Migut, Kiefer and Minix make city attorney short list
Next step is in-person interview session on July 14
BY TERRY SCHMIDA
The city council will conduct interviews with the top three candidates for the city attorney position when it meets again on July 14. The decision was finalized during a special call meeting held on July 2 at the Marathon firehouse.
All four councilmen and Mayor Chris Bull heard a report from interim City Attorney Dirk Smits, speaking on behalf of the four other members of the review committee charged with helping the govnnering body select a permanent replacement for Smits.
Council Member Dan Zieg and Vice Mayor Mark Senmartin were also present at the June 25 meeting where Smits and his fellow committee members, including Monroe County Attorney Bob Shillinger, Islamorada Village Attorney Roget Bryan, current City Manager Mike Puto, and prominent Marathon resident Bruce Popham.
The committee conducted phone and Skype interviews during the process of whittling a 15-candidate list down to three.
“It went very well,” Smits told the full council during the July 2 meeting. “It was very efficient . . . We had plenty of time to interview each one . . It’s our recommendation that you all bring in the top three to interview personally . . . You can add to that or you can take away from that.”
The top three candidates, in order of their committee ranking, were David Migut, Maura Kiefer and Jim Minix.
“My suggestion is you bring them here on the morning of the 14th of July and have individual meetings with each one of you that day,” Smits went on. “Then you bring them to the meeting that night . . . and maybe ask each of the candidates two questions just to see how then do on their feet, and then everybody sits down and you all make a decision . . . Do you believe that’s the process you want to undertake?”
Councilman Richard Keating replied, “I think that’s a great idea. The only suggestion I might make . . . is have them possibly give a brief introduction of themselves . . . since it’s going to be in a public meeting . . . for all the people watching at home.”
Both Smits and Puto were impressed with the three finalists, though Miguet’s board certification may have given him a clear edge over the others.
“They were all really close,” Smits said. “All three of them can do the job . . . wasn’t an easy call for me . . . I do think Minnix is not a distant third, in my opinion.”
Puto added “I thought they were all three very interesting . . . I definitely favored Mr. Miguet . . . I think the whole committee by one point favored him.”
The council unanimously endorsed the committee’s recommendations, and agreed to go along with the suggested format on July 14. The hire will be made, by secret ballot, at that meeting. All three candidates will receive $500 toward their flights to the Keys.
Members also agreed, unofficially, that doughnuts will be provided at the meeting.
The council then discussed the process members intend to use in reviewing applicants for the city manager job.
A decision on that hire will be made at 3 p.m. workshop on July 23, prior to a 5:30 p.m. Budget meeting. Fifty would-be managers have applied for that job.
In other news, Puto has informed council members by email that he has promoted the city’s Planning Director George Garrett to the position of deputy city manager.

 

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