Council caught off guard by abrupt departure

BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
C-town is in need of a new city manager after Carol Eberhardt posted her resignation this week.
“She contacted me about a week ago and said she wanted to resign, and no longer be manager,” said Mayor Joe Luginski at Monday’s City Council meeting. “I met with her last Sunday to talk to her and asked her to think about it during the week – she is adament about resigning.”
Eberhardt did not attend the Sept. 26 meeting. The council voted 6-1 to accept the resignation, effecting Oct. 1. Council member Sharron Catallo voted “no.”
“The bigger issue is this puts us in a quandary,” Luginski said. “We have an office to run, a city to run. It takes a while to find a city manager.”
Resident Steve Percival, who is running unopposed for mayor in November, stood up and volunteered 10 hours a week to help run the city. The offer was not accepted at the meeting.
The city will post the position with the Michigan Municipal League and other sites, Luginski said.
The league offers manager services on a temporary basis. The city will also contact former City Manager Dennis Ritter and others to see if they can help, the mayor said.
“It has been my privilege to work as city manager for the village,” said Eberhardt in her final city manager’s report. “I embraced the job with enthusiasm and passion and am stepping down with the same love and belief our village is an amazing and exciting place.”
Luginski will make search committee recommendations at the next council meeting.
“It is what it is. We have to move forward,” he said. “It’s tough to find a city manager who has the qualifications, the knowledge, and the time.”
“And who doesn’t want to get paid much,” Catallo said.
“We pay very little, as we all know,” Luginski said.
The city manager salary was budgeted at $30,000 for 2016-2017.
Eberhardt replaced Dennis Ritter in 2013, who served as city manager for the previous five years.
She had been elected to the City Council in November 2012, and resigned from her position on the council to take the job as city manager on April 22, 2013.
The council needed to vote for an exception to City Charter, which in section 4.18 says, “except where authorized by law or five members of the Council, elected officers shall not hold any appointed city office or city employment during the term for which they were elected, and former elected officers shall not hold any compensated appointed city office or city employment until one year after the expiration of their term in office.”
The Selection Committee in 2013 included Luginski, Catallo, Ritter, and Councilman Eric Haven.
The city received 13 applications and interviewed five candidates at a special meeting. The finalists were Eberhardt and Andrew Potter, a former Oak Park Public Safety Officer.
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City offices will be open less on Fridays next month after City Council approved a request from administration.
“It’s getting very uncomfortable to be here by myself on Fridays,” said Clerk Sandy Miller at Monday’s council meeting.
“We talked about this in the past, but never approved it,” said Mayor Joe Luginski. “I’m not a big proponent of that personally. We’re a city , we should be here – shortened hours, maybe.”
City DPW workers will remain on duty, and a drop-off box is available to residents, he said.
“I don’t have a particular problem with just trying it,” said Council member Sharron Catallo. “If it becomes an issue, we just won’t continue it.”
Miller already scheduled off Fridays, Sept. 30 and Oct. 14. The office will close at noon on Oct. 7, 21, and 28. It was previously open until 5 p.m., Fridays. Council will evaluate resident feedback in November.
Council voted 6-1 to approve the request. Council member Al Avery voted “no.”

  Carol Eberhardt