Stop listening to B'moon.

I certainly hope that before a new city manager is hired, the council will realize that the manager works for them / us, not the other way around, as the current one seems to have them trained to believe.

Exactly, JimB. The new manager will have his hands full, and I don't think that expecting magical fairy GM replacements is the way to go. A realistic plan will be to find multiple tenants for the vacated industrial properties and scuttled jobs. This will in fact be healthier because it will be less of a risk for the loss of one employer or industry.
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I too am glad the council is taking the process this seriously, but relisting the job will probably mean clarifying it. Hopefully this interview experience will help.
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We should have no preference for or against an internal candidate. If Winzerz or anyone else wants to apply, they should be welcome to do so, assuming base job requirements are met. And yes, gazettefan is correct -- the voters failed to change to a mayoral form, and the voters have failed again and again to elect a council that was dissatisfied with Sheiffer. One doesn't have to approve of his personality or every decision to recognize that Janesville has been well-managed. In fact, Sheiffer has presided over a healthy diversification of Janesville's economic base, which has made us better prepared for the loss of GM than we would have been in the pre-Sheiffer era. The council would do well to find someone who can emulate that commitment and vision.

It's certainly good to be prudent in a decision as important as this one. However I question who will apply that didn't apply in the first go round? Perhaps a new, better qualified candidate would apply but then why didn't they the first time? I'm not critical of the decision just not convinced anyone more qualified will apply. I guess time will tell.

@ Teeber

Where is this magical place that a city manager should go to "get" BIG businesses for Janesville?

I know a lot of cities around here that could use one or two new businesses and if there is a place where they are lying thick on the ground and ready to be gotten I think it only fair that you share with the rest of us.

The Committe interviews were held in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Building with each candidate on Monday and Tuesday. It was open to the public to listen to the interviews.

Some people will find fault with the next City Manager no matter where he/she comes from. The City Council is very determined to hire the best person they can find for the job and they will.

For over twenty years the voters of Janesville, using the democratic process, have shown their approval for Steve Sheiffer by voting-in councilmembers who continually retained him as our city manager.

I understand the plus points of hiring an outsider for important city positions. But sometimes in-house is the way to go. (Note that one of the empty complaints about Sheiffer is that he's NOT from here. Which doesn't necessarily support the idea of hiring someone in-house, but instead shows the desperate need for some people to take pointless pot shots at him.) We'll see.

Good for the Council to wait it out and get the right person for the job. I agree that a new City Manager should come from outside the current administration; it is time for new ideas and a new outlook, not a clone or disciple of what we have.

gazettefan, His association with
"the man" is why I wouldn't want him as manager.

Teeber, I consider Jay Winzenz's association with Steve Sheiffer a big plus.

Nit picking a lack of perfection is its own rut.

Does anyone know if the meetings/interviews are held in open or closed session? Can the public attend? Not to ask questions, just to listen.

Zoom, Your absoulutely right on that!

I also wish to thank the panel for not settling.

I was commenting on your first post, btw.

I agree Teeber. It's a little scary to think the only solution is to put most of our eggs in one basket again. Once the baby boom generation is gone, I would think the health industry would shrink.

gazettefan, I respect your views, But I would not consider hiring him as he was to "close" to the former manager. We wouldn't want to be stuck in the same "rut" as we were with the out going manager now would we?

The rejection of the five shows that sometimes it's not a bad thing to go in-house: Consider Jay Winzenz.

I think they made the right choice not hiring any of them. I understand Mercy Healthcare is the only "BIG" employer now, But we can't solely rely on them as we did GM. We need a manager who will help bring new "BIG" business to here. Thats whats needed in the long run.

I think it's great that the panel is being thorough.