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09.10.2021 - City Council Minutes (Wksp)City of Clermont MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP September 10, 2021 The Clermont City Council met at a workshop on Friday, September 10, 2021, in the Clermont City Council Chambers. Mayor Murry opened the meeting at 8:08am with the following Council Members present: Bates, Purvis, Pines, Entsuah. Other City officials present were Acting City Manager Davidoff, City Attorney Mantzaris and City Clerk Howe. Opening Comments Doug Thomas, SGR Consulting, provided an overview of the interview process where candidates would provide a presentation of their first year game plan and then engage the Council with a question and answer portion. He requested that the Council as a series of questions. He informed the Council that his team is finalizing reference checks and hope to have it all done today. Thus far none of the candidates have raised any red flags or reason to a pause their candidacy. As soon as they complete their review, they will turn over the documents to Human Resources for records retention purposes. The Council recessed at 8:52am The Council resumed the workshop at 9: 03am without the presence of Council Member Pines. Candidate George Korthauer provided his presentation for a first year game plan followed by questions and answers by the Council. Council Member Pines returned to the workshop during the question and answer portion of Mr. Korthauer's interview. Council Member Bates asked how Mr. Korthauer generates enthusiasm for a project and/or staff. Mr. Korthauer provided an example of the Lake Michigan Waterfront project in his former position. Council Member Bates asked about a time Mr. Korthauer had to deal with a difficult citizen or business owner. Mr. Korthauer responded that the key is patience and hearing people out. He stated that sometimes people just want to be heard. Council Member Pines asked how Mr. Korthauer would handle having a number of bosses. Mr. Korthauer responded that his former Council was composed of seven (7) individuals, so he does not foresee an issue. Mayor Murry stated that the City of Clermont is booming with development and citizens have raised concerns about infrastructure. Mr. Korthauer stated that he has extensive experience with managing utilities and has been a part of growing communities. He formerly managed an 1,100 acre site that also contained a cement plant. Council Member Purvis asked if as a City Manager, Mr. Korthauer would be involved in the decision making process of his directors or if he would allow directors to do their own thing with oversight by the City Manager. City of Clermont MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP September 10, 2021 Mr. Korthauer stated that he prefers the latter option, stated that folks will become aware of his expectations, and he will foster a culture of responsibility. He wants to support directors and not create more work for them. The Council thanked Mr. Korthauer for being part of this process. The Council workshop recessed at 10: 08am. The Council workshop resumed at 10:30am. Doug Thomas introduced Dan Matthys as the next candidate. Mr. Matthys provided an opening statement to the Council stating that he is a resident of Clermont, and has raised his family here. He is a certified planner and CPM. In his career, he has worked for three (3) counties and two (2) cities. He also helped to design the Town of Celebration for The Disney Corporation. He is currently employed by the City of Maitland. Mr. Matthys then presented his presentation via PowerPoint for the Council on his first year game plan. Council Member Purvis congratulated Mr. Matthys on an informative and visually pleasing presentation. Mr. Matthys responded that he has to give a lot of presentations and sometimes you have to sell a story in order to get the point across. Council Member Bates asked how Mr. Matthys handles disagreements amongst his staff. Mr. Matthys stated that he builds an environment of trust with the people he works with and oversees. One of these ways is to have bi-weekly lunch and learns. Council Member Bates asked how Mr. Matthys handles a disgruntled citizen or business owner. Mr. Matthys stated that his goal is to provide superior customer service because every citizen of the City deserves to have a good experience when they interact with the City. He treats all people with respect and wants to hear their issues. He continued that he has a very open-door policy. He is not afraid to work nights and weekends. He believes in disruptive leadership that resolves issues. He does not want things to linger. Council Member Pines asked what challenges Mr. Matthys sees if he would take over as City Manager. Mr. Matthys replied that he sees developers and working with a new staff as his main obstacles. Council Member Entsuah asked since Mr. Matthys is the only candidate with no City Manager experience, what makes him a stronger candidate. Mr. Matthys stated that even though he may not have the experience, he has the skill set for a City Manager. He is a local resident and knows the people and the community. He drives these roads daily and understands the short and long-term issues that Clermont is going through. Mayor Murry