiting new employers, and incentivizing affordable and workforce housing. I have been fortunate to accomplish all of these and more in my current position. I decided to make a career change in order to better utilize my skill set in a city that is seeking to innovate for the future and has a broader vision to improve the quality of life for all of its residents. 2. What is your current title, essential functions and scope of your overall responsibilities? What is the governance structure of your current organization and describe why you consider these, or previous experiences, preparation for the Clearwater City Manager position? My current title is City Manager in Portland, ME.My overall set of responsibilities is to oversee the day to day operations of the city; consult and implement the policy developed by the Mayor and City Council; work with the Governor’s office and state and federal legislative delegations on municipal priorities; and create a work environment that incentivizes a commitment to excellence in core services while at the same time empowering staff at every level to develop innovative solutions to streamline processes and create better customer service. The current government structure in Portland is a mayor/council-manager form of government. There are nine members of the City Council including the mayor. The responsibility of the mayor and council is to develop policy for the city. The mayor/council-manager form of government I worked under in both of my municipal positions are very similar to the form of government in the City of Clearwater. I believe the relationships I have developed with mayors and councilors in my present and previous position has prepared me to work collaboratively to achieve the best interests of the city. Similar to Clearwater, I oversee an international airport, an active cruise port and working waterfront,stormwater and sewer upgrades, large commercial development projects in addition to a 180-bed long-term care facility owned and operated by the City of Portland. The complexity of my responsibilities in Portland are similar to the city manager role in Clearwater. 3.Briefly summarize your leadership and management style and describe your approach to managing a) people, and b) projects. How do you get things done and make decisions? I was fortunate to have a great mentor who instilled in me from the earliest part of my career to treat everyone with respect and dignity, but set high expectations for yourself and the others you lead. Red Auerbach created the Boston Celtics family and I was fortunate to learn from him and incorporate those lessons in my leadership and management style. I characterize my approach to managing people as one of realistic expectations yet empathetic understanding. I believe passionately in the family concept in the work environment. I care a great deal for staff at every level and have taken the time to get to know the vast majority of city staff in Portland. At the same time, as public officials we must be held and hold ourselves to the highest of standards. I believe we need to provide training in order to assist staff in moving forward in their careers which includes a concentrated focus on supervisory training development. PAGE 2 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDEREDPROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER 4.How do you incorporate the values of diversity and inclusion into an organization you lead? During the course of my life, making sure everyone has a seat at the table has been important whether it was in professional basketball, business or public service. It is that belief that led me to create the Team Harmony Foundation (www.teamharmonyfoundation.org)with former Celtics player Reggie Lewis and Anti-Defamation Executive Director, Lenny Zakim. The foundation we created empowers young people to take a stand against hate and bigotry in their schools and communities. It is from this lens that I have a passionate devotion to making sure any organization I have been a part of has an absolute commitment to making sure all voices are included and recognizing we all have our unique life experiences that can enrich an organization.I am proud of the work we have initiated in Portland to have a more inclusive municipal government.During my tenure we have increased the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index by close to 20 points for a combined score of 94 out of 100. As part of the recently passed municipal budget, the City will begin working with the National League of Cities Race, Equity and Leadership program to further ingrain a culture of inclusion and commitment to a diverse staff and outlook. 5.Describe your approach to public outreach, community engagement, and seeking community input. What methods have you found to be most effective? Utilizing new technologies and old fashioned community meetings has been the method in seeking community input. For example, the Planning Staff hosted dozens of community meetings and workshops to create the new Comprehensive Plan. Alternatively,we are using new online civic engagement technologies for more extensive public notification and community wide input via surveys and polls through our partnership with CivicPlus.This combination ensures we can better reach those who don’t always have the time or ability to attend community or Council meetings. 6. Describe your experience and approach to financial management, budget development, and fiscal sustainability. Briefly describe a challenging situation involving your organization’s annual budget and what steps you took to address the issue(s), and the outcome. I have always believed government should be effective and efficient. My budget recommendations have always sought to minimize the impact on taxpayers and at the same time making strategic investments in infrastructure, people and programs.The total increase on the City portion of the tax levy during my six budgets as City Manager has only been 4.58%. This represents an average of less than 0.76% increase per year. In Portland, revenue is almost evenly split between property taxes and fees. During last year, after COVID-19 began to impact the City, we saw revenues on the fee side plummet. I needed to make cuts on the expenditure side in order to not exceed the adopted budget. It was not an easy process, and it involved eliminating positions, but ultimately it worked well for Portland as the ARPA funds allowed for covering revenue loss, therefore I was able to propose a 4% reduction of property taxes for the FY22 municipal budget. 7. Very briefly, describe your experience, working knowledge and any success you have achieved working in the following areas: a.Neighborhood and downtown revitalization / redevelopment b.Capital project / facility planning, funding, and construction of utilities, infrastructure and building improvements c.Strategic goal setting and citizen based strategic planning a.The downtown of Portland has undergone a dramatic revitalization during my tenure. I have worked with stakeholders on a number of different projects including the creation of two city PAGE 3 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDEREDPROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER owned waterfront parks, and expanding outdoor dining and retail operations during the pandemic. b.I have extensive experience in the development, planning and funding of capital projects. I have focused the investments from the capital improvement plan on core services such as street and sidewalk improvements, adding more bike lanes, pedestrian safety infrastructure and more aspirational projects such as a new public pool. c.Each year the City Council undergoes a strategic goal setting with input from the community and staff. City staff also has a goal setting exercise focused on improving city services, embracing new technology to streamline city processes,and a focus on what I describe as extreme customer service. 8. Have you utilized any performance measurement and benchmarking strategies or practices in determining the effectiveness and quality of services provided to the customers, visitors, and residents of a community? Please describe an example or two. In 2019 I created a new City position to oversee and lead our innovation and performance management work to help further our commitment to being a smart city. This person helped establish an innovation working group with reps from all city departments. They worked on a data and customer service inventory, performance measurement and analytics,brainstorming and KPI selection, and setting actionable goals. We also worked on these topics during our goal setting session with the leadership team. Part of this work involved reviewing KPIs in other cities. Unfortunately, this work had to take a little bit of a back seat during the pandemic.Due to revenue losses, I had to make the tough decision to cut the position, and most staff were focused on our emergency response. We recently conducted a survey with the community to evaluate the public’s awareness of the services we provide, and future customer service and community surveys are planned. I’ve been a strong proponent of implementing enhanced customer service and civic technology tools in Portland. We offer online appointment based services,a chat bot on our website, a 311-system, a robust mass notification tool, online forms, web and app based parking payments, and an online civic engagement tool. These tools have earned us a reputation as being a leader in digital services and meeting our customers needs by reducing the time they spend in-person with us or by eliminating the need to visit City Hall. 9. Briefly describe the type, source and nature of overall feedback you have received from colleagues, supervisors and direct reports on areas you could improve or continue to develop to increase your overall competence or proficiency as a leader or manager? The feedback I have received from the City Council and colleagues has been focused on the need to take more time off. Unfortunately, over the last few years I have dealt with one crisis after another which has led to not being able to take more time away. In addition, the assistant city manager needed to go on an extended medical leave due to a serious illness which left me solely in the executive role. 10. Please describe your experience in making public presentations and provide an example of a difficult issue you had to address either in a public meeting or with a group of community stakeholders. Since the beginning of my career I have needed to speak publicly and interact with the media. I routinely make public presentations during City Council meetings, during our annual district meetings, and as part of citizen engagement efforts for special projects. Two years ago a group decided to create a referendum preventing all development on and near the waterfront due to concerns about potential projects encroaching on the working waterfront for ground fishing and lobstering. In order to avoid a city-wide referendum that would freeze any development in certain zoning areas for five years, I convened a diverse group of individuals with varied interests to develop alternative approaches to the issues of concern. The referendum group withdrew the petition and we were able to make zoning changes that will make sure certain areas of the waterfront remain for the fishing and lobstering professions. PAGE 4 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDEREDPROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER 11. Inherent in every manager’s job is the need to evaluate,hire, discipline, promote or even end the employment of an employee or senior leader in an organization. What is your philosophy and leadership approach toward employee performance evaluations, development, training, selecting and leading others,which may include department or division directors, etc.? Include your views on succession planning and the key ingredients required to build a great team. Similar to my work in basketball, I am focused on talent acquisition as my overall philosophy. That may mean a position is not filled quickly, but I would rather focus on developing the most talented workforce that understands and embraces the overall culture of city staff. I have found during my tenure in the public and private sectors that hiring for talent greatly reduces workplace issues and less need for constant oversight. Fortunately for me I learned how to create exceptional teams from my mentor, Red Auerbach. I believe it important to understand no two people are the same therefore it is impossible to have a common management philosophy for everyone. Some members of a workforce take initiative and complete tasks on time with very little oversight. Others may want to discuss and debate the outcomes of a particular initiative or project. Part of my job is to create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard according to what they need from a manager.It is crucial to understand your leadership team and overall staff as individuals and not part of a larger group. One of my early initiatives with our HR staff was to create a non-union wage study to better understand the market dynamics on compensation. It had been years since an analysis had been completed to gauge the rate of compensation compared to the area market but also in comparison to our union workforce. As part of the project, our staff created a performance evaluation tool which is about to be shared with senior leadership. One of the deficient areas when I began in Portland was a lack of commitment to training. I immediately set out to make sure city staff were not only well trained, but knew they were valued because of the commitment to training. Often staff members are promoted to supervisory roles having never managed people before. We set staff up for failure by not providing the kind of training that is needed for a particular position. Training does cost money, but I believe the return on investment pays great dividends in having a well trained and equipped workforce. Succession planning has been one of the areas I need to focus on improving not only for myself but the rest of our leadership team. Over the last year we have had two senior leaders become critically ill and the ability to have someone step in the role on a temporary basis was not evident. The same has been true for senior staff deciding to retire. Succession training at all levels must be a greater focus for me as my career moves forward. 