Friday, March 15, 2013
Acting city manager to continue role as council, staff continues search
The Cleveland Heights City Manager position remains open after Council's top choice decided not to pursue an offer from the city. Mayor Ed Kelley said he called Huron City Manager Andrew White, one of four applicants council interviewed last weekend, and White declined to to continue with the hiring process. Kelley noted that a salary package had not yet been discussed when White pulled out on Wednesday. White was not immediately available for comment Friday morning. More on the Cleveland Heights City Manager Search The city will not offer the position to the other three candidates it interviewed. Council is still searching for a new city manager, and in the interim, Acting City Manager Susanna Niermann O'Neil will continue manning the …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Look at the bios for the four remaining candidates for City Manager in Cleveland Heights
The City of Cleveland Heights has released the bios for the four candidates in the running for city manager. Last month Acting City Manager Susanna Niermann O'Neil, one of the final five candidates, withdrew her name from the search after she discovered that her home had gotten behind on property taxes. Click the PDFs above to read about all the candidates.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Susanna Niermann O'Neil pulled her name out of the running for the top Cleveland Heights city position because of delinquent real estate taxes and to allow the city to bring a new face to the position.
Acting Cleveland Heights City Manager Susanna Niermann O'Neil has taken her name out of the candidate pool for the city's permanent city manager spot. In a letter addressed to Council and the mayor Friday, Niermann O'Neil wrote that the application process made her aware that she owed delinquent taxes on her home in 2007. She noted that those taxes have been paid off now for some time. All articles on the Cleveland Heights City Manager Search "Although we have subsequently been current on our taxes, this past history is embarrassing to me and therefore not acceptable to me to continue as an applicant," she wrote. "I am also very aware that all things evolve and it is time for City Council to bring in a new person as City Manager," she …
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
City seeking a candidate to fill spot left vacant by Bob Downey in April
Cleveland Heights City Council was expected to receive a short list of candidates for the City Manager position at Monday's executive session of council. Community Services Director Susanna Niermann O’Neil has served as interim city manager since Bob Downey's abrupt resignation in April and applied for the permanant position. Novak Counculting Group was contracted late last year to search for a new city manager and was expected to give council a list of five or so candidates to review and interview. "What I really want to find in a candidate is someone that understands, that appreciates and can work with our diversity in our city. But I also want someone who has a vision for the future as far as finances, as far as development, as far as …
Saturday, December 15, 2012
City accepting applications now for person to fill spot vacated in April by Bob Downey
The City of Cleveland Heights is now accepting applications for a new city manager. Community Services Director Susanna Niermann O’Neil has served as interim city manager since Bob Downey's abrupt resignation in April. Interested parties should apply here. The city will review the first round of resumes in mid-January. Cleveland Heights Patch asked Kelley what is he looking for in a candidate. City manager experience? A longtime Cleveland Heights resident? "What I really want to find in a candidate is someone that understands, that appreciates and can work with our diversity in our city. But I also want someone who has a vision for the future as far as finances, as far as development, as far as youth issues, senior issues. I want the whole…
Monday, October 1, 2012
Cleveland Heights City Council is expected to make the agreement with Cincinnati-based Novak Consulting Group official at Wednesday's meeting.
Cleveland Heights City Council has selected a firm to conduct its search for a new city manager, and is expected to make that decision official at Wednesday's regular meeting. Council selected Cincinnati-based Novak Consulting Group out of a total of seven applicants and three finalists, said Mayor Ed Kelley. The contract will likely be finalized Wednesday, but Kelley expects the search to cost a total of about $30,000. Julia Novak, president of Novak, and Catherine Tuck Parrish, associate, will lead the search. They will coordinate the typical tasks in a search — including setting a salary range, conducting background checks, finding candidates, posting advertisements for the position and more — and they will also organize a retreat for …
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
City Council issued requests for qualifications today and hopes to have a search firm hired by September.
The City of Cleveland Heights wants help conducting its national search for a new city manager. City Council issued requests for qualifications today, June 28, officially launching its search for an executive search firm. “My guess is that, a search like this, if we tried to do it on our own, we’d probably get 50 to 150 applications, and we’d be working on this for months, if not a year or more,” Mayor Ed Kelley said. “We’re looking for an executive search firm to help us through the process.” The search firm hired will be required to assist council with everything from advertising the position to sifting through resumes and will narrow down the candidate field for council. The firm should also help facilitate the final interview process, …
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40 Severance Cir, Cleveland Heights, OH
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Friday, April 27, 2012
Council members’ reviews varied greatly — scores ranged from 30 points to 67.5 out of 70.
Mayor Ed Kelley confirmed Tuesday that before former City Manager Bob Downey submitted his resignation, City Council had considered terminating him. Council members indicated that they wanted to “move in a different direction,” needed “new leadership” and “new ideas.” But they did not explain why, and acknowledged his good work at the April 16 City Council meeting, when Vice City Manager Susanna Niermann O'Neil was appointed acting city manager. The city provided Cleveland Heights Patch with Downey’s 2012 City Manager Evaluation on his 2011 performance, prepared for City Council’s April 9 meeting. Members ranked him in 14 different categories, including budget, diversity, communication and infrastructure. The yearly report was divided into…
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Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Mayor Ed Kelley said, "It was time for new leadership. It was time for a change."
Updated 6 a.m. Wednesday A group of Cleveland Heights City Council members met with former City Manager Bob Downey April 9 and told him they were considering terminating him before he resigned April 13, Mayor Ed Kelley said today. "It was time for new leadership. It was time for a change," Kelley said. Though he did not confirm who was in the meeting, Kelley said he and members of council were there and "talked to him about moving in a different direction ... The majority of council felt that it was time to move in a different direction." Kelley said Downey's 2012 performance review was "not good" and his 2011 assessment was also "weak," but he would not go into details. Kelley said that Downey was not accused of any illegal activity …
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40 Severance Cir, Cleveland Heights, OH
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Friday, April 20, 2012
Do you think residents are owed an explanation?
Former Cleveland Heights City Manager Bob Downey's swift departure remains a mystery. His resignation letter, dated April 12, gave no indication for why he was resigning. And he left a day later, did not attend the council meeting to hear officials' kind words about his service and he did not receive a proclamation. Mayor Ed Kelley said he did not know of Downey's plans in advance. Downey did not return calls or emails from Cleveland Heights Patch. In contrast, when longtime Cleveland Heights Finance Director Tom Malone retired, he was given a proclamation, complete with a shamrock to honor his Irish heritage. Council members thanked him for his service. His wife was there, and he became overwhelmed with emotion. He even played the …
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40 Severance Cir, Cleveland Heights, OH
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Garry Kanter
2:05 pm on Sunday, April 28, 2013
Five council positions will be voted on this November. Things gotta change. more ›