asked Mr. Matthys to describe a situation which he felt disrespected and how he handled it. Mr. Matthys stated that there are local developers that personally he has little respect for and are simply unethical; they go around cheating the systems. However, professionally, he treats everybody equal; every developer is treated with respect. City of Clermont MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP September 10, 2021 He will have his guard up so the interests of the city are best represented. He continued that it is about building relationships based on respect. Mayor Murry asked Mr. Matthys how he motivates others to achieve goals. Mr. Matthys stated that he motivates others by building them up, getting them cross trained and getting buy in. Council Member Purvis asked Mr. Matthys to give an overview of public safety and how he would manage Police and Fire. Mr. Matthys stated that law enforcement and public safety are the cornerstone of any community. It is of the utmost importance to the resident to make sure both of these departments have the resources to do their jobs. His management would be based on having a good rapport with the chiefs of those departments. Mayor Murry asked Mr. Matthys to explain his approach when explaining a complex document and how he would help the Council achieve a level of understanding. Mr. Matthys replied that communication is important, especially with the Council. As City Manager, it is his responsibility to deliver a message in a timely and accurate manner. He would work with each Council Member to break the document down and develop several different ways to explain it. Council Member Purvis asked how Maitland handled an increase demand for parking in their downtown. Mr. Matthys replied that they had to get creative. They adjusted parking standards for the minimum and maximum parking allotments. They also keep an up-to-date public parking inventory. The Council asked Mr. Matthys if he had any questions for them. Mr. Matthys asked about how previous City Managers ran the office. Council Member Purvis responded that Wayne Saunders was a hands on micromanager and Darren Gray allowed staff to run their departments. He complimented Wayne Saunders saying he had a vision for the City long term. Council Member Entsuah added that Darren Gray was politically savvy and was great at building relationships. Mayor Murry added that Wayne Saunders was scared of debt, which was a benefit for the City because everything was paid for and there was always a source of funding in place. Darren Gray took the City in a different direction, but was very solution oriented. The Council made it clear that they are not looking to replace Darren Gray, but are looking for someone to lead Clermont's evolution and provide the Council the opportunity to take Clermont to the next level. Mr. Matthys asked what the number one goal or need is that needs to be addressed if he takes over as City Manager. Council Member Bates stated that it is getting people in key positions; there is a lot of vacancies and interims currently. Council Member Pines replied that the comprehensive plan update and the code update are her needs. Council Member Purvis stated that he sees the need to restart the conversation with the County on roads and infrastructure; there are many traffic issues in Clermont. Mayor Murry stated that he would like to see a new master plan put in place for the next 10 years, and he also wants to see more activity in the youth of the community. The Council recessed the workshop at 12: 05pm. 3 City of Clermont MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP September 10, 2021 The Council resumed the workshop at 1:12pm. Doug Thomas introduced Brian Bulthuis as the next candidate. Mr. Bulthuis introduced himself. He is from Acworth, Georgia where he served as City Manager for 25 years. He is looking for his next challenge, he was not quitting Acworth, but looking to move on. Mr. Bulthuis made his presentation via PowerPoint and covered his first year game plan. He spoke about building relationships and creating a quality of life based on teamwork. Mayor Murry congratulated Mr. Bulthuis on a great presentation. He stated that Clermont is home, and what makes the City special is its people. Council Member Bates asked Mr. Bulthuis how he motivates staff about a project. Mr. Bulthuis gave an example of a train track that was raised too high. Ultimately, they decided to build a bridge in the center of town and now people take pictures with it. Council Member Bates asked Mr. Bulthuis how he handled a situation or project where senior staff disagreed. Mr. Bulthuis gave an example of dealing with health insurance. His approach was to lay out all the options and listen to what everyone has to say. Council Member Bates asked Mr. Bulthuis how he handles an upset citizen or business owner. Mr. Bulthuis gave an example of road projects and acquiring right-of-way. It is a matter of letting people be heard and letting them vent. You try to accommodate where you can, but ultimately it is a decision of Council. Council Member Pines asked how he would find financing for projects. Mr. Bulthuis stated that in his previous position, they used a combination of local option sales tax and debt bonds. Council