League City City Council, in a special meeting on Thursday, voted unanimously to direct the city's consultant in performing a candidate search for the city manager post to gather background information on eight remaining candidates for the position.
The city council discussed semi-finalists for the city manager position, which has been narrowed down from 10 candidates. Rich Oller, who resigned as acting city manager this week, had removed his name from the running for the permanent position. The city council also removed Susan Stanton, former city manager of Lake Worth, Florida, from the list of candidates.
The remaining prospects for League City's next city manager are Larry Deetjen, who currently is village manager of Oak Lawn, Illinois; Robert Herrera, city manager of Hondo, Texas; Thomas Moton, assistant city manager of Greenville, North Carolina; James Palenick, former city manager of Gastonia, North Carolina; Tom Steele, former city manager of West Jordan, Utah; Isaac Turner, city manager of Venice, Florida; John Whitson, town manager of Morrisville, North Carolina; and Melissa Byrne Vossmer, former city manager of Angleton.
In addition to the background checks, the city council instructed the Mercer Group, which is performing the search, to determine the interest of two candidates who had previously asked to be removed from the list. The two candidates, along with a third, had taken their names out of consideration on concerns of having their names publicized as seeking the job.
The city council also asked the Mercer Group to review the original pool of 40 applicants for any other candidates that may be viable for consideration.
The city council asked the information be provided by February 29 for discussion and consideration at a March 6 city council meeting.
No other items were on the agenda. Council Member Joanna Sharp Dawson was absent. Agenda