A search for a new permanent Sequim city manager will begin soon with assistance from a national firm.

City councilors opted to begin the search on Monday, March 22, in a 4-3 vote with those in favor saying time is needed to find the right candidate — even if that is Charisse Deschenes, Sequim’s interim city manager.

Deschenes accepted the position in February after serving as assistant city manager to previous city manager Charlie Bush, after a majority of city councilors voted to call for his resignation in January. Mayor William Armacost said in a press release then that the decision came between Bush and some city councilors over “philosophical differences … on some issues facing the city,” issues that have not been made public.

At the March 8 council meeting, Armacost said he received several communications from constituents asking why the city hadn’t begun a search for a new city manager, so he asked it be put on the March 22 agenda. He recommended not using a national firm because of cost, and said the decision to start a search was not “discouraging or taking away” from the appointment of Deschenes as interim city manager.

“I’m extremely pleased with Charisse and it may produce she is the best candidate for that position,” he said.

“We have constituents we have to answer to, and to see what the field of opportunity is out there.”

On March 22, Armacost reiterated he’s pleased with Deschenes and “100 percent behind her” but he has a responsibility to listen to constituents to do a search.

Councilor Keith Larkin said if “Deschenes is the “truly best candidate then it’ll come out in the process.”

“In a sense, she’s given a great opportunity to outshine other candidates (as interim),” he said.

Larkin added that it’s in the best interest of the city to have an outside firm involved because they are neutral.

Councilor Mike Pence said he felt the council was against a time limit since Deschenes’ interim contract goes for six months through Aug. 16.

He called recruiting a catch-22, asking rhetorically, “What do you do in that interim time frame? Wait till the end of August to decide to recruit? That makes no sense to me.”

Process

City staff will work with a committee of three city councilors on a request for proposal (RFP) for firms before bringing it to fellow city councilors to work on in a special work session at a to be determined date.

From there, city councilors will approve the RFP and it’ll be distributed, city staff confirmed.

Emily Stednick, City of Sequim’s human resources manager, said it will be the councilors’ duty to screen and interview candidates.

She said using a firm to help find and vet candidates could come at an estimated cost of $15,000-$25,000.

Lawyer Michael Bolasina with Summit Law Group, who consulted the city to help begin the city manager search, told councilors he thinks the process will go smoothly because firms receive RFPs all the time, that “they’ll know what to do” and that the city should get prompt responses to questions.

Sue Hagener, Sequim director of administrative services, said when Bush was hired in August 2015, they used a firm to assist the city council in the recruiting process.

Deschenes

Some councilors and community members felt there wasn’t a need to rush a city manager search since Deschenes was appointed to interim in February.

Councilor Brandon Janisse, who voted against the resignation of Bush, said they need to see her contract out to the end.

“She’s qualified and I stand behind her and the rest of staff,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Tom Ferrell, who also voted to retain Bush, said he felt Deschenes is already qualified for the position.

He said Armacost negotiated with Deschenes on her interim contract in good faith but there’s “nothing in that contract that talks about turning around and recruiting right away,” adding, “as a city councilor that was not in good faith.”

Bolasina said beginning a search isn’t a breach of contract and her contract allows for a search at any point.

However, Ferrell said, “I’s a breach of good faith, and I wouldn’t be saying that if I didn’t think she was a heck of a person.”

Anderson agreed with Ferrell and Janisse saying if she wasn’t a councilor she’d want to work for Deschenes.

“She seems like she knows what she’s doing and she seems super level-headed,” Anderson said. “I’m not sure why we’re talking about recruiting when we have a contract through August.”

Anderson added that with four city councilors recently appointed she felt it best to wait until after the November election to make a decision.

Last week, leaders with the Sequim Good Governance League sent out a press release asking city councilors to halt the search for Bush’s replacement.

“There has been enough turmoil at Sequim City Hall in the past few months,” said Eileen Cummings, president of the league. “(Deschenes) has only been in her current position for a month. Why are they talking about replacing her without giving her a chance to do the job?”

Former Sequim mayor and league member Candace Pratt said in the release that the council should wait on a decision until after the November election calling choosing a new city manager “one of the most important decisions that the council makes on behalf of the citizens of Sequim.”

“It is a simple matter to extend (Deschenes’) contract a few months to provide for a smooth search process and that would have the added advantage that whoever is hired as city manager will know who will be on the city council, which is their boss, for the next several years.”

When a search begins, Cummings said citizens should expect a highly qualified pool of candidates and a transparent process in the selection of the best candidate to serve as city manager when the time comes.

For more information about the Sequim City Council, visit sequimwa.gov or call 360-683-4139.