Farmers Revolt, Council Backtracks

The City Council meeting in Iowa City was nothing if not potentially fireworks filled last night with residents concerned about the tax referendum, farmers and other vendors, homeowners, and others crowding Emma Harvat Hall.

Residents commented on the projects associated with the local option sales tax noting the need for cooperation between governments and the University of Iowa about what to do to prevent more flooding from the Iowa River, to consult hydrology experts, and to make the process open both before and after the vote.

Vendors from the farmer's market were out in force to protest what they perceived to be a behind the scenes deal to move the market outside the Chauncey Swann parking ramp. On March 3rd, a memo was released from the City's Parks & Recreation Dept. announcing six dates that the market would be held on downtown streets which, according to City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes was picked up by one of her legal staff who noted that the city ordinance for use of public streets would need to be modified. Wording was suggested and placed on the council agenda.

City Manager, Michael Lombardo, who had been meeting with a group that intended to meet with the vendors on April 9th and was on vacation when the item was placed on the agenda, was taken by surprise to discover this had been done. The City Council, after hearing the explanations from staff quickly voted down the proposed ordinance and encouraged the vendors to contact them about participating in the April 9th meeting.

In other actions, the council voted to hold off on voting for a proposed development project on Rohret Rd. pending discussions with the Planning and Zoning Commission due to an organized effort of neighbors who believe that building as close to a wetlands area on the property in question will cause harm, in addition to leveling trees to make way for a relocation of Rohret Rd. The Council also voted 5-2 to reconsider their vote on an $80,000 public arts project they had previous approved, and therefore are contractually liable, and left it up to the City Attorney to meet with the artist to work through the legalities. They also agreed to broadcast meetings discussing city priorities for future budget funding.

Lombardo City Council Unanimous Choice

Iowa City council members selected Michael Lombardo, former County Administrator of Allegan County, Michigan with 10 years city management experience as City Manager. He will be paid $160,000 plus benefits tp manager the city's departments.

He was the unanimous choice among the City council members.

Former employers said about Lombardo: "I think by and large everyone seems to be pleased," Board Chairman Jon Campbell said. "He has some good experience, yet he's still young enough that I believe he has a lot to offer." "He has an enthusiastic personality -- very articulate, extremely neat and well-organized," he said. Bill Sikkel of Laketown Township said, "He will provide, in my judgment, a (fresh) approach ... a willingness to think outside the box."

Hopefully that type of thinking will be of benefit to Iowa Citians.

City Manager Candidates to Stampede Iowa City

In an apparent about face about the type of city manager they are looking for, the Iowa City city council has selected four candidates with a combined experience of 107 years between them. While it is not exactly a cattle call, the City of Iowa City will be interviewing a new group of City Manager candidates on Thursday, April 24. The candidates to be interviewed are:

Paul Beecher, former City Manager of Kingman, Arizona - 33 years city management experience

- "Assistant Kansas City Manager Paul Beecher resigned for buying a $948,000 lighting system for Kemper Arena without City Council approval."

- Local (Kingman, AZ) developer and business owner Scott Dunton, who has made repeated calls for Beecher's termination at public meeting after public meeting, was relieved. "He was a scoundrel from the beginning. He was a scoundrel in Kansas City, Missouri, and he was a scoundrel in Dover, New Hampshire," Dunton said, referring to Beecher's two previous places of employment. "What he said is that when he left the city (of Dover) ... the city was better off. I believe that the city was better off because he left."


A. J. Johnson, City Administrator of Muscatine, Iowa - 31 years city management experience

- "Johnson has been Muscatine’s city administrator for nearly 18 years, according to Stephanie Romagnoli, head of human resources for the City of Muscatine.Johnson was hired on March 1, 1989, and is earning a salary of $102,018 this fiscal year, 2006-07, Romagnoli said. She said Johnson receives the same health ($12,002 for family policy), dental ($276.72 for single coverage) and leave benefits as other employees. Romagnoli said Johnson is also compensated with an annual car allowance of $3,000, and a contribution of 6 percent of his salary plus $1,500 into his retirement account."

Michael A. Lombardo, former County Administrator of Allegan County, Michigan - 10 years city management experience

- About Lombardo: "I think by and large everyone seems to be pleased," Board Chairman Jon Campbell said. "He has some good experience, yet he's still young enough that I believe he has a lot to offer." "He has an enthusiastic personality -- very articulate, extremely neat and well-organized," he said. Bill Sikkel of Laketown Township said, "He will provide, in my judgment, a (fresh) approach ... a willingness to think outside the box."

Carl M. Metzger, City Manager of Ankeny, Iowa - 33 years city management experience

- "Ankeny's investment in trails is really an investment in people of all ages," said Carl Metzger, Ankeny city manager. "Expanding our trail system offers recreational opportunities, including bicycling, hiking and walking, and improves the overall quality of life in Ankeny."

