BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
Clarkston’s newest city manager is set to be sworn in on Monday, Jan. 23.
Jonathan Smith accepted the position last Friday, after interviewing with the City Council at a Jan. 12 special meeting.
“I just love the small town feel of Clarkston, close to the big city with small town living and big town amenities – it’s really exciting,” Smith said. “Protecting the history of Clarkston is so important to me.”
It was a bumpy road to the hiring, with council members, public officials, and residents speaking out against the process as lacking in transparency.
Council member David Marsh said the council should have been given more candidates to consider.
A single candidate for city manager, Andrew Muniz, was presented for interview and possible hiring at the regular council meeting on Monday, Jan. 9.
“At this point, the way it’s been presented, it looks shady,” said Marsh at the Jan. 9 meeting.
“As city council, we really have been given only one choice,” he said. “If getting bids, we need more than one bid. If getting candidates, we need more than one candidate.”
The hiring subcommittee, Mayor Steve Percival, Council member Eric Haven, interim City Manager Rich Little, and former Mayor Joe Luginski, decided unanimously to present its top selection to the council at the Monday meeting, Percival said.
“We’re good with however you want to proceed. It’s up to the council – nothing says we can’t do it that way, and nothing says we can’t do it this way,” he said
Council member Sharron Catallo asked to see the top five resumes, of the 24 received by the city.
“Its only fair that we see the other candidates – just so we know what kind of balance there was,” Catallo said.
Smith has served as treasurer for Clarkston Community Historical Society for 20 years, and retired this past April from Chrysler after 30 years, where he served in senior management in areas including production planning, strategic operations, and capacity studies.
He currently also has an automotive consultant job, and an antique business run by him and his wife, Toni Smith. He earned his undergraduate degree with the University of Michigan and Masters from Central Michigan University. His philosophy is to treat people with respect.
“Working with people is so important,” Jon Smith said. “Transparency is key, to reassure people the financial aspects of the village will be in good hands.”
He sees a need to protect the city’s historical heritage as the area grows in population and development.
“Most people don’t want to lose the historic charm of this town,” he said. “We have to on the lookout for things like that all the time.”
He and his wife live in Independence Township but are considering moving into the city.
“It’s time. Our daughter (Bailey, who serves on the Clarkston Historic District Commission) has moved on and we don’t need a house that size,” he said.
Smith learned about the job opening from his wife, who is the director of the Clarkston Community Historical Society.
“I researched it and it sounded like a good fit for the number of hours I had available,” he said.
“I just want to be part of protecting the village,” he said. “The money was not the motivation. I’m not saying anything negative about the salary – this is more about being involved in the city and doing what I can to help out.”
“Jon is probably the top person I know, above board and honest,” said city resident James Schultz at the meeting. “He knows what’s coming down the line. I recommend him very highly.”
City manager candidate Muniz is an instructor at Baker College, with experience in writing grants.
“I’m very proud of Clarkston,” he said at the Jan. 9 meeting. “I’ve been interested in contributing to Clarkston for along time – I love the atmosphere.”
Speaking during public comment, resident Cara Catallo said she was concerned with the relationship between Muniz and Percival, who also works at Baker College, because Muniz seemed to her to be looking to Percival before answering questions.
“You two seem to have a close relationship,” Catallo said. “My concern is if you can answer without being fed them – to make decisions independently.”
Percival said they both work at Baker College but are independent, just as Cara, a member of the Historic District Commission, and her mother, Sharron Catallo, are.
Cara asked for an apology for that statement, which the mayor provided.
At the Jan. 12 special meeting, Percival asked council members if they wanted to meet with more candidates, but they declined.
Marsh asked if the city’s offer of $30,000 salary is too little to attract qualified people with the right experience.
“We don’t really know who we’re missing,” he said.
“We’re going to look at that come budget time, to see what we can do,” Percival said. “Both of these candidates are OK with what’s there now – they’re not looking at this as a stepping stone. This is their home.”
The committee decided Muniz and Smith were the top candidates and either would do a good job, the mayor said.
“There weren’t really any flies in the ointment – no one had any shady intentions,” he said.
Haven said the council has the final say.
“Americans love a choice – it’s in our being,” he said. “We erred in the direction of being a little more directive.”
Luginski said both are capable.
“Not making a decision is sometimes the worse decision you could make,” he said. “Four months of posting, 24 resumes, and you get what you get. We’re not rushing, but I don’t think a magic resume is out there waiting to show up.”
Little scheduled his departure from the interim city manager position on Jan. 31, and Haven said he felt a sense of urgency.
“I did like both candidates, they’re both dynamite,” he said. “We all love the ideal. But for 30 grand a year, we have two dynamite candidates.”
Both candidates were looking to give back to their community, Haven said.
“This isn’t about money – both told us that,” he said. “They’re scaling down so they don’t need as much. They want to leave a mark, a legacy.”
“Let’s get past how it happened in the past,” Percival said. “If I have to take responsibility, I will. It was a coin toss to me – I don’t have anything against either one of these people. If you want more candidates to look at, we will give you more. If you want to see more people, let’s bring more people. Let’s not muddy the water.”
Only one applicant of the top five had municipal experience, but his salary requirements were too high, Little said.
“These are the cards we were dealt,” Luginski said. “There wasn’t anybody who had the experience we would have loved to have.”
Rich Little also did not have municipal experience when he took over as interim city manager, the former mayor said.
“Rich has been able to adapt with help of staff,” Luginski said. “With people here willing to help learn the process, I do believe it’s possible.”
Also at issue was the soon to be open position of treasurer, after Treasurer Caitlin Bentoski posted her two-week notice last week.
Smith said he was also interested in the treasurer’s position, and would accept either if offered. The council discussed a team approach, with Muniz as city manager and Smith as treasurer or deputy city manager, but Percival took the treasurer position off the table to avoid further confusion.
As city manager, Smith said he will use his strategic planning experience at Chysler to look for trends and patterns for the city.
“Get in front of some of these patterns, proactively, and communicate that to the public – communication is key,” he said.
The city’s top issue is parking, he said.
“The growing restaurant business here is just great, but let’s address how we handle parking, and work with people who own parking lots,” he said.
If a long term goal is to address city parking, he would work out one-year goals, five-years goals, etc. until all goals were met, he said.
He also wants to maintain Clarkston’s history.
“I’ve read horror stories of other towns without good control of their historic downtowns,” he said.
Cara said she liked Smith’s enthusiasm for the job.
“I get the sense Mr. Smith is incredibly above board, which serves the community,” she said. “I’d hate to miss out on a great city manager – just because he happens to be a number person.”
Mike Sabol, former city council member, said both candidates are good, but the process has not been transparent.
“The most important job in this city is city manager – you have to fill it the right way,” Sabol said. “The meeting on Monday should have started with the mayor saying the candidate is a work colleague of mine. If it’s not transparent, maybe you’re moving too quickly.”
A motion to hire Smith as city manager was approved, 5-2, with Catallo, Detkowski, Haven, Kneisc, and Wylie voting “yes.” Percival and Marsh voted against the motion.
“It’s a flip of the coin, folks,” Percival said. “I voted no because I wanted to give David’s idea little more breadth.”
Marsh said it was pushed through.
“The mayor said himself, we’re not in a super rush,” he said. “I think this has been a big waste of time.”
Percival said they will create a job-search policy for next time.
“So next time this happens we know exactly what to do,” he said. “No one was trying pull the wool over anyone’s eyes.”