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CITY MANAGER SEARCH Medford councilors irked by leaks from closed meetings Executive sessions on city manager search not as secret as some would like Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Jul. 19, 2016 at 5:43 PM Updated Jul 19, 2016 at 6:10 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Jul. 19, 2016 at 5:43 PM Updated Jul 19, 2016 at 6:10 PM » Social News Medford city councilors say they're unhappy that information has leaked out from a series of closed executive sessions on hiring a new city manager that culminated in a $157,100 job offer to Klamath County District Attorney Rob Patridge. Also, some councilors expressed concern about the yearlong search itself, which has included numerous executive sessions over the past month to iron out the employment agreement with Patridge, who was previously a Medford council member and local legislator. “I’m disappointed in the process the council has followed,” Councilor Daniel Bunn said. “I’m also disappointed that information has been leaked out of executive session.” Bunn said the council has agreed to not discuss issues raised in executive sessions, but he’s been hearing information from local residents who have knowledge of what the council discussed in those meetings. Also, it is widely known, although never officially reported by the council, that James Thompson, retired city manager in Casa Grande, Ariz., had withdrawn his candidacy after he had a series of meetings with councilors. Thompson has not returned numerous phone calls regarding his withdrawal, and councilors have declined to discuss why Thompson pulled out of the running. With Thompson out, it left Medford resident Patridge and Jon Amundson, assistant city manager in Richland, Wash., as the two finalists remaining. At 7 p.m. Thursday, the council will vote on naming Patridge as the city manager after he signed an employment contract last week. There are also numerous reports from community members that the council is divided over the selection of Patridge. Councilors have indicated they may discuss their differences Thursday evening over the city manager choice for the first time in an open session. While hiring discussions may be held in closed executive sessions, any vote must be taken in an open meeting. Mayor Gary Wheeler said he also was disappointed with the leaks from the closed sessions. “I’m trying to honor the executive privileges while I recognize that others have not done that,” he said. “I would agree that there’s a lot of information going out into the public arena.” Wheeler said he’d prefer that councilors honor the executive session so that everyone can engage in frank and blunt discussions when they meet in private. Councilor Chris Corcoran said he’s been asked questions from residents about the city manager position but has kept mum out of respect for the executive sessions. “It has to be someone else,” he said. “It’s not me. I have not talked about what’s going on.” Councilor Kevin Stine said leaks from executive session are predictable and not surprising, “especially when you’re talking about a local person that members of the council know.” But Stine said he’s not particularly bothered by the leaks. He’s more concerned about how long the process has taken to select a city manager, particularly when there's no way to guarantee the final choice will be the right fit. “I’ve said from day one that the city manager search is a crapshoot,” Stine said. “There’s no such thing as a perfect candidate.” Councilor Michael Zarosinski said he’s had many residents start conversations about the city manager search and then try to guess what the council is doing. Some jump to conclusions, others guess correctly, he said. He said he thinks the rumor mill is fired up partially because of how long it’s taken to fill the position. Zarosinski said that at one point he wasn’t sure why there had been no reports that Thompson had withdrawn his candidacy. He said he then realized it had only been discussed in executive session and not in an open meeting. Zarosinski, like other councilors, wouldn’t tip his hat as to how he’d vote on hiring Patridge. “He’s got a lot of good skill sets and brings a lot to the position,” Zarosinski said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Jul. 19, 2016 at 5:43 PM Updated Jul 19, 2016 at 6:10 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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