Green Mountain Falls Sets Stage For Town Manager Selection

~ by Rick Langenberg ~

The town of Green Mountain Falls leaders could pick a new head boss Tuesday (April 30), following a series of meetings with the top candidates and a meet and greet with area residents. 

But when the new town manager would officially start for GMF is still up in the air. And the list of probable concerns the head boss must address isn’t going to diminish anytime soon. 

At last week’s regular meeting, the elected trustees firmed up the process for selecting a new head manager, which is now down to two candidates. Under this procedure, town leaders will interview the top candidates, with the assistance of government consultant Judy Egbert, who served as GMF’s interim clerk and treasurer for an extended period. Wells will also do separate one-on-one queries with the finalists.

The two finalists will appear in Green Mountain Falls on April 30 for an all-day tour, interviews and meetings with local citizens. The meet and greet with local residents is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the GMF Town Hall. Following this meeting, the trustees will meet in an executive session, behind closed doors. A decision could occur at the close of their meeting on April 30, or in early May.

Mayor Jane Newberry cited early June as probably the earliest a new manager would take the reins of the town’s government operation.  

Touting the Town Manager System

Interim Town Manager Jason Wells last week publicly praised the finalists for the job. These include one in-state contender and another final candidate from Florida. The finalists are Kyle Coleman, who serves as the manager for the Village of Estero, Florida; and Emily Katsimpalis, a former administrative assistant for the Buena Vista and special projects coordinator for Salida.

Wells touted the finalists as excellent candidates that have much experience in the government management arena and a solid educational background. Moreover, he said the quality of the candidates who applied for the position was outstanding. 

Also, Wells made a strong pitch for the town manager form of government, contending that if GMF defies this process, then town leaders are making a huge mistake. “It’s a little nuts,” said Wells, when describing the situation of a town like GMF not to have a head government manager.

He equated the town manager system to that of a Dairy Queen, noting that he would not frequent a Dairy Queen outlet, as simple as that operation as it may appear, that didn’t have a manager.

And even with a small town government, Wells noted that a head manager is essential. In fact, with a small government like GMF,  he cited the demands of a town manager as even more intense. “It is very complex,” said Wells, who previously served as the head administrator for Manitou Springs for several years. He was hired originally as the interim boss for GMF in an assignment that was supposed to only last for several months. But with the town experiencing significant staff turnover and with the bombardment of natural disasters, his role continued for many more months.    

As an example of the need for a head manager for GMF, Wells cited an explosion of major issues of concern he had to address in the last day alone, including insurance requirements, personnel matters, humans resource challenges, grant compliances, legal issues, property easements, budget concerns and much more. “These are not going to go away,” said the interim boss.

Wells indicated some concerns with local media references to a  “the town manager experiment” for GMF. He said leaders needed to become committed to this style of government to assure more stability. Town leaders have favored the concept of having a permanent town manager, but haven’t developed initial success with this arrangement. They fired their first permanent town manager after less than six months on the job.

GMF leaders have used interim bosses, such as Wells and previously John Pick, who hails from the North Denver area, in running the town. But civic leaders have cited many long-term problems with this arrangement, and have opted for a full-fledged town manager.

This marks a change in direction from past practices, with the trustees serving as the mini-department managers. Under the new plan, a town manager will oversee daily operations of the town, and the trustees will handle policies and craft ordinances and resolutions.

The only big catch with a permanent town manager slot is money. The town received partial  grant funding support for several years for the town manager position from the state Department of Local Affairs, which heavily supports the town manager system. But this funding will soon end, with only about $38,000 left in the pot, according to staff reports. As a result, the town will be on its own in funding this position.