Member Entsuah asked Mr. Bulthuis how he would handle making a decision that he did not want to make. Mr. Bulthuis stated that he has to make hard decisions all the time. He asks himself "Is this for the good of the community?" He informed the Council that he has had to tell good people no, if the ask does not benefit the community. He added the he is not one to linger on a decision, once the decision is made, he moves on. Council Member Purvis asked Mr. Bulthuis to describe his management style. Mr. Bulthuis stated that he loves to work with people. He is a direction setter, but he wants to talk to directors to know what is going on. He favors letting director's move forward to accomplish the priorities he has set without being too hands on. He added that it is important to note that he is there to support the departments. He will be scheduling weekly staff meetings. The City needs to operate as a team as they are all in this together; there is no mine, there is only us. Mayor Murry asked Mr. Bulthuis how he motivates and inspires others. Mr. Bulthuis responded that he establishes goals and communicates with people. He celebrates the accomplishments of the city. Mayor Murry asked Mr. Bulthuis how he feels on recognition programs such as the one the police department uses to recognize officers. 4 City of Clermont MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP September 10, 2021 Mr. Bulthuis stated that every department is different, and he has seen programs work and not work. He wants to make sure that those that deserve it, get a sincere thank you. Mayor Murry stated that Mr. Bulthuis had mentioned Wellness Way in his presentation, and asked what experience he has with utility infrastructure and management. Mr. Bulthuis responded that it's important to sit down with the developers and figure out who is doing what with regards to infrastructure. His personal experience is with power due to them having an electric utility in Acworth and the County provided other utilities. Council Member Purvis asked Mr. Bulthuis to state his overall perception of public safety. Mr. Bulthuis responded that when people look at a community, they look first at schools and then at public safety. Public Safety is extremely important and need to be given all the resources they require. He knows that Clermont has the top ISO rating and an accredited Police Department said that is because the City funds all the equipment requested. Council Member Entsuah asked how long Mr. Bulthuis would see himself serving as City Manager. Mr. Bulthuis stated that he has fallen in love with the community and its people. He is looking for a growing, thriving community that he can become a part of where he can volunteer and ingrain himself. Council Member Pines asked Mr. Bulthuis to state his position on successful financial operations for a city. Mr. Bulthuis responded that he is a very conservative budgeter. At the end of the year, he would rather return money to the Council than tell them they are short. Mayor Murry asked for Mr. Bulthuis to explain his philosophy on spending at the end of the fiscal year for departments that have extra funds. Mr. Bulthuis responded that he has an expectation for department heads that budgeted projects get done on schedule and in budget. It causes him great frustration if Council allocates funds and a project does not get completed. If departments have extra funds he will work with the Finance Department to take away extra funds from the departments at the end of the year. The Council concluded their questions and asked Mr. Bulthuis if he has any questions for them. Mr. Bulthuis asked the Council what makes Clermont special to them. Council Member Bates stated it is the hills and the lakes, Clermont is unlike any other area of Florida. Council Member Purvis stated that for him it is quality of life. Council Member Entsuah stated that it is the sense of community. Council Member Pines stated that it is the topography that makes Clermont special and the amount of charitable organizations. Mayor Murry stated the beauty of the community and the love of the people. Mr. Bulthuis asked what the Council is looking for in the next City Manager. Council Member Bates stated they are looking for stability as staff morale is low. They need a leader able to give direction and who has knowledge of local government. Council Member Purvis stated that he is looking for someone with strong leadership and who can unify the staff to achieve an end goal. Council Member Pines stated that she is looking for a leader and not a yes person; someone to provide the Council with information necessary and not be afraid of their reaction. 