City manager search to end March 17
Published 8:43 am Friday, February 15, 2019
By Ken Stickney
The city of Port Arthur has tweaked its schedule for selecting a new city manager. But the final selection date remains the same: March 17.
A recruitment scheduled to find a permanent replacement for interim City Manager Harvey Robinson called for posting the job Dec. 6, reviewing candidates by Jan. 22, and reducing the number of candidates to four by Feb. 8. That schedule also said scheduling interviews for the final four would take place Friday, but that’s where a revised recruitment schedule differs from the original, said Cheryl Gibbs, city spokeswoman.
Gibbs said Thursday that some 10 candidates applied during the recruitment process and that a City Council review panel has met once to consider the candidates and their qualifications. She said the full City Council last met Feb. 5 — Golden Triangle Days in Austin this week altered their meeting schedule — and is not scheduled to meet again until Feb. 26. She said that is when the list will be pared to four finalists, and interviews would likely be completed by March 2.
Robinson was announced as interim city manager in December 2017 — he replaced former City Manager Brian McDougal, who resigned that autumn. Back then, it was thought that Robinson, a former assistant city manager, would serve six months.
Jones said Robinson, who came out of retirement to serve in the temporary slot, has been eager to return to private life and wants to leave City Hall by March.
Neither of the two assistant city managers — Ron Burton and Becky Underhill — applied for the permanent, top position.
Jones said the review committee may do some research of its own, including visiting towns where finalists have worked. But on Thursday, he said, they did not know who the finalists will be.
“If I knew I would tell you,” he said.
