SEBASTIAN — It took the new Sebastian City Council a split-second to choose Community Development Director Joe Griffin as Interim City Manager at its Nov. 13 meeting to fill out-going City Manager Al Minner’s post come mid-December.
Griffin also serves as the city’s Airport Director.
Members of the Sebastian City Council considered appointing Griffin to the City Manager’s post out-right but ultimately chose to explore all their options. Minner is leaving Sebastian in mid-December to serve as the City Manager for the City of Leesburg.
Bob McPartlan, who was re-elected and re-appointed Mayor, and returning Councilman Richard Gillmor both made strong arguments for going ahead and naming Griffin to the top post.
However, at Minner’s urging, the Council decided to have Minner prepare a list of recruitment options for them to consider.
When McPartlan moved to name Griffin City Manager, Gillmor, after seconding, said, “I compliment you on your bold motion. I think I can honestly say, we’ve all worked with Joe for years and, although I have not seen his resume. . . he is imminently qualified. He is an attorney. Here is my thought: The City Manager works (for us), so there’s no downside to appointing him right away and, truth be told, there would be nothing keeping us from doing a search” for another individual later, should Griffin not work out. “I’m very comfortable with that.”
Gillmor said he views going through an entire search process, and conducting numerous interviews, to be counterproductive at this time.
“At the end of the day, (if a search is done) we’ll see resumes that are all pumped up, but when it comes to delivering the goods, we could be disappointed,” Gillmor said.
McPartlan agreed, saying Griffin is “extremely qualified. And I have seen his resume. I’m very comfortable. Mr. Griffin is good as gold. If he feels up to the task.”
The Sebastian Council members were in agreement on the who, but not on the when.
Newly re-elected Council member Andrea Coy will be on a cruise during much of December, and ardently wants to be involved in the process, she told her fellow board members.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Griffin,” Coy said. “I’m just uncomfortable doing it (naming him to the permanent position) right now.”
Council members said they could wait until January to make the final decision in order to accommodate Coy.
Newly chosen Vice Mayor Jim Hill concurred.
“We should sit down and talk to Joe, get his view on the future of Sebastian,” Hill said. “That is incumbent upon us. We haven’t even yet established a job description or a salary range. It’s obvious, he should be interim.”
Coy agreed, saying “I’d like to see him in action.”
Councilman Jerome Adams said he wanted to move forward and appoint Griffin to the post immediately.
“I would want to go ahead because he’s here – he knows the city,” Adams said. “We could review in six months. I’m in favor of going all the way.”
Minner spoke up at that point, reminding the Council that there was already a motion on the floor. There were two motions – one to appoint Griffin as interim City Manager and one to name him City Manager immediately.
“You need a process,” Minner said. “I could do that for you. Joe is my recommendation. (The situation) calls for negotiating a salary increase for him and determining what will be his role if he does not become City Manager, to ensure his job security with the City. You should not wait till January. I have no issue with working side-by-side with Joe, or he could run the show for the next 30 days.”
When public comment was invited, frequent public commenter Ben Hawker came to the podium to ask whether Griffin, who had previously announced he had applied for the vacant seat on the Indian River County School Board, would be creating a conflict of any sort. McPartlan said it was his understanding that Griffin would decline the appointment in such a situation.
Minner suggested a special meeting to discuss salary and additionally recommended Council not appoint a City Manager immediately but wait until the first part of December, when he would bring before them options to consider.
Meanwhile, he continued, “we need to get out advertisements and work on the parameters for the next step.”
A motion was made and passed to so direct Minner, who will sit down with Griffin and have a presentation prepared for Council by Dec. 11.
Gillmor then moved to have Minner come up with a benefit package and to choose Griffin as permanent City Manager right away. Unseconded, the motion died.
Coy, who will still be in town on Dec. 11, breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you! Now I can enjoy my margarita,” she said.
