Committee Advances Salary Proposal for Acting City Adminstrator

Community Development Director Steve Crandell will be paid the same salary as current City Administrator Lori Luther if the Common Council approves the Human Resources Committee’s recommendation in August.

The committee voted Wednesday night to give Crandell a raise for the duration of the time that he is acting as city administrator. The city administrator’s annual salary is about $117,000, which will be averaged out per pay period during the months that Crandell is responsible for two city positions.

Luther’s last day in Waukesha is Aug. 5, and she is leaving to take the Crandell, who acted as city administrator before Luther began the position in 2008,

While Crandell will be the interim city administrator, he said he will also continue to work in the Community Development Department, although he has full confidence that the staff will step up during the transition time. But he doesn’t plan on abandoning them either.

“I have no intention of turning that over to anyone else,” Crandell said.

While working the dual role is likely to lead to long work days, especially during the city’s budget process, Crandell said he also has been assured by all he department heads that they will lend him their support.

“I think we function well as a team, and we are all ready to step up and help,” said Human Resources Director Donna Whalen.

The interim position will include raises that are in line with other city employees that are expected to have their pay increase at 1 percent in January. The pay increases again by 1 percent in July 2012, but by the look on Crandell’s face when July 2012 was mentioned, it was clear he hopes the new city administrator will be in place by then.

Crandell said his role is to help the city government through the transition time as he did in 2007 for more than seven months.

“I like what I am doing as the director of Community Development,” Crandell said. “I do not have any desire to be the full-time city administrator.”

Duties will include water negotiations, budget

Alderman Joe Pieper said during the meeting that he has no problem with increasing Crandell’s pay during the interim period, especially since the city will be saving money during the transition period because the position will not yet be filled. Pieper also expressed confidence that Crandell will do a good job given past performance with the 2008 budget process.

“He took the city and the community through that budget very well,” Pieper said. “We got it done.”

Crandell will be taking the city through the He also is serving on the as Waukesha tries to solicit a deal to purchase water from Milwaukee, Oak Creek or Racine.

However, Alderman John Kalblinger, who is not on the HR Committee, expressed some hesitancy to give Crandell the raise. Crandell’s job description was modified earlier this year to formalize the past practice of having him service as city administrator in the city administrator’s absence.

“It is within his current job description,” Kalblinger said. “That is where I am.”

Searching for a new city administrator

Meanwhile, Alderman Roger Patton, also not on the HR Committee, is hoping that the city can soon begin searching for its new city administrator. The HR Committee briefly discussed the need to begin the process soon, but decided to put the item on hold per Mayor Jeff Scrima’s request.

Alderwoman Joan Francoeur said the mayor’s office had contacted her Wednesday to ask that the matter wait until he could attend the meeting.

It is unknown why the mayor was unable to make the meeting or why the item was requested to be on hold. However, the mayor has requested that the new city administrator fall under his supervision, reversing a move the Common Council voted on last summer to have Luther report directly to the council.

The committee members said they wanted to respect the mayor’s request but made it clear the item needs to be discussed soon. The HR Committee plans to speak about the city administrator search during a special July 28 meeting at a time to be determined.

“The sooner we start to frame that discussion and start to have input on it, the better,” Alderman Vance Skinner said.

What to call the transitional leader?

Patton, who is known to say what’s on his mind, made it clear that Crandell has his respect as the city administrator after Luther leaves. He made a point to tell members of the media that they were not to call Crandell acting city administrator or interim city administrator.

“He is the city administrator,” said Patton, slapping his desk for emphasis while looking at the media during the meeting.

Crandell said after the meeting it doesn’t matter how he is addressed. Patch will refer to him as the acting city administrator or interim city administrator so as to not confuse readers.