Politics & Government

Mount Pleasant Seeking RFPs for Administrator Search

The search for a permanent administrator continues in Mount Pleasant. Starting Tuesday, the village is actively seeking Requests for Proposals from professional recruiters to help fill the position before budget meetings in October.

Mount Pleasant officials are hoping the second time is the charm when it comes to the search for a new administrator.

Starting Tuesday, the village is officially asking professional recruiters to submit Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to help fill the vacancy. Planning Director Ron Meyer continues to serve as the interim administrator after being appointed a member of an interim management team in May 2011 after Mike Andreasen was ousted.

A first search last fall attracted 43 potential candidates, but the after going through a lengthy screening and interview process. from Executive Recruiter Ed Henschel of RW Management Group, Inc. and learned they should be looking at the village as a $16 million business in need of a CEO.

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Board members also learned they should expect to spend up to $20,000 for a search. At the May 17 Personnel Committee Meeting, Clerk/Treasurer Veronica Rudychev said she looked at neighboring communities' RFPs to help write one for Mount Pleasant.

"These have been thoroughly vetted and helps us not reinvent the wheel," she said.

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Meyer said he'd like to have the new administrator in place in time for budget meetings in October. That might not be realistic since the successful firm won't begin work until July 10, and there is a 90-day deadline for work to complete.

"It's an aggressive timeline," Village President Carolyn Milkie said. "And even though Ron is doing a great job, we need to get someone in here."

Here's how the village would like the search to work out:

  • May 29 - post/send RFP
  • June 19 - RFPs returned to the village
  • June 25 - evaluate proposals
  • TBD - Interviews with top candidates (maybe)
  • July 9 - Decision made
  • July 10 - Firm begins work
  • Oct. 10 - Work completes

As discussed in a committee meeting earlier this spring, each firm will present "cafeteria-style" pricing so the village can better negotiate a package that specifically addresses the steps staff and trustees will take and what tasks the recruiter will perform.

"We're leaving it up to the professionals to price out their areas of service and expertise," said Trustee Gary Feest. "Hopefully, the smarter firms will break it down as much as possible to give us variations and choices."

Rudychev has a list of 10 firms to which she will send the village's RFP, and she is posting it on the League of Municipalities' website as well as here on Patch.


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