REED CITY – The Reed City Council meets Monday night for their regular meeting at council chambers. On the agenda, they are set to discuss their applicants for a new city manager. The current manager, Ron Howell, will retire in December.
“Just like everybody that works their way to retirement, Ron announced to us that he was ready to retire and go on and enjoy life,” says Mayor Roger Meinert.
The current manager has been filling in for the past eight years and now he’s ready to step back.
“The whole time he’s been kind of temporary. He came in as a contract person and just kept extending the contracts at the request of the council,” said Mayor Pro Tem Trevor Guiles.
Since 2013, when Howell accepted the position as an interim city manager, he has been “keeping the seat warm.” With his current contract ending December 31st, 2021, parties agreed it was time to advertise for the position earlier this summer.
Guiles was asked how difficult he believed it would be to fill Howell’s shoes. There are currently two applicants applying for the part-time position.
“It’s very difficult. Ron has been here the whole time I’ve been on council, and before that with the planning commission. Ron has been the city manager,” said Guiles.
There are no official deadlines of when formal interviews will be held, or when a final candidate may be chosen.
“I would imagine after [Monday’s] meeting we will have set a time to interview the candidates that have applied,” said Meinert. “I would see that happening within the next week or two.”
The city still has time to make a final decision as to who will fill the vacant seat City Manager Ron Howell leaves behind.
“It’s a very free flowing timeline but certainly I would like to have a new city manager in place for this fall,” said Meinert.
Both Meinert and Guiles said they would like to see someone local to Reed City fill the vacancy
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