City manager recruitment firm is chosen

The same company that brought interim city manager Mike Caldwell to Mill Creek will be responsible for bringing in prospective candidates to fill the position permanently.

The Mill Creek City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 11 voted 6-0 to approve contracting with Seattle-based Prothman Company to conduct a regional search for a new city manager. Council member Mary Kay Voss was ill and did not attend the meeting.

The search will encompass nine western states and could take six months, according to a draft time table Greg Prothman presented the Council on Tuesday.

Current duties include determining a salary range and qualifications and traits the City Council hopes to have in a replacement for Bob Stowe, whose last day in Mill Creek was Tuesday. Stowe starts his new position in Bothell on Jan. 18.

Although nothing was formalized Tuesday, a possible compensation package could be worth $130,000 to $140,000, including salary and benefits. Prothman warned against setting a lower salary range that might not be competitive with other cities of similar size in the region.

“If you hope to attract quality candidates, there has to be a reason for them to come here,” Prothman said.

To help determine what kind of qualifications and traits the Council wants in a new city manager, Prothman said he would like to meet with each Council member individually. Council also decided to let city department heads have input as to what they want in a prospective manager.

“I think it’s real important to get input from the department directors,” said mayor pro-tem Donna Michelson.

Prothman said he would likely be able to bring the Council between 20 to 30 candidate resumes by late March, with semifinalist interviews tentatively scheduled for the first half of May. Recruitment could begin in early February.