It appears the city of McMinnville may have some new faces for the upcoming year. The process to hire a Water Department director, a Planning and Zoning Department supervisor, and a Park Theatre manager is proceeding.
Interim city administrator Bill Brock says interviews are about to begin.
“We have narrowed it down to top five,” said Brock of the Water Department director. “We are going to call those in and do interviews. I think that will begin in a week or so.”
Of the individuals to be interviewed, three are current city employees, another is a local resident, and the other candidate is not local.
During a Water and Sewer Committee meeting in August, three city employees were discussed and none of them met all the minimum qualifications. Brock says any current city employee who applies will be interviewed despite not meeting the minimum qualifications.
“Whether they are qualified or not, they applied for the job,” said Brock. “We do interview any in-house employees. We have done that in the past to see if experience will make up for qualifications.”
The Park Theatre manager is in a similar situation with interviews beginning.
“The applicants have been narrowed down to six,” said Brock. “Telephone interviews have been conducted and those six have been invited for interviews.”
Interviews for Planning and Zoning supervisor have already begun. Brock says he believes a new supervisor will be presented to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen during its regular session Jan. 13.
“I believe, by the first meeting in January, we will have a new Planning and Zoning Department supervisor,” said Brock. “Maybe in January we will have a Park Theatre manager. If we are lucky, maybe we will have a Water Department director, too.”
Interviews do not guarantee people will be chosen to fill the positions, says Brock, and if any process fails to find a suitable person, the process will begin again.