12. Briefly describe your experience (if any) leading and/or managing: (experience in all areas is not a requirement) a.Intergovernmental cooperation or collaboration to address or resolve a regional or multi-jurisdictional problem, challenge or opportunity, b.Bond rating and/or a rating process review, c.Management of municipal utilities including water,sanitary sewer, natural gas, etc. d.Public library operations, e.Addressing public concerns such as water,water quality,sanitary sewer,or storm sewer utility rates,annual budget presentations,major construction updates,or other significant issues of concern related to elected officials,businesses,neighborhood and citizen groups, public hearings, etc., PAGE 5 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDEREDPROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER f.Working collaboratively with community,neighborhood,civic and business organizations and leaders, g.Marine and aviation services, h.Affordable housing, homelessness and/or housing related issues, including policies, i.Neighborhood revitalization programs, policies, and initiatives, j.Commercial development and redevelopment. a.As the largest city in the state of Maine,Portland is expected to provide many services that are usually the responsibilities of state or county government.In order to achieve all that is expected of municipal government in Portland,it has been crucial to partner with other cities and towns on social services,transit and housing opportunities.We also work with a regional council of government as well.It has been important to look at regional solutions for many of the challenges facing the Greater Portland area. b.The finance director handles the interface with bond rating agencies.Due to our fiscally responsible stewardship, Portland enjoys a bond rating from Moodys and S&P of Aa1/AA+. c.Portland oversees sewer and stormwater upgrades and management of which I am actively involved in the planning and execution of the larger projects.The Portland Water District oversees the water treatment facility with annual discussions with me on rates and upgrades. Natural gas is administered by a private entity. d.Other than assistance with developing the annual budget,I am not involved in the day to day operations of the library. e.The City of Portland was placed under a consent decree by the U.S.Department of Environmental Protection in the 1990’s.Unfortunately,very little of the work that was mandated happened prior to my tenure.One of the most challenging parts of my tenure in Portland has been moving forward with the EPA requirements at great cost,disruption in the community and anger over the implementation of a stormwater fee.I am proud to say many in the community now understand the need to make these investments through an extensive educational process. f.Portland is a city that has 21 neighborhood groups.Over the years,I have met with all of the groups and continue to work with each on their priorities and interests to the extent possible through the capital improvement plan and budgeting process.I also work closely with our Chamber of Commerce,tourism bureau,and our Downtown business improvement district,as well as other civic and business leaders. g.I have extensive experience with both marine and aviation services.The Portland International Jetport is owned and operated by the city.It has been voted as the top small airport in the country on numerous occasions.In addition,I oversee our waterfront facilities which includes multiple cruise ship berths in addition to a working waterfront for the lobster and ground fishing industries.I led a working group to mitigate concerns about the further development of the waterfront threatening the future of the fishing and lobstering community. h.As mentioned previously,Portland is responsible for many of the social service and public health needs of the state.Portland operates both family and adult emergency shelters.I have extensive experience working on the issues of homelessness which includes the planned building of a new homeless services center.Affordable housing is an issue in most parts of our country and Portland has taken significant steps in partnering with private developers to build more affordable housing.During my tenure the city has added 835 mixed income units of housing and an additional 87 units through the Inclusionary Zoning policy. i.During my tenure and supported by me through the budgeting process,the city has completed and implemented a new Comprehensive Plan.In addition,the city is now undergoing a substantial re-write of our land use code which has not been updated in many decades.Both of these initiatives have a great impact on the improvements we are making to neighborhood PAGE 6 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDEREDPROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER nodes with a focus on improving transportation facilities such as the addition of shared use paths, additional bike lanes and strategic investments in public art. j.Portland has seen private capital invested in new development of commercial,retail and residential projects at an unprecedented rate during my tenure.Portland was recently named the 8th best city by U.S.News and World Report ranking first in safety.The interest in development also presents challenges as well which has been part of my responsibility to help find solutions for residents and businesses. 13.Describe your approach toward embracing and utilizing newer technologies in order to improve responsiveness, efficiencies, and/or enhance services to the community. Modernizing systems and platforms in the city has been a primary focus during my tenure. We’ve overhauled our IT infrastructure, transitioned to Google for Government, and implemented Tyler Technologies software for HR, Finance, and Permitting & Inspections. We have partnered with various technology companies to create efficiencies in how we interact with the public. For instance, we have greatly reduced the wait time for vehicle transactions through an appointment based system. We are working with CivicPlus to further our ability to interact with the public in real time on important issues or emergencies. I have also been focused on smart traffic signal technology that allows better traffic flow through the use of artificial intelligence. Finally,I was able to begin the mapping process for autonomous vehicles through a partnership with INRIX. 14. Describe your experience and level of familiarity with developing strategies to address “climate change”and assessing the impacts on a local government organization and the community it serves. During my tenure I created the position of Sustainability Director for the city. In addition, the city partnered with South Portland to create a comprehensive approach to climate and sustainable strategies through our One Climate Future Plan. Recently,we issued RFP’s for partnerships to expand electric vehicle infrastructure and an incentive based partnership to expand solar opportunities for private and public buildings. Finally, I led the effort to construct a 1 MW solar array on a former landfill site in Portland which will generate 1.2 million kWh of electricity each year. 15.What is your view on departmental leadership in terms of setting goals, meeting established deadlines and overall individual and team accountability? I believe one of my primary responsibilities is to recruit, train and empower the next generation of municipal leaders. My main focus is to attract talent and not simply fill a position. I am most proud of the talented leadership team we have in Portland.While we work together to set our overall goals as a staff focusing on operations, I believe it is my responsibility to empower staff to look at how we accomplish our goals through new ideas if necessary.I work closely with department leadership to create a workflow process that includes meeting deadlines recognizing external issues may disrupt the timing. 16.Describe your experience leading economic development projects or initiatives. What types of incentives have you used? Why are said incentives effective? During my tenure in Portland, the city has experienced unprecedented economic growth. Over the last six years, the City has seen an acceleration of business attraction with several international companies building corporate headquarters in the downtown area.A new cold storage facility is being built on the waterfront to further our international marine trade.The commitment of the City Council and Administration has led to the strategic deployment of tax increment financing opportunities to facilitate new and rehabilitated affordable and workforce housing.I am proud of my role in the creation of one of the most exciting opportunities for the long term economic growth of the Greater Portland region, the Roux Institute at Northeastern University. The graduate school focuses on analytics, applied machine intelligence, bioinformatics, and computer science through a masters program. I have also been PAGE 7 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDEREDPROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER working with the school to assist in the creation of an incubator for small companies possibly using city assets. 17. What methods, strategies or approaches have you used,or would use to ensure open, candid, accurate and essential two-way communication with elected officials such as the Mayor and Council members? How do you identify, prioritize and address initiatives and priorities desired by the Mayor and City Council? What I have employed during my service in Portland has been bi-weekly or monthly meetings with members of the City Council. I have a weekly meeting with the Mayor, but we also speak multiple times a week. It is important that the elected officials are fully briefed and not surprised by issues. Part of the reason I meet often with elected officials is to have a direct professional relationship where they can provide input on individual or council priorities.I believe it is critical to the success of any organization to have open and often dialogue to address critical issues or initiatives that are of interest to the elected or supervisory body. 18.Describe any other areas of expertise or experiences that are relevant to this position that have not been addressed in previous questions. Part of the reason I believe I have been successful in my current position is because I have extensive private sector experience in addition to years of public sector service. Bringing an entrepreneurial outlook to municipal government is important in bringing new ideas, a commitment to innovation and an empathetic understanding of staff at every level of the organization. 19. The full salary range for this position is $210,000 - $270,000 annually that is dependent upon the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.Are you comfortable with this range? If not, please explain why. Yes 20. Since 2000, please explain all situations where you were in a position for less than two years and describe the reason for your departure.Also, if not currently employed, please describe the terms of the departure from your most recent employer. In 2007, the National Basketball Association (NBA)granted me the rights to locate a NBA Development League franchise in New England. I left the office of Senator Kerry in order to pursue an entrepreneurial opportunity to create the minor league franchise of the Boston Celtics and the Charlotte Hornets. During my tenure in Washington, DC, I was asked to perform different job responsibilities at the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice hence the changing position titles in the executive branch. 21. If an electronic file search of media and blogs is made through Google (or other search engines), what would be disclosed about you that could be construed as negative? It is advisable that these issues be disclosed by you and explained - rather than being asked to react to reports discovered by the prospective employer. It is unfortunate in modern political life that public officials are accused of things that are simply not true. Over the course of the last few years I have been targeted by an active group of Democratic Socialists in Maine that do not agree with my operational and fiscal decisions. I am more than happy to discuss this in greater detail. PAGE 8 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDEREDPROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER Due Diligence Questionnaire Name Jon Jennings Date Completed July 26, 2021 Instructions: Please respond to each of the following questions.Depending on your response, you may need to provide additional information. In those cases, please be sure to provide the details requested. 1.Have you been subject to a formal charge regarding a conflict of interest, violation of ethical conduct, malfeasance or misfeasance in the performance of duties? If so, please explain the circumstances. NO 2. Have you ever been the subject of an investigation,or censured by a grand jury, board of inquiry, a judicial conduct or disciplinary board or similar body? If so, please provide details, explain the circumstances and final outcome. NO 3. Have you been subject to any disciplinary actions,including suspension, probation, or demotion in your adult working career? If so, please provide relevant details, explain the circumstances and the final outcome. NO 4. Has any organization, corporation, institution, or former employer dismissed, or asked you to resign for any reason, or from any position?If so, please provide relevant details, and explain the circumstances. YES—In 1997, the Boston Celtics hired a new head coach and he wanted to hire his own staff. The coach dismissed 18 Celtics’ employees of which I was included. 