Public Invited to Meet City Administrator Candidates this Thursday

The Lamar City Council is hosting a public meet-n-greet this Thursday, July 12, for the remaining five City Administrator candidates.  Interim administrator, Steven Rabe, reminded the council and those attending the July 9 council meeting, the event will be held at the Multi-purpose room at the Lamar Community Building from 5pm to 7pm.  A light meal and refreshments will be provided.

There were 19 candidates applying for the position originally, and those were narrowed to seven who were given phone interviews in mid June by Rabe.  Five finalist candidates were selected from the seven.  They are: Carlo Pilgrim of Boothbay, Maine, Fred Ventresco of Wilmington, Vermont, Eric Strahl of Menominee, Michigan, John Sutherland of Santa Fe, New Mexico and David Varley of Delta, Colorado.

The five are meeting with City of Lamar Department Heads Thursday afternoon, and following the meet-n-greet, each candidate has individual interviews scheduled with the city council on Friday morning.  Rabe said usually a city the size of Lamar can count on receiving up to 30 applications for an administrator’s position, but because of the stringent requirements set at the outset of the search, the list was shortened.  He also remarked at an earlier council meeting that each of the candidates appears to be very well informed regarding the City of Lamar.  At the beginning of the search, Rabe told the council he expected to have a selection made by August.  A replacement search was begun shortly after the resignation of former administrator, Bill Pfeilsticker.  Rabe was brought in by the council to fill the gap while the search was being conducted.

By Russ Baldwin