With controversy swirling around the city’s top administrator, the City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to hire a consultant firm to perform a job evaluation for City Manager Ken Nordhoff and City Attorney Bryan Wenter. The cost of the evaluation, by the chosen consultant group Municipal Resources, would be $23,000.
That cost would include interviews with councilmembers, the city manager and attorney, and so-called “360-degree” interviews with city department heads regarding their views on the city’s leaders.
The other firm under consideration, Management Partners, turned in a bid for $10,900.
Councilmember Justin Wedel, the only ‘no’ vote on the council, said he was concerned that the city’s present $2 million budget deficit was reason enough not to spend more money.
“Where’s the money coming from?” Wedel asked. “We’re bleeding cash. We have a $2 million deficit. I just don’t see where the money is going to come from.”
In answer to a question from Mayor Pro-Tem Kristina Lawson, Nordhoff said that there is money in the council and city manager’s budget to cover the cost without taking money from other services.
Wedel argued that not spending the money would mean it would roll over into next year’s budget for other services, but Nordhoff noted that the money would, by policy, remain in both the council and manager’s budget next year if not spent this year.
“I think this would greatly improve our process,” said Lawson, who, with councilman Bob Simmons, selected the two firms who were competing for the city’s evaluation services. “We do have a divergence of views. It’s important to take into account all viewpoints.”
Lawson and Wedel have both been critical of Nordhoff’s role in a recent controversy regarding whether or not city department heads reported a city employee’s sexual contact with a minor last year. It has been alleged in a police department memo leaked to the Contra Costa Times that four department heads and Nordhoff knew of the employee’s behavior and failed to report it to police. The attorney for one of the suspended department heads said that the only thing they were aware of was an inappropriate email that was not in itself a reportable offence. They also say that the Danville police were already investigating the allegations, and they didn’t feel it was necessary to report it to the Walnut Creek police.
“It’s an investment in our community,” said Simmons, of the evaluation.
Councilwoman Loella Haskew said she “had issues” with how expensive both consulting firms were, “given everything else that’s going on.”
“At some point we ought to own up to our responsibilities,” she said. But she added that “at this moment in time, it would be good to have some additional assistance at coming to a process.”
“I strongly believe this is important to us as an organization,” said Mayor Cindy Silva.
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