5.If you have been in your current, or most recent organization,for less than two years, please describe why you are interested in a career move at this time? N/A 6. Is there anything, in your personal, professional,or social media background history that our Firm, an employer or resident could possibly perceive, view or interpret as factually or potentially embarrassing to anyone?Would, or could, this information impair your ability to perform the essential duties of this job if discovered at a later time? If so, please explain, provide details of the circumstances and current disposition. NO 7. Do you understand that we may disqualify your candidacy from this search if valid, verifiable, and reliable information emerges, contrary to any information you provide us during this process? YES PAGE 1 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDEREDPROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PROFESSIONAL NARRATIVES Name: Jon Jennings PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Please prepare a narrative of your most significant professional achievement from either your current or a previous organization. Please limit your narratives to no more than one page. During my career I have been fortunate to have mentors who taught me how to build a first class and highly effective organization. I consider my most significant professional achievement to be the ability to recruit highly skilled individuals in order to foster organizations focused on a commitment to excellence and extreme customer service led with high expectations but with an empathetic mindset. While some may consider a particular infrastructure project or master plan a significant achievement, I have always considered building a team of committed individuals focused on a common mission by far the most important part of building a highly effective business or government entity. My experience in both the public and private sectors has taught me that without an effective group to implement an idea, it is rare for anything to move beyond a basic concept. When I was a member of the Boston Celtics organization,I was fortunate to work on a daily basis with the architect who created the Celtics tradition and family, Red Auerbach. Red taught me how best to motivate a group of highly diverse and passionate individuals to accomplish a single goal. While some believe you have to treat everyone the same, in reality that does not always work to get the most out of the team you are creating. I adopted these principles in the various managerial roles I have held in and out of government. It is critical to best understand what motivates a single person in order to maximize performance. Some respond to positive feedback on a regular basis and others simply want to understand the task and be left alone to achieve the goal. I also believe it is always important to focus on the acquisition of talent rather than just filling a position. Too often in leadership positions, a manager will settle in order to make sure the necessary staff is available. That is the opposite approach I have taken in Portland. I have a concentrated focus on researching and sometimes recruiting individuals committed to public service first and foremost, and then demonstrate a passion to work in a team or family environment to accomplish the goals of the Mayor,Council, and constituents. While I believe I have been fortunate to have several personal achievements, I have never accomplished anything professionally without a well trained and committed group of individuals focused on a common goal. I am so proud of the team we have in Portland because I know I can depend on and empower them to achieve whatever is required. Having a team that understands and believes in these philosophies has allowed us to create a culture in which we are committed to collaboration, excellent customer service, trying new and innovative things, and achieving our common goals.I take pride in knowing that those who work for the City of Portland know that I think of them like we are one big family and that I am committed to supporting their professional and personal goals. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PROFESSIONAL NARRATIVES CRITICAL PROBLEM Please prepare a narrative of a critical problem that you have encountered in your professional work, your analysis of the situation,the solution, and the outcome. Please limit your narrative to no more than one page. In the position of City Manager in Portland, ME, I have encountered many critical problems and issues during my tenure. More so than most may think for a city of its size. Perhaps the single issue that not only caught all of us by surprise,but required an immediate solution was the enormous number of families seeking asylum via the southern U.S. border who chose Portland as their destination in the summer of 2019. On the evening of Sunday, June 9, 2019, I received an email from the City Manager in San Antonio, Texas asking me to give him a call to discuss an issue, which was a bit odd since I did not previously know him. During our phone conversation I was alerted that hundreds of individuals seeking asylum were on their way to Portland.Needless to say, this was quite surprising as the city had never previously received this type of influx of families. I immediately activated our emergency response and leadership team to assist with developing a plan. I worked with our elected officials at that time to keep them updated at the same time I led the overall effort to manage the crisis that was before us. Within 24 hours we had to set up a triage unit along with a shelter for the families coming to the city. The city owns a large event facility that we quickly converted into an emergency shelter with cots and other amenities. We reached out to the state and community partners for further assistance. Within 48 hours we had a fully functioning intake facility providing temporary housing, meals and medical assistance. Two days after that initial phone call, we had 69 individuals arrive in Portland seeking housing and assistance. Within three days, we had 86. What was most problematic was we received people not only coming via San Antonio so we had an even larger crisis than previously imagined. Recognizing the city did not have the funding to support the volume of people coming, and the refusal of any state assistance, we launched a fundraising campaign to defray the costs of providing housing and supplies for the individuals and families. We raised over $1 million dollars to reimburse the city and non-profit partners for expenses and staffing. Ultimately, we had over 450 individuals come to Portland over a two month period, which garnered national and international media coverage.The concentrated focus needed to develop critical partnerships, convene necessary meetings on almost an hourly basis, launch a fundraising campaign, and to acquire food and supplies for families was a monumental undertaking. Through an intense focus of finding housing for the many families received, the city was able to bring the crisis to an end and eventually close the emergency shelter in late August 2019. We experienced an additional influx of 188 individuals seeking asylum in November and December of the same year, but were prepared to deal with the immediate needs. While this was an unanticipated crisis, it demonstrated our ability to respond quickly as city staff and the overall community to deal with an enormous humanitarian situation. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER JON JENNINGS CONFIDENTIAL REFERENCE REPORT Reference Relationship: 1.Direct Report 2.Direct Report 3.Professional Peer 4.Professional Peer 5.Elected Official/Supervisor Questions Answers 1.What is your professional relationship to the candidate and how long have you known or worked with each other? 1.I work with Jennings, and I used to work under Jon a few years back. 2.I am one of his direct reports for the past two years. 3.We are peers. He is the City Manager for Portland, and I am a neighboring City Manager. 4.I have known Jon since he started his role of City Manager for Portland. 5.We set agendas together for the council. I am the elected policy mayor while he does the day-to-day management of the City. 2.What do you consider to be the candidate’s greatest strengths as a professional? 1.Jon has an incredible skill set. I think with my experiences, what is rare, is that he has the people skills and at the same time, as a business man, he is an incredible asset when it comes to budgeting and infrastructure role to run the City of Portland. 2.His ability to lead and be a steady hand leading a team. He is able to bring a team together. 3.I think that he works for the common good. Jon has many talents, and he uses them all for his job. 4.He is a wonderful person to work with, and has high integrity. He does what he needs to do. I have been very impressed working with him. I think he has done a lot of good things for the City. 5.He is a good communicator. 3.Are there significant areas in the candidate’s professional work performance where improvements are needed? 1.For me, he is my go to guy for many things. So no. 2.Honestly, I have nothing against him to say. 3.He has always done a lot of reflection on what he needs to do. When he sees there is a need to improve, he will. 4.I do not know if there is anything. He takes on a lot, but that is part of the position. The City does so many different things. I do not know if that is something he can necessarily improve on. 5.We can all improve on things. The way our city government is set up, there is an opportunity for him to engage more with the community in a proactive way. Though, we do have nine elected CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER JON JENNINGS officials, so he normally leaves it up to them, but works with us to make sure we maintain communication with them and make sure we provide for them. However, he has received criticism of not being involved enough. He is conscious when something is not going well, and tries to improve on it. 4. How would you describe the candidate’s approach to problem- solving and decision making? 1. He knows how to run a city, and he has resources to lean on when dealing with any issues that come up. He has various different experiences such as in business. He was able to work with his team, and works closely with us to deal with people. 2. He is very proactive, and looks at the long-term effects in making a decision. When evaluating a situation, looks at what this means for long term for the municipality or department. He definitely analyzes that when making a decision. 3. He is an intelligent person, and a quick learner. He does what he needs to do. He will take the lead as needed to address the situation. 4. He is very straightforward and direct. I think he is thoughtful on how he handles issues. I think he will bring all the parties to the table to find the best solutions. I like his approach. 5. He is very easy to work with as in he is always contemplating the issues, and is available to talk through them. He takes his time to make a decision, and then once he does, he sticks to it. 5. How would you describe the candidate’s management and leadership qualities? 1. He was an incredible leader. He sticks up for his people. He is a mentor, and a professional day in and day out. He is very adept in complex situations. When you think of being a leader, he knows how to deal with many issues and concerns. He has been a leader in this state, and knows how to take care of his people and the community. 2. No one works for Jennings, they work with him. He makes that clear since the beginning. It is a team approach, and I appreciate it. He is a steady hand, and assists us when we need it. 3. He is a team leader. His leadership shows when he steps up and gives direction or voice. 4. He is very direct and gets things done. He wants to bring all the parties together. He is great at compromise. 5. He is forthcoming and approachable. He believes in regular standing meetings so communication is a consistent thing. When it comes to his staff, he is cognizant of their issues. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER JON JENNINGS 6. How would you assess the candidate’s communication skills when giving an oral presentation, or any written reports? 1. Jon is the guy that has a very personal approach. He uses his life experiences to work with people in various atmospheres. His various experiences helps break down barriers and can bring people to the table. As a long time City Manager, he is adept in working various projects and with the diverse group of people who manage the projects. 2. It is always clear and constant communication. We communicate in various ways, such as our regular meetings, phone check-ins, and emails. If I need to send a formalized memo, I do. I always feel like he is always available through many different methods. 3. When he realized he was going to be in front of the council and neighborhood groups, he felt he was lacking in the communication side. Therefore, he took it upon himself to get experience by going to a group similar to Toastmasters. He saw that this was a need for him to succeed in his profession. 4. He is a very good communicator. He is direct, clear, and straightforward to his communication. 5. When it comes to Council for example, he often uses a memo format to spell out all of the considerations and options for the path forward he is suggesting. He sends it ahead of time to the council so they can share it with the community. That way people have access to information but it is also part of historical records. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER JON JENNINGS 7.What is/was the most significant contribution that the candidate has made to your organization? 1.One scenario during my time as a Police Chief that was telling of his management style - we had a protest scenario five years ago, and our police department was heavily engaged where we had to arrest 18 people. That was a big deal for the city. He came in at 1 a.m. to talk with our first responders, dispatchers, and officers to make sure we were all okay. This was after all decisions were made and things were done. When it comes to a leadership contribution, that is a prime example. I have worked many budgets with Jon, and he always worked incredibly hard. He was successful to bring a tight, fiscally responsible budget to the council. He did that by leaning on the subject matter experts and bringing his experience. He has done amazing work in leadership, but also run the day-to-day business, and he does that like no one else I have seen. 2.Most recently, his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. He really looks at the experts for our health department to make big decisions. We are the largest city in Maine, and we were a leader for the state. At Jon’s urging, we followed CDC recommendations even if the state had not done it yet, in order to be proactive. He leans on content area experts. 