Recruitment firm hired to find new city manager

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The Maricopa City Council approved hiring the Waters-Oldani Executive Recruitment firm at last night’s council meeting to recruit a new city manager.

The Dallas-based company will receive up to $22,000 for selecting the city’s next city manager and plan to offer the position to a candidate by Feb. 22, 2011.

The date is almost one month after current City Manager Kevin Evans is expected to depart as agreed in his severance package.

“We were looking a couple months ago at possibly extending my contract for another two years,” Evans said, at the time of the agreement. “But after talking to family, and trusted advisors of 30 years, I concluded it was best to let my contract lapse.”

The severance agreement allows Evans to remain with the city until he finds another job or until Jan. 21.

On Jan. 21 Evans and the city will part and he will receive up to a year’s salary, accrued sick and vacation time and 12 months of city benefits. The salary and benefits will continue until Evans finds a job paying a minimum of 80 percent of his previous pay, or until 12 months have elapsed.

The firm was recommended to council by a subcommittee consisting of Councilmembers Marquisha Griffin, Alan Marchione and Carl Diedrich.

The group looked at the bids of three different firms to conduct the search and all three councilmembers concluded that Waters-Oldani was the best company for the job.

In addition, to approving the hiring of Waters-Oldani, council also appointed two alternate members to the city’s merit board and gave the go-ahead to a scholarship matching program that will provide up to $10,000 to area non-profits to give college scholarships to high school graduates from the city of Maricopa.