By: Diane Benjamin
Nobody checked into why David Hales left Bend Oregon after only 2 years and all the records were sealed. See this story: https://blnnews.com/2013/09/17/who-is-city-manager-david-hales/
Obviously nobody in Joliet did any independent research of David Hales either since the Council had no idea 5 people were charged with 111 felony counts while he was in charge of City operations here.
The reason for both is because cities hire search firms to find their next City Manager for them. They just take to word of the search firm instead of doing any research themselves.
Supposedly the City Manager is the Council’s employee, but if you have ever watched a City Council meeting, the City manager steers the conversation where he wants it to go. Hales did the same thing with the Budget Task Force. No independent thought was allowed and nothing useful was produced.
Who steers the City Manager? See this 2013 email from Tari Renner. I redacted his email address because I’m not sure it’s one he uses anymore, the last line was redacted because it isn’t relevant. Click to enlarge if you can’t read it. It looks like the Mayor tells the City Manager what to do.
Steve Rasmussen is going to be the interim City Manager. At a recent meeting Hales declared Rasmussen was going to do the job Community Development since Tom Dabareiner was leaving. He’s either going to be very busy or somebody else will be covering until they find a replacement. No one has said why Tom left.
Repeating the pattern of not being capable of finding their own employee, the City has issued a Request For Proposal for an Executive Search firm to bid on finding the Real City Manager: http://www.cityblm.org/Home/Components/RFP/RFP/494/
Normal is spending $20,000 with a search firm to find their next City Manager. https://blnnews.com/2017/09/04/normals-funnybusiness-tuesday/
Bloomington’s RFP means either they have no confidence in Rasmussen or a lot of money is going to be wasted looking for a better manager and they will pick Rasmussen anyway.
Here’s the announcement from the City website:
What’s a consultant recorded with the City?
What’s a bona fide plan holder?
Sounds discriminatory!
Only approved consultants get to bid? I sure don’t see an application to become a bona fide plan holder on the City website!
How would you feel if you were Steve Rasmussen?
I’d be looking for a different job where I was appreciated!
Is it a bona fide PLAN holder or a boba fide plan HOLDER?
I don’t think the BN officials could order lunch without a consultant’s advice. What a slack bunch! Put some long pants on and make a decision.
That’s political-babble for “We can goof this up BETTER then you” now fork over the cash-NEXT! Bet a Fortune 500 company don’t use these clowns..
Yeah, it appears that City could drive away or otherwise diminish one of the few competent individuals within its organization (Rasmussen.)
They’ve given him the job of three (Interim City Manager, Assistant City Manager and Department Head of Community Development.) I wouldn’t be surprised if they add insult to injury by bringing in someone 20 years younger, with 20 years less experience, etc. etc. and expect him to then ‘train’ them. All in a bid to place an individual of some cronyistic scheme . . . someone is owed a ‘favor’ somewhere.
It’s the story behind why many competent individuals are sidestepped and/or bypassed for positions in all kinds of organizations . . . not just Bloomington City Hall.
However, if Rasmussen is bypassed or given lesser attention in the hiring process, I suggest that he might have a Rutan hiring grievance process to invoke.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutan_v._Republican_Party_of_Illinois
Incidentally, other overlooked, well-qualified candidates that did not even get a call for an interview with the City could have this grievance. It’s pretty obvious with a short walk around city hall corridors that many Democrat lackeys, lick-spittle bootshiners, are warming office chairs, sucking up paychecks in jobs for which they were less qualified than non-party applicants.
Well said! I have NO RESPECT for cubicle sitting, “I have a degree” my job is important,
BS types! With that said. In the field I was in, I had MANY job offers because I was good, dedicated and known in the field. Funny how that happens. IF ya know your job, you get overlooked by the “consultants” jerks, etc, because you don’t care or want too much, BUT IF you are an idiot with a resume, You’re HIRED! Right Dave!
If the same”research” group who hired Hales is doing the search then the citizens of Bloomington are screwed yet again. The new council lackey will get a sweet deal just like all the businesses building in Bloomington. Can you imagine a City Manager who gets tax incentives, free travel, free meals free vacations, free , free, free AND get a million plus bucks to come to Bloomington and be King Tari’s court Jester?