3.It was a low point for the City of Portland before he came. There was unrest in the employee ranks, and the unions were restless. The public opinion of the City Hall was not high. It was felt that development was being slowed due to the process in City Hall. Within a year of Jon coming in, he was able to knock it all off and brought both integrity and trust. The employees felt like they had a leader that had their back and worked an open door policy. He started to create a better work atmosphere and view of City Hall. In addition, he streamlined the development process so developers did not need to wait a year to get it approved. Due to this, Portland has exploded, and now it is a destination place. Jon has done a lot during his short time there. 4.He managed to keep the taxes down for the public, and that shows with how he managed the City and staff of Portland. 5.Jon has made significant contributions during COVID for City government, businesses, and people. He has done research to try to find the best solution. He is steady and thoughtful, and takes decision making as something to do carefully but important. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER JON JENNINGS 8. Do you have an opinion about why they are considering a move at this time? 1. I do not know why. I have not asked Jon why the move. 2. He has not extended his contract. While I am sad he is leaving the City, I am happy he is staying in municipal government. 3. He is always looking for the next challenge, and is at a point now where he has his daughter that is graduating high school. He does not feel like he needs to stay in the state of Maine. He is one that is always trying to go to the next level or challenge. 4. I do not know why exactly, but I think he sees this as a career advancement. 5. This has been a complicated political environment for the last few years. He is not from Maine, and is ready for a change. His daughter is graduating high school this year, and he might change location geographically. We have communicated openly his whole career here, and his interest of moving on was not a surprise. He is very thoughtful, and does not want to leave anyone unalerted. 9. Are you aware of anything in the candidate’s background that would be a problem for a prospective employer, if it became public knowledge? 1. No, not at all. 2. No. 3. He is clean. He does nothing to even skirt the lines of something that could put a black ball next to his name. He ethical and admits his mistakes. 4. No. 5. I am not, no. 10. Do you have any additional comments about the candidate that you have not already provided? 1. I am honored to give a response on Jon's behalf. He is a strong mentor for me. I think he served as a great example for the leaders in my community. I often look back in his experiences, and I use those examples in my own life. I think he would be the perfect fit for Clearwater. 2. I think I have said everything. He is a great person to work with. The contributions he has made for the City will be extremely long lasting. Not only to the municipal as a whole, but also to the City. He has made a change in the culture, and we all feel supported. 3. I think Jon is an outstanding candidate for the community. He comes with a full packet of knowledge. He is a strong leader. He has the upmost and ethical stance. He will just do a very good job for whatever community he lands in. 4. I think the world of Jon. I have enjoyed working with him. And he has done an incredible job for the City and for Portland. I would hate to lose him if he were to leave. He would leave big shoes to fill. 5. I think I have said a lot. He is professional. He has CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER JON JENNINGS great and broad experience. He is smart and creative. When it comes to City government, he will draw in his public and private experience. He is a good city manager. Comparison Analysis For Consulting And Coaching Job Competencies Hierarchy Zone Range Person Primary Driving Forces Cluster Zone Range Person Job Behavioral Hierarchy Zone Range Person Jon Jennings City of Clearwater, Florida – City Manager Interview Questions Wednesday, September 1-2, 2021 Candidate Name: ________________________ 1. Describe the most challenging management situation you ever experienced and how did you strive to resolve the challenge? What was the outcome and, if you could revisit the situation, would you do anything differently? 2. If you have reviewed our budget and Certified Annual Financial Report, what is your assessment of our financial condition and what recommendations do you have for us for improvement and to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability without raising taxes? (Follow-up to Question 2) Tell us about your approach to ensuring the city’s long-term financial health and sustainability and comment on how you keep the city council apprised of financial impacts, provide opportunities for community input, and frame policy issues affecting our long- range fiscal health. 3. Describe your experience with grants and other external revenue sources. 4. How does the strength of the Florida Public Records Act affect your approach toward municipal operations and media relations? 5. What is your expertise and experience with major infrastructure projects and capital expenditures? What techniques have you utilized to adhere to timelines and budget parameters? 6.Describe your management style and in your daily activities, how do you ensure accountability and avoid priorities of the mayor and city council falling through cracks or otherwise being unachieved? 7.Tell us how your professional training, experience and personal qualities have prepared you to become our next city manager. 8. If there are any gaps in your professional expertise compared to the city’s needs, how will you overcome them? 9.What do you consider to be the City of Clearwater’s top three assets and how would you capitalize on them? (Follow up) Conversely, what are the top three challenges and how would you advise the city council to approach them? 10.How do you keep your elected body informed, individually and collectively? . 11.If the mayor and city council adopted a policy or collectively expressed a stance with which you had significant professional disagreement, how would you express that disagreement and seek resolution? Can you cite an example in your response? 12.Discuss your approach to and experience with economic development and diversification of the tax base. Can you share both a success story and a project that did not turn out as well as you hoped and what you learned from it? 13.This is a two-part question. First, please tell us about your management style with department directors. Then, describe how you view the interaction of department heads and other staff with the city council, versus the city manager’s role. 14.The city council values clear, direct and honest communication, which includes high levels of transparency. What are your views regarding transparency at the local government level, and how have you approached this in your experience? 15.To what extent have you researched Imagine Clearwater and what are your thoughts on its implementation? 16.What role does citizen input have in city operations and what techniques have you found successful in capturing and analyzing that input? 17.Give us some examples of cases where you have introduced new technologies to improve productivity or service delivery in a local government organization? 18.How would you go about assessing the City’s overall long-term sustainability as an organization and community -- beyond the traditional financial models of the past? 19.Describe an example of a public-private partnership in which you played a significant role. 20.How do you believe others would describe your management and decision-making style? With a highly experienced senior staff, how would you evaluate their abilities and establish your management approach? 21.Describe your general approach to employee development, motivation and discipline. 22.One of the essential roles of the city manager is the establishment and maintenance of relationships with multiple constituents, both within the organization and in the community. Describe how you have enhanced or repaired a strained relationship. 23.A major landowner in Clearwater is the Church of Scientology. How would you establish a productive working relationship with that organization, and if you have had a similar experience in another community, please tell us about it? 24.Describe your experience and expertise with strategic planning and visioning for a community in which you have managed. 25.To what extent do you believe contact with citizens and citizen’s groups is important? How do you typically handle this responsibility? How will you build relationships with the community? 26.Cities across the country are trying to find just the right balance in protecting their character and history, while encouraging more growth and development to expand the tax base. What is an example of a city or town that you feel is finding the right balance, and what lessons from that city or town would you bring to Clearwater? 27.What strategies do you use to encourage inclusiveness and build consensus among diverse interests in a way that meets the needs of the community rather than the interests of a few? Give us an example that demonstrates this. 28.In what ways have you learned about people from other cultures and backgrounds and how does that influence your work? 29.Tell us about your approach to and experience with joining a new organization and community and establishing your presence. If you become our city manager, what would you hope to accomplish within the first six months and then during the next three years? 30.What lessons can local governments learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with respect to equitable delivery of services and distribution of resources? 31.For governmental organizations to thrive in the 21st century, what changes need to be made and what have you done to position your current or most recent employer to be successful in that environment? 32.Are there any areas of your qualifications and experience that our questions have not probed that you would like us to consider? Closing question 1.Do you have any questions for us? CANDIDATE 4 – KEITH MOFFETT CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 1 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP Candidate Questionnaire Name Keith Moffett Primary Phone 478-808-0570 Email keithmoffett@yahoo.com; drkeithmoffett@gmail.com Please List Your Current (1) and Previous Three (3) Position Titles & Places/Organizations of Employment (include start/end dates by month/year, plus the position & organization): 1. COUNTY MANAGER CONSOLIDATE GOVERNMENT OF MACON-BIBB COUNTY March 2018 – Present 2. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BUTTS COUNTY, GEORGIA July 2015 – January 2018 3. DIRECTOR OF E-911 CITY OF MACON, GEORGIA January 2014 – July 2015 4. ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER CITY OF MACON, GEORGIA January 2012 – January 2014 Currently / Most Recently Reports to (by title): Lester Miller Mayor, Macon-Bibb County Population Served (last 2 organizations): 1. Macon-Bibb County, Georgia – 160,000 2. Butts County, Georgia – 26,000 Employees Supervised & Budget 1.) Number of Direct Reports 2.) Number of Employees in Department 3.) Number of Employees in Organization 4.) Department Budget 5.) Entire Organization’s Budget 1. 22 Department heads and staff 2. Office of County Manager – 27 budgeted a. Employees in all departments under authority of County Manager – 1275 budgeted 3. 1850 Budget 4. County Manager Department budget - $1.7 M 5. $168M in general fund; $560M overall Highest level of education achieved (include degree and institution): PhD, Educational Leadership - Mercer University Executive Master of Business Administration - Wesleyan College B. S., Business and Information Technology - Macon State College A. S., Electronic Technology - Georgia Military College A. S., Nuclear Science Technology - Georgia Military College CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 2 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP Licenses (include states); Professional Certifications; Specialized and Advanced Training; and Awards: United States Navy, Navigation Electronic Technician, Submarines International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Credentialed Manager Certificate in Public Financial Management (CPFM) - Georgia State University • Governmental Leadership: Politics, Communication, and Influence • Operating and Capital Budgeting • Government Financial Statements and Accounting • Debt Management • Treasury and Investment Management • Retirement, Risk Management, and Procurement High Performance Leadership (National Association of Counties - Professional Development Academy) Certified Public Manager (University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government) Certified in Municipal Revenue Administration (Georgia Municipal Association) • Ad Valorem Tax 101 • Delinquent Tax Collection • Occupation Tax/Regulatory Fees & Alcohol License • Governmental Fund Revenue Sources • Customer Service & Cyber Security National Incident Management System – NIMS 100, 200, 700, and 800 General Civic Mediation (Georgia) Certified County Official (Association County Commissioners of Georgia) Leadership Training Programs • Leadership Georgia • Leadership Macon • Seven Habits of Effective People Regional Economic Development and Leadership Development Program • Economic Development Finance Professional Certification • International Economic Development Council, CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 3 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP Technology-led Economic Development • International Economic Development Council, Technology for Economic Development • International Economic Development Council, Economic Development Finance • Georgia Institute of Technology EDI, Basic Economic Development Course • Georgia Institute of Technology EDI, Georgia Economic Development Course Instructor Continuing Education • Time and Stress Management for Instructors • Do You Manage or Lead • Learning Theory and Practice • Complaint Communications • Learning and Assessment • Management Strategies Leadership Strategies (Trained facilitator) Macon State College Continuing Education, Business Consulting Instructions: The purpose of this questionnaire is to provide us with additional information about you as a candidate and to gather examples of professional work that illustrate your background and experience. This information will be shared with hiring officials and others involved in making decisions about candidates selected to move forward in the selection process. Please respond to each of the following questions by providing pertinent information. Some questions ask you to provide examples; please be sure to describe your direct level of involvement in the project or initiative. Please be succinct – limit your responses to 300 words. 