The City Council has less than two months before the city manager position is vacated and even less time to decide how the search for a new city manager will be conducted.

Several members of the council-elect have noted their desire to ensure the search encompasses all possibilities. Second ward alderman-elect Bill Finucane said he’d like to see the council look for creative resources to find a new city manager, and he suggested looking to NIU for guidance.

Assistant City Manager Rudy Espiritu will act as city manager for the duration of the search after current City Manager Mark Biernacki vacates his seat, as set forth by the City Municipal Code.

At the April 22 City Council meeting, former third ward alderwoman Pam Verbic spoke during citizen’s comments to recommend the city look no further than Espiritu in its search for a new city manager. Verbic said Espiritu has the qualifications she wants to see in a city manager, including knowing DeKalb and its community.

Espiritu is bound to the Illinois City/County Management Association code of ethics, but he did offer some perspective.

“I appreciate alderman Verbic’s comments, and I respect any decision that the City Council adopts regarding the city manager search,” Espiritu said. “It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the search because of the ICMA code of ethics, but I am confident the City Council will select the best person to be the next city manager.”

The ICMA sets guidelines for the search process. The city is not required to follow these guidelines, but they are generally the steps taken when a city recruits and hires a new chief administrative officer like a city manager.

The four steps in the search process, as suggested by the ICMA, are preparation, recruitment, selection and appointment. Each of these generally last one to two months.

Preparation includes defining the position, which is already determined by chapter three of DeKalb’s municipal code, and developing a profile of desired skills, experience and training an ideal candidate would have.

Recruitment involves advertising for the position and deciding the salary of the position. This step also includes determining if residency is required. The municipal code requires a city manager to live in the city, but the individual is not required to live in DeKalb prior to that time.

The selection process included screening applicants, conducting the proper background and reference checks and conducting interviews.

Appointment is the final step, and it consists of offering the position to a candidate, negotiating a contract and seating the candidate accordingly.

According to the ICMA, the total search process takes 17 to 22 weeks, meaning the earliest the city could seat a new city manager would be in September. Biernacki’s retirement date is June 14.

According to a report put together by Biernacki and released with the April 22 City Council agenda, the council has the option of using internal resources for the search or an external search firm.

“The decision on who to hire and what process is to be used in doing so rests solely with the mayor and City Council,” said Biernacki in an email.

Biernacki was unable to comment further on the process of selecting a city manager due to the same ICMA code of ethics Espiritu is bound to.