A Meet and Greet event is planned from 7:30-9:00 AM on Friday, April 25, in Room A of the Public Library. The public is invited to attend and meet the candidates.

More information on the candidates and the City Manager Search process may be found on the City website www.icgov.org.

Iowa City Manager or Back to the Drawing Board?

UPDATE: Back to the drawing board wins. The Iowa City Council is considering additional candidates for the City Manager's position while also keeping candidates Matthes and Chaudry on hold.

From the Press-Citizen

Iowa City Mayor Regenia Bailey is expected to release a statement this morning about the search for a new city manager.

The council went into closed session following its work session Monday evening to continue its discussion on the search for a new city manager. The conversation followed a six-and-half-hour meeting Saturday that included a second interview with the two finalists.

Bailey said she would issue a statement this morning on whether the council decided on M.A. “Art” Chaudry, the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., or Des Moines assistant city manager Michael Matthes.

Iowa City Manager: Going to the Buzzer

The Iowa City City Council, not unlike the City High School girls basketball team, is going to the end of regulation to select the next City Manager...and good for them. After having 21 years of stability, the next City Manager will have their work cut out. Between an aging workforce, the demands for new public safety workers, a state government which may jiggle the tax base in a way that will hurt cities like Iowa City that have a lot of rental property; you could say, its going to be a bumpy ride.

My guess--and believe me it is just that, is that the Des Moines candidate will likely get the nod. The job will require a community builder and someone who can be diplomatic. My guess is that the young blood of the Council and the established councilors are going through a rigorous dance to build consensus. I'd think that there are some on the Council who will either prefer to a) start over or b) want one candidate squarely over the other.

For the sake of the new City Manager getting off to a good start, it would seem like the council would want to have a unified front when they announce their decision. This has been the tact in most of their votes.

Stay tuned. The City Council will meet in executive session to continue their deliberations tomorrow night at 7:30 pm after their regular work session.

And Then There Were Two

The Iowa City Council has narrowed the field from five candidates to two. After Larry Delo declined to continue in the interview process, Assistant City Manager Mike Matthes of Des Moines and Union Station CFO and former Jackson County, MO administrator Art Chaudry were asked to be back on March 1st for a final round of interviews.

In speaking with both of these candidates, there are strengths to each as their profiles show:

Art Chaudry
As a Chief Financial Officer for a county of a million people, Art has had many years of experience in administrating the functions of a large urban county and corporations. In his current position, he has the additional experience of working for a economic development project that Iowa City would likely love to develop (at a smaller scale) to add tourist dollars to our local economy. Additionally with his corporate experience, he may appeal to potential companies considering Iowa City to do business with.

He is a good people person and seemed to genuinely enjoy connecting to residents as they asked important questions. Seemed to have the kind of personality that could withstand the withering challenge of a disagreeing public without being disagreeable.

Minuses: Perceived by some as "overbearing". Where is the challenge in running a small city? He's been there, done that. Long in the tooth, he is in his sixties. Are his ideas for city governance and fiscal policy in keeping with a younger, vibrant community? His understanding of housing issues was not at all apparent.

Michael Matthes
While lacking the many years of experience that Chaudry has, Matthe's strength is clearly in understanding affordable housing and generally having a better sense of Iowa governance. He had a good sense of understanding about Iowa City as a community and how his experiences might fit. As a 30-something, his ideas for city management may be a good fit for sustainably growing the community.

He is also a good public relations person, he was the only candidate that actually said he'd look forward to hearing what residents thought were important issues. He has a professional demeanor that belies his experience.

Minuses: Relatively inexperienced and was perceived by some as "cocky"? Untested in running a city, can he handle the barrage of inquiries? His knowledge of economic development appears to be academic. Is he in it for the long haul? How will he work with department managers who are significantly more seasoned?

Good luck to our City Council in making their deliberations. In either candidate are excellent opportunities and challenges. As I've said before, they will have substantial shoes to fill.

Welcome to City Manager Candidates

To the Iowa City Manager candidates: Welcome! You've picked a delightful time to come and visit--sorry about the snow. Iowa City is a great community and has been my favorite place for the last 8 years of my life. Who wouldn't want to live in a college town with the cosmopolitan feel of a bigger city and the commute time of a small town? A city where you can live rurally, suburbanly, or urbanly. A city full of art and music. A river runs through it. More parks and trails than you can shake a stick at. Vibrant. A great mix of young and old. The best health care in the state. One of the most diverse communities in Iowa per capita.

Our fair city has some administrative problems that you will no doubt enjoy working through with the residents, city departments and city council to solve.