1. Please tell us why you are interested in this position and why you are considering a career move at this time? I am interested in this position because of the stability established by the previous administration and the opportunity to aid this community in continued unity and upward mobility. For city managers, the stability of the Clearwater community represents the efforts of a successful city government which in turn leads to tremendous opportunities for continued productivity. I am considering a career move at this time because I have been blessed to serve my hometown in numerous ways and now I am ready to serve in another position where I can combine my broad range of experience with my ability to be a considerate, enthusiastic, and intelligent leader who will make a positive contribution to a city such as Clearwater, Florida. 2. What is your current title, essential functions and scope of your overall responsibilities? What is the governance structure of your current organization and describe why you CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 4 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP consider these, or previous experiences, preparation for the Clearwater City Manager position? My current title is County Manager for the consolidated government of Macon-Bibb County Georgia where I administer the daily activities of the County in a variety of areas providing direction and oversight to the agencies that implement policies adopted by the Board of Commissioners. These activities are supported with a $168 million general fund budget and an overall budget of $550 million dollars with over 1800 budgeted employee positions. The governance structure is 10-member Commission with the Mayor serving as Chair and a Commissioner elected from each of the 9 districts. As a Navy veteran, I am disciplined and organized; as a recognized Distinguished Alumnus of Macon State College School of Business, I have been commended for my ability to work with people inside and outside of government. I obtained a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Mercer University’s Tift College of Education and have over 18 years of strong experience working in local, county, and state government. I consider my current and previous experiences to have enabled me to work, learn, and thrive in the current environment whereby there are many official and unofficial factors that affect local government and business. With the field of government constantly evolving and adapting to various business models, I feel that my combination of education and experience in navigating community relations, business development and operations is a valuable asset for the development efforts and growth initiatives currently underway in Clearwater, Florida. 3. Briefly summarize your leadership and management style and describe your approach to managing a) people, and b) projects. How do you get things done and make decisions? In summary my leadership and management styles are people-oriented and project-focused. My approach to managing people is with one-on-one meetings to discuss their specific roles and responsibilities. The conversation is focused on positive communication and transparent feedback. My approach to managing projects is to define the scope, make a plan with a timeline, execute then assess. The way I get things done is to follow the mantra “Sow the vision before I cast it.” This means: 1. I communicate the plan with the internal and external stakeholders to garner support 2. I communicate with people who may oppose the plan so I can prepare for the opposition 3. I communication with the shareholders who will be affected As County Manager I make decisions based on the strategic plan, the budget, and the guidance of the elected leadership. 4. How do you incorporate the values of diversity and inclusion into an organization you lead? In the organizations that I have led and currently lead, I consistently promote and encourage formal and informal training in diversity and inclusion. I ensure information is thoroughly distributed outlining how to communicate issues or questions to leadership. Additionally, I set the expectation that employee feedback is monitored by Human Resources and complaints, survey results, and training outcomes are communicated back to me. 5. Describe your approach to public outreach, community engagement, and seeking community input. What methods have you found to be most effective? CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 5 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP My preferred approach to public outreach, community engagement, and community input is direct in- person communication via face-to-face meetings or telephone. Additionally, I have embraced the utilization of various social media platforms and video conferencing tools to remain efficient, effective, and personable. These tools have proved to be extremely useful during the COVID-19 pandemic and I look forward to continued implementation. I have found the method “PUTP” (Pick Up The Phone) to be most effective because it allows me to address issues in a timely manner, clarify needed details, and build rapport. 6. Describe your experience and approach to financial management, budget development, and fiscal sustainability. Briefly describe a challenging situation involving your organization’s annual budget and what steps you took to address the issue(s), and the outcome. My financial management experience includes the creation of budgets for the entire county/city government on a yearly basis to include a focus on individual department and special programs. My philosophy is to use a framework based on the needs and the resources available. I learned my first definition of leadership in my high school JROTC courses: “Leadership is the process of influencing people to accomplish the mission.” I have adopted a leadership/management style that is a combination of task and relationship orientation. Additionally, I strongly believe in accountability without micromanaging. It is my goal to implement the leadership and management qualities from my favorite book by Lencioni. He suggest that leaders should build and maintain a cohesive team, create a healthy work environment, create organizational clarity, have clear communication channels, and invest in human capital and technology. During this current COVID-19 pandemic, I am faced everyday with difficult financial management decision due to uncertain revenue projections and unexpected expenses for supplies and modified operations. I have implemented steps to alter work schedules and job duties by allowing teleworking and flex schedules. The outcomes during the past year have produced favorable results which have minimized the impact to the budget and kept employees safe. Some of the lessons I have learned include the technology (software and hardware) requirements necessary to have a considerable number of employees working off-site, new methods of offering encouragement and emotional support to remote employees, and more creative techniques for communicating with elected officials and the external community. 7. Very briefly, describe your experience, working knowledge and any success you have achieved working in the following areas: a. Neighborhood and downtown revitalization / redevelopment b. Capital project / facility planning, funding, and construction of utilities, infrastructure and building improvements c. Strategic goal setting and citizen based strategic planning a. Under my leadership the creation of City of Macon’s 5x5 program became a well-respected and recognized neighborhood revitalization effort. In 2014, I created and implemented the 5×5 Program to enhance and target services in a five-block area for five weeks. I met with each of the nine elected Commissioners to determine which five block area in their district would receive the focused services, as well as met with residents, churches, and community leaders about the needs they would like addressed. I partnered with several external organizations such as Macon Area Habitat for Humanity, Community Partnerships, the Macon Water Authority, Rebuilding Macon, and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office to ensure the strategic plan was followed and the outcomes were positive. b. I have several examples of successful experiences involving capital projects/facility planning, funding, and construction of utilities, infrastructure and building improvements. Currently, I am managing a $26 million Energy Saving Project that will provide 10 facilities with energy efficient CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 6 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP upgrades such as HVAC, lights, and water. Additional experience with capital projects include the construction of fire stations, recreation facilities, and a convention center. c. In the area of strategic goal setting and citizen based strategic planning, I believe that engagement with the citizen is essential to the health and vitality of government. Citizen-based strategic planning is a valuable method of introducing community ideas, private sector technology and innovation to public services. In my present role, I am working with several projects whereby private developers are creating affordable housing units from county owned property. Such collaboration involves identifying blighted properties for redevelopment, using programs such as historic tax credits to incentivize developers to invest, coordinating the activities of key stakeholders, and leading negotiations for the purchase of the properties within the permitted guidelines. The processes included designating properties, identifying funding, creating and posting a request for proposal, securing a master developer, establishing a timeline, and outlining needs and resources needed to complete the project. The outcome for calendar year 2020 include the production of 20+ family size units in areas previously designated as distress areas in the county. This outcome was widely commended as it resulted in the addition of these properties back onto the tax digest. 8. Have you utilized any performance measurement and benchmarking strategies or practices in determining the effectiveness and quality of services provided to the customers, visitors, and residents of a community? Please describe an example or two. Yes, I have utilized performance measurement and benchmarking strategies in determining the effectiveness and quality of services provided to the customers, visitors, and residents of a community. See/Click/Fix - Macon Bibb currently uses See Click Fix, an online resource allowing citizens to report issues such as potholes, illegal dumping, overgrown parks, and blight issues directly to various Macon- Bibb County departments. The citizen will receive an email when the request has been viewed by the department, assigned for handling, and when resolved. I utilized the data associated with each stage of the process to measure response time, handling of task, associated issues, and benchmark workloads in districts. In 2020, Macon-Bibb County ranked 2nd for both Most Engaged in the Large Cities category with 4,218 requests created and Most Responsive with 3,663 requests handled and closed. SmartNeighborhoodsMBC – I currently manage the Macon Bibb SMART City program. This is a nation- wide initiative encouraging communities to utilize technology (i.e. wireless city/county, app based capabilities with real time response, technology-based approach to community issues). The first initiate of Macon-Bibb was awarded a $50,000 grant to place Smart Kiosks in strategic locations. These kiosks are envisioned as huge smartphones that will provide access to critical information and promote community empowerment in underserved areas. I receive and assess the data collected from the kiosks and utilize this information to develop strategic plans for each department to be more proactive in addressing the needs of those communities. At times additional follow up is needed to include surveys and meetings with commissioners, neighborhood leaders, and residents. 9. Briefly describe the type, source and nature of overall feedback you have received from colleagues, supervisors and direct reports on areas you could improve or continue to develop to increase your overall competence or proficiency as a leader or manager? I completed a 360-degree Feedback Survey (Oct. 2019) as part of my Certified Public Manager Certification in the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government. The results have given me clear direction in the following focus areas to develop a self-improvement plan that will be evaluated annually by a more experienced county manager. For the scores below, the scale is 0-5, with 5 being “Excellent.” In addition to the 360 Survey, I promote an open-door policy encouraging employees to keep me aware of their concerns, I meet with direct reports monthly, and we fellow with a lunch or dinner once a quarter. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 7 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP Self Evaluation Responses from (22) Direct Reports Appreciation of Workforce Diversity 4 4.43 Flexibility 3.7 4.1 Interpersonal Sensitivity 4.8 4.29 Systems Thinking 4.7 4.14 Appropriate Use of Policies and Procedures 3.8 4.22 Customer Service 4.7 4.19 Initiative 4.7 3.95 Integrity 4.3 4.45 Risk Assessment 4.3 4.24 Coaching 3.7 3.84 Delegation 3.5 3.96 Managing Conflict 3.3 4.29 Change Management 3 3.76 Leading Groups 3.5 4.25 Measuring Unit Performance 3.3 4.19 Oral Communication 4 4.43 Formal Authority 4 4.05 Inspirational Appeals 3.3 4.19 Rational Persuasion 4 4.05 Creativity 3.7 3.9 Financial Controls 4.7 4.24 Organizing and Planning 3.7 4.2 Problem Solving 4.3 4.19 10. Please describe your experience in making public presentations and provide an example of a difficult issue you had to address either in a public meeting or with a group of community stakeholders. I am extremely proficient in creating and presenting presentations in numerous formats to include making public presentations. It is not uncommon for me to participate in public events during non- tradition working hours (early morning, late evenings, and weekends) as needed. The number may vary, but I average 10 committee meetings a month (attendees elected leadership, government officials, and citizens). I have served as an adjunct professor at Mercer University and Middle Georgia State University, in the school of Business, for over 10 years. Standard courses taught include Ethics and Leadership to classes of 8-30 students each semester. An average of twice monthly I conduct live or recorded interviews with the local media. Town Hall meetings are held approximately three times a year. At these meetings controversial topics always arise by passionate groups solicit support. Most recently a difficult issue centered on animal welfare. Several welfare groups collaborated to make a joint request for the County to become a No Kill Shelter. With the increasing number of strays in our community I could not guarantee the elimination of the euthanasia process. This response was not received well, but I quickly made a pledge for what could be done and kept my word. Since that time I have led efforts to work with various rescue groups to increase the number of pet adoption fairs, animal foster homes, and partnerships with surrounding communities to adopt our stray animals. As a demonstration of leadership, I have adopted two rescued animals as well. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 8 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP 11. Inherent in every manager’s job is the need to evaluate, hire, discipline, promote or even end the employment of an employee or senior leader in an organization. What is your philosophy and leadership approach toward employee performance evaluations, development, training, selecting and leading others, which may include department or division directors, etc.? Include your views on succession planning and the key ingredients required to build a great team. My philosophy and leadership approach for employee development are to fully support and encourage employee development where the employee has access to various training mechanism (e.g. in person training, computer-based training modules, positive coaching and mentorship) to further develop their skills and knowledge. I fully support employee recruitment activities that aid in hiring employees who are skilled, experienced, and a good fit for the organization. Acknowledging that it is more effective to retain a quality employee than to recruit a new employee, I work to keep good team members and minimize the negative effect on the budget due to low productivity or decreased engagement. I believe that all employees should have the technical skills needed to perform their job efficiently and effectively. Evaluations are to measure job performance and provide feedback regarding the quality of the employee’s work. Additionally, evaluations should include the employee’s perspective of past performance, current activities, and future aspirations. My philosophy and leadership approach for succession planning are focused on employee development, business continuity, and improved retention. My goal is to develop new leaders from within the organization when possible. 12. Briefly describe your experience (if any) leading and/or managing: (experience in all areas is not a requirement) a. Intergovernmental cooperation or collaboration to address or resolve a regional or multi- jurisdictional problem, challenge or opportunity, b. Bond rating and/or a rating process review, c. Management of municipal utilities including water, sanitary sewer, natural gas, etc. d. Public library operations, e. Addressing public concerns such as water, water quality, sanitary sewer, or storm sewer utility rates, annual budget presentations, major construction updates, or other significant issues of concern related to elected officials, businesses, neighborhood and citizen groups, public hearings, etc., f. Working collaboratively with community, neighborhood, civic and business organizations and leaders, g. Marine and aviation services, h. Affordable housing, homelessness and/or housing related issues, including policies, i. Neighborhood revitalization programs, policies, and initiatives, j. Commercial development and redevelopment. a. Installation of regional 800Mhz radio system - In Jan 2015, I managed the process overseeing Macon Bibb’s invested in the upgrade of the emergency communication radio system from an analog base system to an 800 MHz frequency system which allows for a larger coverage area. Based on the new technology and signal strength available, it was determined that partnering with the neighboring 4 counties would provide stronger coverage along the county’s boarder lines, creating a cost sharing CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 9 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP opportunity. The outcome of my efforts resulted in a substantial cost saving to the County on the implementation and maintenance fees. b. Prior to my appointment as County Manager in 2017, the rating agencies downgraded Macon Bibb placing the organization on negative watch. I have work diligently over the last three years to improve the Bond rating by focusing on increasing the fund balance, ensuring proper financial management practices, and leading semi-annual presentations with our financial advisor to the rating agencies. In January of 2020, those efforts were proved to be successful as Macon Bibb was taken off negative watch. The current result is Macon Bibb was notified in June 2021 that S&P Global Ratings raised the rating on Macon-Bibb County’s general obligation rating from A to AA-, which is two full notches, based on the recent improvements to its current financial situation and future outlook. In addition to the rating increase, under my leadership Macon-Bibb County was given a “Stable Outlook,” which speaks to the direction of the government’s finances. Current fund balance has increase from $4 Million in 2017 to $36 Million today. c. My role as County Manager has been to partner and support those operations in my community. Although I have no direct management of municipal utilities including water, sanitary sewer, or natural gas, I oversee the Engineering and Public Works department which handle the storm water issues such as emergency repairs and maintenance. Macon-Bibb has a separate water authority that handles water and sewer operations for the County. My role is to partner with the Executive Director of the Water Authority as needed to support those operations fiscally (SPLOST funds for specific projects) and manpower until completion. d. I have experience managing and directing the department head of library services from my past employer and current role. My responsibility included ensuring the director had all the resources needed to have a successful library operation in the areas of work schedules, budget management, employee evaluation, programs, facilities, and community engagement. We met monthly to discuss upcoming initiatives, goals, and challenges. In my current capacity, the director of library services and I meet monthly as well. It is state agency that has a MOU for community operations. e. Due to COVID the Macon-Bibb solid waste vendor for household waste and recycling has experienced staffing issues resulting in significant delays in service. Due to public concerns I have had to shift the county’s solid waste service for yard waste collection to recycling and hire an additional household waste collection vendor. This process has taken numerous public outreach initiatives through social media, media interviews, and mass mailings. f. I am extremely proficient working collaboratively with community, neighborhood, civic and business organizations, and leaders. I enjoy being front-facing with the citizens and engaging in person. g. In my current role, I manage the vendor contracts associated with the Macon-Bibb airport operations. This contract includes public and private aircrafts at the facilities and management of the lease for the hangers. There are partnerships with the local university which has a school of flight that has been very advantageous for the community. Currently, we are exploring federal grants that may fund an expansion of the runway allowing larger aircrafts to utilize this airport. I have no experience managing marine services at this time. h. In my role as County Manager, the Department of Economic and Community development reports to me on all issues for affordable housing, homelessness, and housing related issues, including policies. I approved the appropriations of Community Development Block Grants to fund agencies that focus on these areas. In December of 2020, due to the death of two homeless people, Macon-Bibb partnered with the local school board to purchase an abandoned school building for use as a transition center. Via additional partnerships with the United Way, Salvation Army, Daybreak, and other entities focused on the reduction of homelessness and mental illness, this center provides wrap around services. To date, over 600 people have come through our doors since January. Some stay only a night or 2 while CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 10 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP others are here for up to 90 days; we have served around 400 (of the 600) people with some sort of assistance from housing, getting ID's, Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, SNAP benefits, Insurance, clothing, transportation to interviews and appointments, medication; and 45 citizens have received housing placement. i. Creation of Macon-Bibb 30 for 30 program - In April of 2021 I began working with the Mayor to implement this program targeting the removal of 30 blighted homes in 30 days. The first 30 dilapidated homes have been removed. I managed the process with Code Enforcement to identify the homes, notify the owners, matriculating the process through the court system, and scheduling public works for demolition and removal. Phase II, identifying the next 30 blighted homes, began July 15, 2021. j. In my role as County Manager, I have worked on several projects for commercial development and redevelopment to improve the quality of life in the community. Utilizing the long-term land use plans I provided leadership over the process of how to make decisions on public and private land development proposals, the expenditure of public funds, availability of tax incentives, and the rehabilitation of older neighborhoods areas. 13. Describe your approach toward embracing and utilizing newer technologies in order to improve responsiveness, efficiencies, and/or enhance services to the community. I advocate, embrace, promote, and utilize newer technologies to improve responsiveness, efficiencies, and/or enhance services to the community. My approach is to identify a need, research a technology option to address the need, collaborate with my Information Technology department then evaluate the possible and future uses of the technology. Additionally, my approach includes identifying a funding source to purchase the technology and work with my Information Technology department to implement then assess the implantation process and expected outcomes of the technology. I have encouraged my direct reports and department heads to aid me in thinking technology first, consider options that may enhance the services to our community by providing more efficiency. If we determine something to be a good fit, just not immediately, the plan can be created for implementation in the future. 14. Describe your experience and level of familiarity with developing strategies to address “climate change” and assessing the impacts on a local government organization and the community it serves. My experience and familiarity in developing strategies to address “climate change,” and assessing the impacts on a local government, are primarily centered on researching, evaluating options, and funding Macon-Bibb facilities with solar arrays to reduce the harmful efforts of climate change. I have implemented a $26 million energy saving program to upgrade 10 county buildings with energy efficient heating and air, lighting, and water systems. Additionally, four facilities will install solar panels for alternative power usage. These efforts will address reducing our harmful footprint from this government. The community feedback has been favorable. I will also mention that I have incorporated the purchase of electrical vehicles into our procurement process to help increase our air quality rating. 15. What is your view on departmental leadership in terms of setting goals, meeting established deadlines and overall individual and team accountability? I believe goals are necessary to identify the focus of an organization. Deadlines are the benchmarks for when projects should be completed and assessed. There can be serious consequences associated with misunderstanding the goal or missing the deadline. These consequences typically include negative impacts to the budget, frustration in staff, and negative media. Goals and deadlines should remain at the forefront of any project. Additionally, there should be individual and team feedback and accountability to provide departmental leaders the framework needed for success. 