Tuesday, August 21, 2012
The former village manager of Elm Grove and Whitefish Bay — Ed Henschel — decided to seek top administrative position in Waukesha after search was unsuccessful.
An early interview with Ed Henschel, a former longtime village manager and current Waukesha resident, for the city administrator's job went so well that he is "the only candidate at this time,” said Mayor Jeff Scrima said Tuesday. Henschel, who was village manager of Elm Grove from 1977 to 1993, and Whitefish Bay from 1993 to 2000, was interviewed early last week by city officials because he would be out of town for a few weeks. The city administrator is tasked with the day-to-day operations of the city and with developing the city’s annual budget. While work has already begun on the 2013 budget, it’s possible Waukesha could have its city administrator on board for the public review of the budget and the subsequent hearings. “Best case …
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The salary range for the next city administrator — which was set between $110,000 and $140,000 — becomes topic of debate as aldermen have varying views on the lower end of the salary spectrum.
Waukesha’s next city administrator is unlikely to be selected until June 19, but that person will answer to the mayor with the caveat that the Common Council’s legislation is the final authority. “It is the original job description, but it has some additions to it,” said Joan Francoeur, who is the chairman of the Human Resources Committee. The Waukesha Common Council Tuesday approved the city administrator job description that returns the reporting structure of that post to the mayor. It was a highly controversial issue when the council removed Scrima’s supervisory role in the summer 2010 after conflicts between him and then-city administrator Lori Luther prompted the change. The move infuriated Scrima’s supporters, who would frequently …
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Waukesha Human Resources Committee recommends having city administrator report back to the mayor's position.
Waukesha Mayor Jeff Scrima could have his administrative power over the city administrator position restored if the Common Council follows the unanimous recommendation made Tuesday night by the council's Human Resources Committee. Scrima’s supervision role over the city administrator was removed in the summer 2010 after conflicts between him and then-city administrator Lori Luther led aldermen to unanimously make the change in reporting structure. The move infuriated Scrima’s supporters, who would frequently use the public comment section of council meetings to criticize the city administrator and the council over the change. The Human Resources Committee defined the job description during its meeting Tuesday night as the city begins a …
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Waukesha's Human Resources Committee will take up controversial topic as search begins for next city administrator.
The City of Waukesha’s Human Resources Committee will be taking the first looks at what the next city administrator’s role should look like as the Common Council prepares to hire the next top executive. The city administrator position has been a controversial one since Mayor Jeff Scrima took office. His clashes with then-City Administrator Lori Luther were sometimes public and ultimately lead to the Common Council removing Scrima’s supervisory role over her. The council’s decision made it clear that Luther was to report to the Common Council, which is the body that makes city decisions. Scrima is a part of the Common Council but can only vote in a tie. Scrima’s supporters in the months that followed came to Common Council meeting, …
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Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Firm to be paid up to $20,500 to seek new executive for city.
Updated, 12:20 p.m. Wednesday: The aldermen who voted against using the Colin Baenziger & Associates search firm were Joan Francoeur, Kathleen Cummings and Roger Patton, according to Clerk/Treasurer Tom Neill. Original: Despite concerns from some aldermen about using a Florida-based head-hunting firm with little experience in Wisconsin to seek the next city administrator, the Common Council Tuesday voted to hire Colin Baenziger & Associates at a cost to not exceed $20,500. Alderman Paul Ybarra, who voted to approve the contract, said he was concerned about the firm’s lack of experience in Waukesha and Wisconsin. However, he said he was respecting the Human Resources Committee’s recommendations to hire the firm. “I think you are going to be…
Thursday, December 8, 2011
About a half-dozen firms have submitted proposals to find Waukesha's next city administrator.
The Waukesha Human Resources Committee voted Wednesday night to recommend that the Common Council use a checklist of criteria as they evaluate a firm to hire for the city administrator search. The city administrator position has been vacant since August. The Common Council agreed during its 2012 budget approval process to fund the position beginning March 1. “This is an initial screening tool,” said Human Resources Director Donna Whalen. The committee discussed criteria such as quality references and finding a search firm locally. And for Alderman Roger Patton, who is not on the H.R. Committee, he wants to see “haste” in moving forward with the city administrator search firm “because it is so serious.” “This ought to be the most important …
Friday, December 2, 2011
Waukesha Common Council approved funding for city administrator position during the 2012 budget process.
Now that the city’s budget controversy has come to a close, the next step is to begin the hiring process for the next city administrator. Director of Community Development Director Steve Crandell has been acting as city administrator since August when Lori Luther left for a position in Peoria County, IL. While some attempts to remove the city administrator position from the 2012 budget were made by Alderman Eric Payne to save money next year, the Common Council agreed to staff the position beginning March 1. The Human Resources Committee is meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall to discuss the “process for evaluation of executive search firm proposals for recruitment of city administrator.” Mayor Jeff Scrima has agreed Waukesha needs …
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Monday, September 19, 2011
Waukesha has been operating with interim city administrator since August.
It’s been awhile since anything has been said about the search for Waukesha’s next city administrator. While there is still a lot of work to do, such as establishing a job description and posting the job position, the Human Resources Committee will hear an update about the status of the city hiring an executive search firm to seek candidates for city administrator. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 201 Delafield St. Steve Crandell, director of community development, has been working as the interim city administrator since early August after former City Administrator Lori Luther took a position as the Peoria County administrator. Working relations between Mayor Jeff Scrima and Luther were rocky and tense since …
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Friday, August 5, 2011
Waukesha's city administrator leaves post after three years to become Peoria County administrator.
Waukesha’s city administrator spent her final hours being employed by the city saying “good bye” to the coworkers and friends she had made while working for the city since 2008. Luther is leaving Waukesha to take the Peoria County administrator position, which is a significant increase in job status and salary. “The city has been lucky to have a rising star for the last several years,” Alderman Paul Ybarra said during a special recognition of Luther’s work Thursday night during the Common Council. “The fact that you are receiving a $30,000 raise tells me that Waukesha had a heck of a deal for quite some time.” After the presentation, the majority of the people in the Common Council meeting gave Luther a standing ovation for her work. …
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Thursday, August 4, 2011
Lori Luther says she does not oppose it if the Common Council decides to talk actions that lead to the July 2010 decision that changed city administrator reporting structure to answer strictly to the Common Council.
City Administrator Lori Luther is not objecting for Common Council members to share what happened in a summer 2010 closed session meeting that changed her employment contract to report to the Common Council instead of Mayor Jeff Scrima. “In regard to the closed session relating to direct supervision of the city administrator, the reason for confidentiality of personnel matters is largely for the protection of the employee,” Luther states in her final memo to the Common Council. “However, this clearly did not prevent retaliatory tactics from being pursued. That said, I believe that the time period for the need for confidentiality has expired based on my departure and I do not object to the council sharing any information about the events …
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alpine5654
12:04 am on Saturday, March 24, 2012
Wow! I am honestly surprised the Council partially reversed it self. The closed door session that changed the reporting structure was illegal and was a slap in the face of residents who desire open and transparent government. more ›