Batavia City Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. today said that the next formal discussion about the vacant city manager position will take place in executive session following Monday’s Conference and Business meetings at City Hall Council Chambers.
“We’re in a unique situation where we have an employee who is interested in the position, and would be affected by a public discussion before several important topics are covered,” Jankowski said, speaking of Acting City Manager Rachael Tabelski. “In our previous search two years ago (that resulted in the hiring of Martin Moore), no city employee wanted the job.”
When asked about the progress of a potential job search for Moore’s permanent successor, he said the nine members of City Council “will come together and decide – it’s not up to me, I’m just one person and my personal opinion doesn’t matter.”
“If Council decides to conduct a search, that will made public, and if the decision is different (such as offering the job to Tabelski, who had been the assistant city manager), then that will be made public, too,” he said.
Jankowski said he expects to learn by Monday the status of contracting, once again, with The Novak Consulting Group, the Cincinnati, Ohio-based firm that conducted the search in 2018.
Novak reportedly guaranteed a “free” search if Moore left the position within two years of his hiring – which did occur, but Jankowski said he wants to know about other expenses such as advertising in trade publications and possible moving expenses for an out-of-town hire.
At July’s Council meeting, the board requested that Novak be contacted for the answers to those questions.
Tabelski, who has been serving as acting city manager since June 22, then suggested that Human Resources Specialist Dawn Fairbanks make the call since Tabelski has expressed interest in staying on as the city manager and wanted to avoid any conflict of interest.
Council Member Robert Bialkowski has gone on record in favor of a new search, emphasizing that the board should capitalize on Novak’s two-year warranty.
Jankowski said that he has received emails from residents who are on both sides of the issue.
“We welcome the public’s input and I am confident that Council will proceed in the best interests of the community,” he said.
