KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The interviews of Kalamazoo city manager finalists may be going into overtime.
Commissioners came back after interviewing the first three candidates, and announced that the fourth, Elle Cole of Saline, Michigan, couldn’t take her turn due to unforeseen circumstances and will be offered a make-up date over Zoom at 7 a.m. Friday.
Here is Mayor Dave Anderson.
Cole’s reason for calling the time-out was explained by staff as a “sudden illness.”
The evening had gone off as scheduled up until that point.
All three candidates named affordable housing, fighting poverty and promoting diversity and equity as priorities.
Des Moines, Iowa Assistant City Manager Malcolm Haskins went first, and his answers were short, offering little reference to how they might be applied in Kalamazoo.
He says he is eminently qualified to do the job, should he get it.
City of Kalamazoo chief operating officer Laura Lam’s answers by contrast were full of local detail. She was also able to come up with examples from stints on the west coast and in other communities around the country, where she has worked.
Unlike the other two, she named restoring trust in local government as one of her priorities.
Former Texas city manager Odis Jones also gave short, almost textbook answers at first, but opened up as the questioning continued, and was able to offer many examples of successful projects and programs around the country fighting urban blight and poverty.
He also described his successful lawsuit against his previous employer.
Commissioners will have to wait for Cole’s answers, if she choses to go through with the interview.
They are urging the public to view the videos and fill out an online evaluation of the finalists. They would like them by the end of business on Friday, to give commissioners all weekend to go through them.
If you can’t do that given this new time crunch, commissioner Chris Praedel says this.
If the early Friday morning meeting is scrubbed, city officials will post it as soon as they know.
The final discussion and vote will take place on Monday at the commission’s regularly scheduled meetings.
The delay opens at least one question: will Cole have an advantage because there is nothing to stop her from checking out the videos of the three other finalists, who did not know the questions beforehand?
Comments