WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey. May 12, 2004, Updated 12:00 Noon E.D.T.:  The South Florida Sun-Sentinel this morning appears to position White Plains Executive Officer George Gretsas as perhaps the candidate with the least baggage of the four finalists in the Fort Lauderdale City Manager hunt. The report by Brittany Wallman quotes Mr. Gretsas, interviewed Tuesday by Ms. Wallman as not wanting to comment on the job, saying, “Call me old-fashioned, but out of courtesy for the (Fort Lauderdale) City Council, I think it’s more respectful to talk to them first.”

The Sun-Sentinel’s Ms. Wallman asked Gretsas about the White Plains negative bond rating from Moody’s Investor Services last week and her article reports Gretsas saying that he felt credit rating concerns would be allayed with the city take over of the White Plains Parking Authority, with its reserves, that Gretsas said could be used for “general purposes.”  The article can be viewed at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cmanager12may12,0,6277997.story

STRATEGIC SCHMOOZE AT THE RIVERHOUSE:  The Riverhouse Restaurant, Fort Lauderdale, scene of pivotal "Meet and Greet" Thursday evening, where Executive Officer of the City of White Plains, George Gretsas will be mingling with Fort Lauderdale's elite, with three other finalists for the City Manager's job. Movers and Shakers have been invited, and all can come. Photo from Riverhouse Restaurant website, captured by WPCNR.

Leslie Backus, of the Fort Lauderdale Public Information Office told WPCNR yesterday afternoon that the official interview process was to begin Wednesday, and to her knowledge Mr. Gretsas did not see city officials before Wednesday. However, WPCNR learned from Mr. Gretsas late Wednesday evening that interviews begin Thursday and continue through Friday. He said the Public Information Office apparently was not that involved in the details of the process.

Chas Adams, the Assistant City Clerk of Fort Lauderdale told WPCNR, the interview process would include a “Meet and Greet” Cocktail and hors d’oeuvres  party  with Mr. Gretsas, Thomas Hoover, formerly Worcester City Manager, George Kolb, Augusta City Manager, and Michael West, City Manager of Johnson City, Tennessee.

The final four will be introduced to  Fort Lauderdale citizens and public officials  at the 100-year old landmark Riverside Restaurant, 301 S.W. Third Avenue, Fort Lauderdale from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M, near the Broward County Center for the Performing Arts.  Backus said she expected the interview process might continue Friday but was not sure.

It could not be determined as of yesterday whether Mr. Hoover was actually coming Wednesday, but he was expected, and Ms. Backus said all four were expected. Mr. Gretsas was in town Tuesday.

One on One on One on One on One on One

A city source familiar with the interviewing process told WPCNR today, that Mr. Gretsas and each of the other three candidates would spend an hour with each of Fort Lauderdale’s five city commissioners. The contact said the commissioners would be given background packets by  NGT, the national search firm that had supplied the candidates.

Our source confirmed to WPCNR the candidates were selected from resumes by a citizens’ committee of ten persons, who recommended 13 applicants to the commissioners, who then paired the candidates to 5. Mr. Gretsas, the source said, was recommended as one of the 13 by the citizen’s committee. The source added that the city commissioners expected the candidates to remain over the weekend to familiarize themselves with the city, but one person, Mr. West was not staying.

Gretsas Late to the Table. Citizens Commitee Liked Him.

From what WPCNR has been able to determine through local checking, the City of Fort Lauderdale ran an advertisement in The New York Times. But, our source said  Gretsas apparently applied later in the process, possibly after that ad appeared.

He is reported to WPCNR to be picked by seven members of ad hoc Citizen's Committee to move his name forward. The members of that Citizen's Committee are: Leola McCoy, George Hanbury (a former Fort Lauderale City Manager), Pamela Adams, Ed Barranco (a partner of the interim City Manager), Genia Ellis, Larry Hayes, Bill Howard, Helen Surovek, and Dr. Ronald K. Wright.

Snapshot of Other Candidates

Ms. Wallman’s article today notes that George Kolb, the Augusta City Manager, was “under attack” by his Augusta city council. Kolb, Ms. Wallman reports, knows a city manager in Fort Lauderdale’s past, a Floyd Johnson, who knew Kolb as a member of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.  She reports Kolb denying charges that he “is not responsive” to his 11-member Council in Augusta, and the article quotes Kolb as saying he is examining other cities, as well.

The article points out that Michael West,  the candidate from Johnson City, is a former resident of Fort Lauderdale, familiar with the city, and a worker in the Fort Lauderdale budget office from 1981-84, and says he brings experience in budget cutting to Fort Lauderdale from Johnson City.

The CitizeNetReporter has learned that Johnson City is a city the size of White Plains, but without White Plains diverse ethnic mix, (Johnson City is 89% white). Johnson City is also not comparable to Fort Lauderdale economically, having a median income of $31,000.

Mr. Hoover was not interviewed for Wallman’s article, but she cites the Worcester, Massachussetts Telegram, he was forced to resign from City Manager of Worcester after a decade on the job one month ago, and notes he was criticized for being slow to accomplish objectives, and not improving the city economy.  Worcester is described by a White Plains resident as being an old city with a very moribund economy.

Meet and Greet Mixer

The source said that the four candidates’ appearances at the Riverhouse Restaurant was going to be important, because folks attending by invitation would be asked by the city commissioners for their impressions of the final four.  The “meet and greet” is by invitation, but anyone can come, the source said. “They couldn’t possibly hire someone whom the people coming were not impressed with.”

The source close to the situation advised WPCNR that after the interviews, another vote would be taken, but it was their impression it was “up in the air” and there was no front runner.