16. Describe your experience leading economic development projects or initiatives. What types of incentives have you used? Why are said incentives effective? CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 11 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP I have extensive experience working on numerous economic development projects in new business/industry recruitment, existing industry retention, and entrepreneurship. I started my career in government in 2002 working for the Macon Economic Development Commission as an award-winning project manager focused on new industry recruitment. In that capacity, I managed over 50+ projects resulting in 3 new industries locating producing over 1000 new jobs. In 2006 I was recognized for these efforts by Georgia Trend magazine as one of 40 Most Influential Georgians. Following this appointment, I served as the regional project manager for Georgia Department of Economic Development. Working specifically in the Middle Georgia region, I coordinated the economic development efforts of 11 counties and 18 cities where I focused on existing industry retention and entrepreneurship. I have used incentives such as tax credits, creating workforce development educational programs, and small business development activities. Incentives are effective and can have positive economic impacts, but they also cost money and must be paid for either with tax increases, spending cuts, or both, all of which can have negative repercussions. The most effective incentives will boost job creation and target economically distressed communities. 17. What methods, strategies or approaches have you used, or would use to ensure open, candid, accurate and essential two-way communication with elected officials such as the Mayor and Council members? How do you identify, prioritize and address initiatives and priorities desired by the Mayor and City Council? In my current role as County Manager, previous role as County Administrator, and prior to that Director of Internal Affairs, I communicated with Mayor and City Council members daily. I identified the individual’s preferred method of communication to ensure open, candid, accurate and essential two-way communication. I have learned firsthand that everyone communicates differently. It is my responsibility to perfect the communication between each elected official and my office. Additionally, I use email as a tool to document and clarify the communication received and acknowledged. I utilize the approved strategic plan combined with feedback from Mayor and City Council to identify, prioritize and address initiatives and priorities. 18. Describe any other areas of expertise or experiences that are relevant to this position that have not been addressed in previous questions. I am a Submarine Navy Veteran. This 9-year experience gave me "best practices" in strategic planning, goal setting, strategic communication, effects-based thinking, risk management, financial management, and innovation. 19. The full salary range for this position is $210,000 - $270,000 annually that is dependent upon the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience. Are you comfortable with this range? If not, please explain why. I am comfortable with this range. 20. Since 2000, please explain all situations where you were in a position for less than two years and describe the reason for your departure. Also, if not currently employed, please describe the terms of the departure from your most recent employer. I have been in all career positions for greater than 2 years. 21. If an electronic file search of media and blogs is made through Google (or other search engines), what would be disclosed about you that could be construed as negative? It is CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 12 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP advisable that these issues be disclosed by you and explained - rather than being asked to react to reports discovered by the prospective employer. There is no information about me that I would consider negative, controversial or of any concern. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PAGE 1 2021© THIS DOCUMENT IS COPYRIGHTED AND IS CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY PORTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT TO BE REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BAKER TILLY US, LLP Due Diligence Questionnaire Name Keith Moffett Date Completed 7/24/2021 Instructions: Please respond to each of the following questions. Depending on your response, you may need to provide additional information. In those cases, please be sure to provide the details requested. 1. Have you been subject to a formal charge regarding a conflict of interest, violation of ethical conduct, malfeasance or misfeasance in the performance of duties? If so, please explain the circumstances. No 2. Have you ever been the subject of an investigation, or censured by a grand jury, board of inquiry, a judicial conduct or disciplinary board or similar body? If so, please provide details, explain the circumstances and final outcome. No 3. Have you been subject to any disciplinary actions, including suspension, probation, or demotion in your adult working career? If so, please provide relevant details, explain the circumstances and the final outcome. No 4. Has any organization, corporation, institution, or former employer dismissed, or asked you to resign for any reason, or from any position? If so, please provide relevant details, and explain the circumstances. No 5. If you have been in your current, or most recent organization, for less than two years, please describe why you are interested in a career move at this time? Not applicable 6. Is there anything, in your personal, professional, or social media background history that our Firm, an employer or resident could possibly perceive, view or interpret as factually or potentially embarrassing to anyone? Would, or could, this information impair your ability to perform the essential duties of this job if discovered at a later time? If so, please explain, provide details of the circumstances and current disposition. No 7. Do you understand that we may disqualify your candidacy from this search if valid, verifiable, and reliable information emerges, contrary to any information you provide us during this process? Yes CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PROFESSIONAL NARRATIVES Name: Keith Moffett PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Please prepare a narrative of your most significant professional achievement from either your current or a previous organization. Please limit your narratives to no more than one page. One of the most significant professional achievements obtained in my career was commemorated with the presentation of the Communications/911 Center of the Year Award. This recognition was presented by the Georgia Association of Public Safety Communication Officers (APCO) and the Georgia Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) in 2015. Being honored as Georgia’s 911 Center of the Year recognizes not only the outstanding professionalism, leadership, innovation, and service of the 56 full-time employees who trusted my leadership, but also the impact our efforts made to the community, state, and region in comparison to all other 120 centers in the state. In January 2014 the City of Macon and the Bibb County government consolidated and I was appointed as Director of the E-911 Communications Center with the responsibility for receiving the 911 emergency calls, processing the non-emergency calls, and dispatching the police, fire, and medical services in a timely, efficient, personable, and professional manner – all of which sounds easier than it is to govern. Regretfully, I inherited a department with low morale and high turnover, combined with an aging computer dispatch system, a near end-of- life radio system and a budget too insignificant to meet the needs of a new consolidated department. After assessing the immediate challenges and gaining feedback from various stakeholders I quickly created a strategic plan and implemented a 6-month strategy to address the prioritized issues. The records documented the Center’s maximum efficiency at 653,951 emergency and non-emergency calls and 268,092 dispatches prior to my arrival. Following the first full year under my leadership, the Center supported an amazing 775,163 emergency and non- emergency calls and 324,259 dispatches. There was a 16% increase in call volume and 18% increase in dispatch calls, but largely due to the changes that were implemented and the support of the staff, the Center was still able to answer 83% of all calls in fewer than three rings with no additional increase in personnel. I received buy-in and support from the Commission to include the approval of an $8 million Capital Improvement Plan used to purchase a more advanced 800 MHz communication system and a new public safety computer-aided dispatch program. Equally as impressive, all technology training and upgrades took place during normal operating hours while continuing to process incoming calls. I took great care in working cohesively with team members from E-911, the Fire Department, and the Sheriff’s Office. The IT Department brought the work together so that there would be seamless communication between each of the agencies and I implemented several employee focus initiatives such as Dispatcher of the Month, various vendor sponsored activities, and the first Holiday Social Banquet for Family and Friends to continuously reward their hard work and dedication to the newly established goals. These efforts were successful which resulted in higher employee retention, engagement, and productivity - all of which significantly contributed to the improvement of our region, the Communications/911 Center of the Year recognition, and one of the proudest accomplishments of my career. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA EXECUTIVE RECRUITMENT – CITY MANAGER PROFESSIONAL NARRATIVES CRITICAL PROBLEM Please prepare a narrative of a critical problem that you have encountered in your professional work, your analysis of the situation, the solution, and the outcome. Please limit your narrative to no more than one page. A critical problem that I recently encountered is the continuing problems with government operations affected by COVID-19. Based on my analysis, Macon-Bibb County has recorded 13,603 total cases of COVID-19. This data includes 420 deaths since March of 2020. It is estimated that the vaccination rate in Macon-Bibb County community is currently approximately 34% while the government’s workforce is estimated to be approximately 30%. I was tasked by the elected leadership to encourage and incentivize the 1,600 employees of Macon-Bibb to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine in an effort to further protect against the sickness and transmission of the disease. Additionally, it was hoped that this plan would mitigate the future impact of COVID-19 on Macon-Bibb County operations and the ability of the Macon-Bibb County government to provide essential public services. My analysis of the situation included quantification of the current impact of COVID-related expense during the previous 18 months. The estimated COVID-related costs to the government was $5.2 million ($2.04 million for healthcare, $2.54 million for telework, $57,129 in annual and sick leave to includes cost of employees taking care of sick family members, $347,000 for PPE for the public, $214,420 for supplies, preventative measures, and cleaning of public buildings). The solution I presented to the Commission was to authorize the appropriation of up to $800,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act. In accordance with the regulations issued by the United States Department of Treasury, the funds could be used for the creation of a Macon-Bibb County Vaccination Incentive Program for employees and as a result did not come from the General Fund budget. The proposed amount was calculated based on the current number of budgeted positions (1600), at $500 per position. In an effort to ensure that no employee felt pressured, I ensured that all communications strongly emphasized that no employee would be forced to receive the vaccination nor be penalized for not taking the vaccine. While this solution was recognized to be controversial and political, it was approved by Commission and has begun to meet the intended outcome of increasing the vaccination rate among the workforce. The second phase of this outcome (to minimize future expenses related to COVID) is still to-be-determined and will be assessed after the September 30th closing of the program. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER KEITH MOFFETT CONFIDENTIAL REFERENCE REPORT Reference Relationship: 1. Direct Report 2. Supervisor 3. Direct Report 4. Professional Peer 5. Supervisor Questions Answers 1. What is your professional relationship to the candidate and how long have you known or worked with each other? 1. He has been my direct supervisor for the last few years. 2. Knew Dr. Moffett when I became Mayor in 2007. We had been part of a study group of race relations. After I became Mayor, I hired Keith to be my director of internal affairs. He was the liaison between my office and the office of the City Council who considered themselves as a separate branch. 3. I am the interim Fire Chief in the department. He is our county manager, and I work directly for Dr. Keith Moffett. 4. We are members of the City-County Management together. I have known him through the state association. 5. I have known Keith since the late ‘90s. So probably around 1998 or earlier. I know him because I hired him. 2. What do you consider to be the candidate’s greatest strengths as a professional? 1. As a professional, Keith’s is very organized. He is attuned with today’s trends of City management. 2. Keith has great patience. He is very stable and is good on his feet. He does not get flustered. 3. It would be Keith’s leadership skills. He has an open policy, and we can communicate effectively. 4. It is Keith’s management skills. He has a background in technology and is big in bringing technology to the organization. He has the ability to maneuver and negotiate to work with elected officials and get things done professionally. 5. I would say Keith’s ability to be a convener. He is very approachable. He can command a room. Everyone feels like they are in the same team. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER KEITH MOFFETT 3. Are there significant areas in the candidate’s professional work performance where improvements are needed? 1. I wouldn’t say that. He does an excellent job. 2. Nothing that comes to mind. 3. Not necessarily. My experience working with Keith is aligned with my learning tenor; I have learned a lot working with him. There is a trait that I appreciate - that he allows me to manage my department. He does have follow through, and he does not micromanage. 