5 City of Clermont MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP September 10, 2021 Council Member Entsuah stated that he is looking for someone stable and consistent who is able to read a room. Mayor Murry stated he is looking for a leader who can raise morale and not be a yes person. Mr. Bulthuis asked the Council if they are prepared to reevaluate a project if the new City Manager disagrees with its importance or priority. Council Member Bates stated that he is open to the new ideas and Council Member Pines echoed the sentiment. Council Member Purvis asked what Mr. Bulthuis would do if he wanted to make a change and the Council opposed the change. Mr. Bulthuis stated that he understands that he is the recommending individual and the Council makes the decision. His goal is to present the options that are best for the City, he hates when things are done simply because they have always been done that way. Mr. Bulthuis stated he had a great time with staff yesterday. They are excited to get this process finished. They respect the Council. He thanked the Council for the consideration. The Council workshop recessed at 2: 39pm. The Council workshop reconvened at 3:01pm. Mayor Murry introduced Shawn Henessee as the final candidate for consideration. Mr. Hennessee thanked the Council for inviting him to be part of the process. He provided a brief overview of his work history and proceeded into his presentation which was made by PowerPoint and covered his first year game plan. Council Member Bates asked for Mr. Henessee to explain how he generates enthusiasm among staff. Mr. Henessee stated that his is a strong proponent of technology. He would implement a lot of technological updates to assist staff in completing their tasks. He gave an example of records and how using technology they developed an electronic filing system. Council Member Bates asked how Mr. Henessee handled a project where staff disagreed. Mr. Henessee stated that when implementing technology updates, a lot of staff were resistant to the change, but patience was key and once they saw the value of OCR'd documents, staff came around. Council Member Bates asked how he would handle an issue before it blew up. Mr. Henessee responded that there are always going to be personality conflicts. His goal is to try to stay ahead of them and diffuse situations before they escalate. Council Member Pines asked how Mr. Henessee would handle a situation where he had to oppose senior staff. Mr. Henessee gave an example of a massive development he had to lead. The Council wanted it to be a top priority, but staff was opposed for a wide variety of reasons including traffic. He encouraged directors to express their concerns and tried to strike a balance between addressing issues raised and moving the project forward as the Council had desired. Council Member Entsuah asked Mr. Henessee to explain a complex document. City of Clermont MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP September 10, 2021 Mr. Henessee stated that he has a legal background which is valuable, so he would be able to understand most documents and interpret them for Council Members. Council Member Entsuah asked what Mr. Henessee considers to be the single biggest asset to economic development. Mr. Henessee replied that it's not easy to answer as there are several items that it could be such as Clermont's proximity to a large metro area. Schools and higher education opportunities are also important; especially vocational training. The City would need to focus on new strengths in order to move into the future. Council Member Purvis stated that in his presentation and answers so far, Mr. Henessee has mentioned many altruistic ideas, he asked how Mr. Henessee would fund them. Mr. Henessee replied that typically the city has been fiscally conservative, and while it is not normally a direct function of a city, he believes that the funding and lines of communication should be open to support these types of programs. Mayor Murry asked how Mr. Henessee would motivate staff. Mr. Henessee stated that he holds employees to the same standards that he holds himself. The goal is to provide every department with the resources they need, and encourage them to voice their opinions. He is not afraid to admit if he has been wrong and strives to keep an open mind. He will work to encourage and develop employees. Council Member Entsuah asked how long Mr. Henessee sees himself in the position. Mr. Henessee stated that he would plan to stay until his retirement. Mayor Murry stated that Wellness Way was not in Mr. Henessee's presentation and asked how he is prepared to lead on that project. Mr. Henessee stated that Wellness Way is a massive project. He does have familiarity with city projects and wants to take a deeper look at it along with the comprehensive plan. He understands that there is a 10 year build out, so there is still some time. The Council concluded their questions and asked Mr. Henessee if he had any questions for them. Mr. Henessee asked the Council about the City's relationship with state representatives. Council Member Bates stated that there has been progress made of the last few years. Council Member Purvis stated that there is still room for improvement. Mr. Henessee asked about the City's plans for the Florida retirement system. City Attorney Mantzaris informed Mr. Henessee that the City of Clermont has its own retirement plan and does not participate in the state pension system. With no further questions, Mr. Henessee concluded his interview. Doug Thomas thanked the Council for their time and informed them that Ms. Debra Rybarczyk has materials for them before their Special Meeting. 7 City of Clermont MINUTES COUNCIL WORKSHOP September 10, 2021 Adtourn: The workshop concluded at 4:19 pm with no further comments. APPROVED: Tim Murry, M or ATTEST: % f Tracy Ackro d Howe, MMC City Clerk j .fl