Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Ketchum selects new city administrator

City declines to release top candidate’s name


By DELLA SENTILLES

The city of Ketchum finally has selected a new city administrator, with whom contract negotiations are under way, according to City Councilman Ron Parsons. But city leaders won't name the probable new chief staff member until he or she has notified his or her current employer.

Candidates Frank Bell and Henry Lawrence, when contacted by the Mountain Express on Tuesday afternoon, said they were not chosen, effectively narrowing the pool to three potential candidates:

· Bob Campbell, who worked as county administrator for Archuleta, Colo., until early spring 2008.

· Susan Robertson, who has served as village manager of Fox Point, Wisc.

· Gary Marks, who has spent nine years as city manager of Whitefish, Mont.

Each of the five final candidates went through a rigorous series of interviews from three city panels: one composed of Ketchum citizens, one of Ketchum department heads and one involving the mayor and City Council.

Parsons said that in the interviews "two candidates rose to the top."

Councilman Curtis Kemp, however, said that only one truly stood out. He also declined to name the city's favorite, saying that a contract had yet to be signed.

Ketchum has been searching for a new administrator since Ron LeBlanc announced his resignation in November 2007. LeBlanc left Ketchum in January to take over as city manager of Durango, Colo.

Former Ketchum City Administrator Jim Jaquet stood in as interim administrator for LeBlanc until May 22. His major endeavor during his tenure was overseeing the extension and eventual completion of the Fourth Street reconstruction project.

Parsons believes an announcement will be made any day now.

"We want to get it out as fast as we can because people just want to know," he said. "As soon as it happens, it will be out."




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