4. There are always things that we can all improve on. Like many of us, Keith expects a lot from himself. He works long hours, and it is never ending. Sometimes, he needs some time to better care for himself and family. 5. From at least during my supervisory role, no. I cannot recall of anything I needed to talk through him with. 4. How would you describe the candidate’s approach to problem- solving and decision making? 1. Straightforward. Keith goes right to the point. He does allow you to have input to the solution, as well as let you carry out the plan. 2. Keith was open and candid. He followed through, and came back around and continued on the issue. He has perseverance. He has a good way to introduce sensitive or controversial topics. He doesn't get flustered easily. He continues to talk diplomatically. What you can't get done in a meeting, maybe on the next one. 3. Once a plan is decided, Keith allows us to carry it out. He follows up with me, and makes sure that the plan is still being followed. Sometimes when people implement plans, there is not a lot of follow up through. It is not uncommon for him to ask where we are in certain plans. 4. Keith consults with his other relationships in the field. It is not unusual to get a message from him, where he reaches out to me and other city managers in similar size cities to get our perspective and see if we have been in similar situations. He then makes a decision. 5. Keith likes to build consensus to settle an issue. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER KEITH MOFFETT 5. How would you describe the candidate’s management and leadership qualities? 1. Keith manages over 30 different departments, and makes sure his department heads have a chance to speak with him. He has an open door policy, so we have the liberty to go in and talk to him about anything. 2. Keith delegates and follows up. He doesn't insert himself. He lets people report back to him, and he doesn't micromanage. He is good about delegating and following up. 3. From my end, as far as the aspects as working with Keith, especially in the supervisor role, he has an open door policy. Anytime I call him, he is always responsive. Once I lay out a plan, he holds me accountable. 4. Keith is participatory and inclusive. He has called me on how we are spending ARP dollars. He has heard from me and other managers in the room or on a conference call. He listens to his department heads, but he wants them to hear what other communities are doing. This is so can challenge themselves, even if they don’t agree with what we’ve done, but he wants them to be included in the process. 5. Keith can take on any role. If he needs to take on the role of a leader, he can; but he can also jump in being part of a team without having to lead the discussion. He is a contributor. We have an all- women’s college, and he was in the first graduating class of a graduate program as the first male. He went through that program just so well, and he was not afraid of being the first one. 6. How would you assess the candidate’s communication skills when giving an oral presentation, or any written reports? 1. Very well. When we have to refer to Keith for community issues when he has to speak, he does a lot of research. 2. One of Keith’s strengths is communication. He does a good job in communicating orally. His written material is concise and easy to follow. 3. I have not seen a public event where Keith has presented but we do go to meetings where he presents and answers questions for other departments. He has always been open and communicative. He is positive in his responses. He is very point forward with his delivery and message. 4. I have seen Keith do PowerPoints. They are well done and impressive. 5. Keith can command a room. He speaks with authority. He is knowledgeable and is prepared for the presentation. One thing I admire is that I have a hard time smiling when I speak but that comes easy for him. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER KEITH MOFFETT 7. What is/was the most significant contribution that the candidate has made to your organization? 1. Most significant for me, is that Keith has allowed me to self-evaluate but gives tips to me to improve as a department head. 2. Keith worked with me under two different capacities and different times. (1.) in 2008, we had a severe budget crisis. We had a national recession, and he was very good. He was coming up with ways to save money and find ways to come up during lean times. (2.) He came in as County Manager during a difficult time, and he was able to rebuild a good working relationship with the commissioners. 3. We are in unique times now due to Covid. There are a lot of decisions and conversations about children not being able to go to school, and employees working from home to take care of them. Keith stands by and for the employees here. Not to take that lightly, because there are times he has to uphold a policy that is strictly enforced. But I have seen times when we have to make decisions for employees. To me, Dr. Moffett puts family first in the organization. 4. What comes to mind is when they went after a technology grant through Georgia Tech. They were successful in winning it. Keith is a visionary, and he is looking to find all of those opportunities. All of us look to him, and we piggyback on some things he is doing. 5. Keith has led and helped two mayors in the community. He has been such an asset in watching both mayors, and watched how they have relied on him. He is willing to do the work, and hand off the credit to the appropriate person. It is not for the glory for him. 8. Do you have an opinion about why they are considering a move at this time? 1. I don’t know actually. I will say that you would be getting a great manager. Keith has worked for a while in city management, and has the experience. I think he would be a great guy to bring in your organization. 2. This might be a step-up for Keith. I am not sure why though. 3. I do not actually. I was very surprised when Keith asked to list me as a reference. 4. I would suspect when there is a more challenging opportunity, Keith would go after it. The exact words he said to me is that he wants to retire in Florida. 5. When Keith called me to give me a heads up, he said that this is a once of a lifetime for him and his wife. CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER KEITH MOFFETT 9. Are you aware of anything in the candidate’s background that would be a problem for a prospective employer, if it became public knowledge? 1. No, I am not. 2. No. 3. No, I am not. 4. Nothing adverse am I aware of in his background. 5. I am not. 10. Do you have any additional comments about the candidate that you have not already provided? 1. I would hate to see Keith go. As a department head, it would be bittersweet. 2. When Keith was in the Marines, he was in a submarine for an extended amount of time. He learned during this time how to address issues effectively since they were in close quarters and had no actual escape. This probably contributed to his even temperament and problem-solving skills. 3. I think that in general, working with him, he has always been a person that I have perceived as a natural leader in our community. He has always had leadership abilities and wants to help others. When it came to protect the government as a whole such as with finances or guidelines, he is a stickler to make sure we do what needs to be done. He meets with department heads to cover anything like that. He has the initiative and the self-motivation, not only for the community, but also as a whole. 4. Keith is a respected leader in Georgia among his peers. If given the opportunity, he would make us and the City of Clearwater proud. 5. I think Keith would be an excellent candidate for you. He is not in a position where he is looking desperately for a job, but this is an appealing opportunity for him. Comparison Analysis For Consulting And Coaching Job Competencies Hierarchy Zone Range Person Primary Driving Forces Cluster Zone Range Person Job Behavioral Hierarchy Zone Range Person Keith Moffett City of Clearwater, Florida – City Manager Interview Questions Wednesday, September 1-2, 2021 Candidate Name: ________________________ 1. Describe the most challenging management situation you ever experienced and how did you strive to resolve the challenge? What was the outcome and, if you could revisit the situation, would you do anything differently? 2. If you have reviewed our budget and Certified Annual Financial Report, what is your assessment of our financial condition and what recommendations do you have for us for improvement and to achieve long-term fiscal sustainability without raising taxes? (Follow-up to Question 2) Tell us about your approach to ensuring the city’s long-term financial health and sustainability and comment on how you keep the city council apprised of financial impacts, provide opportunities for community input, and frame policy issues affecting our long- range fiscal health. 3. Describe your experience with grants and other external revenue sources. 4. How does the strength of the Florida Public Records Act affect your approach toward municipal operations and media relations? 5. What is your expertise and experience with major infrastructure projects and capital expenditures? What techniques have you utilized to adhere to timelines and budget parameters? 6.Describe your management style and in your daily activities, how do you ensure accountability and avoid priorities of the mayor and city council falling through cracks or otherwise being unachieved? 7.Tell us how your professional training, experience and personal qualities have prepared you to become our next city manager. 8. If there are any gaps in your professional expertise compared to the city’s needs, how will you overcome them? 9.What do you consider to be the City of Clearwater’s top three assets and how would you capitalize on them? (Follow up) Conversely, what are the top three challenges and how would you advise the city council to approach them? 10.How do you keep your elected body informed, individually and collectively? . 11.If the mayor and city council adopted a policy or collectively expressed a stance with which you had significant professional disagreement, how would you express that disagreement and seek resolution? Can you cite an example in your response? 12.Discuss your approach to and experience with economic development and diversification of the tax base. Can you share both a success story and a project that did not turn out as well as you hoped and what you learned from it? 13.This is a two-part question. First, please tell us about your management style with department directors. Then, describe how you view the interaction of department heads and other staff with the city council, versus the city manager’s role. 14.The city council values clear, direct and honest communication, which includes high levels of transparency. What are your views regarding transparency at the local government level, and how have you approached this in your experience? 15.To what extent have you researched Imagine Clearwater and what are your thoughts on its implementation? 16.What role does citizen input have in city operations and what techniques have you found successful in capturing and analyzing that input? 17.Give us some examples of cases where you have introduced new technologies to improve productivity or service delivery in a local government organization? 18.How would you go about assessing the City’s overall long-term sustainability as an organization and community -- beyond the traditional financial models of the past? 19.Describe an example of a public-private partnership in which you played a significant role. 20.How do you believe others would describe your management and decision-making style? With a highly experienced senior staff, how would you evaluate their abilities and establish your management approach? 21.Describe your general approach to employee development, motivation and discipline. 22.One of the essential roles of the city manager is the establishment and maintenance of relationships with multiple constituents, both within the organization and in the community. Describe how you have enhanced or repaired a strained relationship. 23.A major landowner in Clearwater is the Church of Scientology. How would you establish a productive working relationship with that organization, and if you have had a similar experience in another community, please tell us about it? 24.Describe your experience and expertise with strategic planning and visioning for a community in which you have managed. 25.To what extent do you believe contact with citizens and citizen’s groups is important? How do you typically handle this responsibility? How will you build relationships with the community? 26.Cities across the country are trying to find just the right balance in protecting their character and history, while encouraging more growth and development to expand the tax base. What is an example of a city or town that you feel is finding the right balance, and what lessons from that city or town would you bring to Clearwater? 27.What strategies do you use to encourage inclusiveness and build consensus among diverse interests in a way that meets the needs of the community rather than the interests of a few? Give us an example that demonstrates this. 28.In what ways have you learned about people from other cultures and backgrounds and how does that influence your work? 29.Tell us about your approach to and experience with joining a new organization and community and establishing your presence. If you become our city manager, what would you hope to accomplish within the first six months and then during the next three years? 30.What lessons can local governments learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with respect to equitable delivery of services and distribution of resources? 31.For governmental organizations to thrive in the 21st century, what changes need to be made and what have you done to position your current or most recent employer to be successful in that environment? 32.Are there any areas of your qualifications and experience that our questions have not probed that you would like us to consider? Closing question 1.Do you have any questions for us?