- short supplies of salt hamper plowing and street maintenance
- University and City relations in need of repair
- a workable affordable housing policy needed
- a downtown that needs branding
- a trail system that needs connecting
- balancing the needs of bicyclists with those of motorists and pedestrians
- a Senior Center that needs to be more senior centered
- budget policies that keep 30% of taxes back for "rainy days"
- a fire station that needs to be built and staffed
- a police department that needs staff
- concerns about panhandlers, students, troubling downtown businesses
- A community shelter that is insufficent to meet the needs of the homeless
- An economy that is based on services much more than production
- a tax base that will be adversely affected if the state changes the formula for commercial taxation
- the influence of non-residents on city policy (e.g., business owners who work in Iowa City but live outside the city limits and absentee landowners)
- more stuff for families, kids, students, seniors, and tourists to do

These are a handful of the many things you'll likely get an earful of during your visit in meetings and interviews. To each of you, good luck and thanks for putting up with us. I hope you like what you see and leave with the sense that your experience is important to our future. And if you are not chosen, don't take it badly, Iowa City folks just want it all.

Iowa City Manager Candidate Profile: Michael Matthes

Michael E. Matthes, began work in the Des Moines City Manager’s Office in 1996 after obtaining a B.A. in History from Graceland College and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Iowa State University.

As the Assistant City Manager, he is responsible for a variety of special assignments with all City departments. In addition, Mike assumes all of the duties of the City Manager when the City Manager and Deputy City Manager are out of town.

Previously, Matthes served as the city’s housing agency director and is the interim director of Information Technology.

Matthes was a finalist for a city manager position in Blaine, Minnesota, but declined to interview.

Iowa City Manager Candidate Profile: Susan A. Stanton

Susan A. Stanton was formerly the City Manager of Largo, Florida, a city of 77,814 people, for 14 years supervising about 1,200 employees and a budget of $130-million. Prior to that, she was assistant city manager in Largo and a former city administrator in Berea, Kentucky.

Her MA in Public Administration from the University of Florida.

She recently was a candidate for the city of Sarasota, Florida city manager's position.

She has a son, Travis, who is 14.

Iowa City Manager Candidate Profile: Marketa G. Oliver

Marketa George Oliver, Windsor Heights City Administrator, is a graduate of Drake University (BA 1988: MPA 1990). After graduate school, Marketa left Iowa to accept a city management position with the City of Yakima, Washington, where she remained for ten years.

She returned to Iowa in 2000 because of the quality of life it offers her family. Oliver has an interest in redevelopment and helped guide the city through the Town Center revitalization. She has been an advocate for increasing opportunities for the public to comment and get involved with city projects, through the use of upgraded technology and website access.

Marketa is active in her professional association and community and was honored in 2003 by the Business Record as a member of the Forty under Forty class. The same year she received the Matt Parrot Integrity Award for Government. In 2006, Marketa was honored with the ICMA Program Excellence Award for professional support to the Council’s vision for Community Redevelopment and Marketing. Marketa is married with a daughter.

She loves travel and has studied overseas in both Austria and Australia, and enjoys movies, backgamon, cards, The Cure and the State Fair.

Iowa City Manager Profile: Art Chaudry

Currently M.A. "Art" Chaudry is the executive vice-president and chief financial officer of Kansas City's Union Station, an educational and . From 2003-07, he worked as chief administrative officer of Jackson County, Mo., (population 1 million).

He recently turned down an offer to be the county administator for Yuma County, AZ.

He also has worked as senior vice president of business operations and administration for the Kansas City Royals baseball team and vice president of strategy and tax product development for H&R Block at its headquarters in Kansas City, Mo.

According to an article by the Topeka Capital-Journal, Chaudry is a member of the American Muslim Council, Heartland Chapter in Overland Park, Kan. He also serves on the advisory council for KKFI, a non-profit community radio station.

Iowa City Manager Candidate Profile: Larry Delo

Larry Delo
City Administrator

The City of De Pere operates under a Mayor-Council-City Administrator form of government as provided by State law. City Administrator Lawrence M. Delo is the professional chief administrative officer for all City operations and is appointed by the Common Council. He reports directly to the Mayor and City Council and is responsible for executing the policies established by the De Pere City Council.

Was City Manager in Milton, WI and was previously a farmer.

And Then There Were Five - Iowa City Manager Candidates

The Iowa City Council has narrowed the list of qualified candidates from twelve to five after one candidate was unable to visit on February 15th for a public meet and greet at the public library in meeting room A from 4:30 to 6:30. The candidates include:

M.A. “Art” Chaudry, executive vice president and chief financial of Union Station in Kansas City, Mo.

Lawrence M. Delo, city administrator of De Pere, Wis., population 22,495.

Michael E. Matthes, assistant city manager in Des Moines, population 198,000.

Marketa G. Oliver, city administrator in Windsor Heights, population 4,000.

Susan A. Stanton, former city manager of Largo, Fla., population 78,000.

More later.