By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
How will the Caledonia City Council fill the upcoming vacancy when long-time city clerk/administrator Bob Nelson retires in October? That issue was discussed during a special council meeting held March 30, and will continue to be discussed in the coming months.
Jim Brimeyer and Richard Fursman of the Brimeyer Group, Inc. made a presentation at the March 30 meeting, explaining the services their company can offer in helping Caledonia find a new city administrator.
The Brimeyer Group, Inc. is an executive search and consulting firm working primarily in the public sector, based in Hopkins, Minn. According to Brimeyer, the company has conducted several hundred successful searches and job placements in the past 20 years. Brimeyer provided the city council with a list of his customers.
The company provides executive services to public sector and non-profit boards, councils, and commissions to assist in the recruitment and selection of managers, administrators, directors, department heads, and key staff.
Brimeyer and Fursman walked the council through the procedure the firm utilizes in finding “the perfect fit” for their clients through a 30-minute power point presentation. This included sitting down with the city council, city staff and even members of the community to “pick their brains” to ascertain the wants and needs of the city. The company would then develop a job description, do all the advertising, evaluate the initial applicants, conduct background checks, make assessments and present a field of eight to 10 candidates for the council to review.
The council would then select four or five candidates and the company would schedule interviews. More evaluations and background checks would be conducted. The top candidates would tour the community with their families to get a better feel for Caledonia.
“This is a major move for whomever you hire,” Brimeyer noted. “We feel it is very important that if the person you are planning to hire has a family, that the family is sold on your community as well.”
Fursman explained once the final candidate is selected, the company would then begin salary and benefit negotiations. Brimeyer added if the company narrows the field to five candidates, and the city council really doesn’t feel comfortable with any of the finalists, the company would redo the entire process.
“At that point, we wouldn’t be making money on this search. But we would much rather have that happen than to have you realize the wrong person was hired and say, ‘boy, Brimeyers really got us a dud.’ Our reputation is at stake. So we are very thorough in finding the best possible fit for you.”
Fursman also pointed out the company conducts a six month review of the new hire and has an 18-month guarantee. If after 18 months the new hire isn’t working out, Brimeyer will conduct a new search and hire process and only charge for expenses.
“We’ve never had to use that guarantee in the 20 plus years we’ve been in business,” Brimeyer noted.
The cost of the process would be a minimum of $12,750 and could exceed $15,000.
Council reaction
After Brimeyer and Fursman left, the council discussed the presentation and the cost involved.
“It’s a lot of money, especially during these tight times,” Mayor Bob Burns said. “What would our alternative be?”
Nelson said they could handle the hiring as the city has in the past, where two councilmembers would conduct interviews and make a recommendation to the full council.
“I agree it’s a lot of money, but if we do this wrong, the price they quoted us wouldn’t seem like very much,” Councilwoman Peggy Perry said.
“It is a lot of money. With all the cuts we’ve been trying to deal with, I’m wondering if there aren’t other alternatives,” Councilman Tom Murphy said.
“I agree, but we don’t want to be penny wise and pound foolish either,” Perry added.
Murphy said he felt it would be wise to look back at how the city operated in 2007 when Nelson was on an extended medical leave.
“We need to look at how well things went during that time…who handled what,” Murphy urged.
Perry also brought up the fact the council has discussed sharing an administrative position with another community.
“I don’t know how easy it would be to have a shared administrator with another community, like Spring Grove. Would that be rather difficult?” Burns asked Nelson. Nelson replied that it would. Trying to figure out how many hours an administrator would work in each community and how the salary would be divided would be two issues. And when it came to economic development, there could be some real conflicts of interest.
“I don’t see the city eliminating any more positions unless the state decides to make even deeper cuts next year and the years to come,” Burns said.
Nelson noted that the legislature is looking at a new law that would permit a city to levy for the money it lost due to recent LGA cuts. He added the Minnesota State League of Minnesota Cities is lobbying to have the state do away with levy limits.
No action was taken on the matter.
You can contact Charlie Warner at
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