Krol submits proposal for city manager search

Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham will ask the Watertown City Council to consider a $10,000 proposal from retired Ogdensburg City Manager John C. Krol to help council members in their search for a new city manager.

Mr. Graham had arranged for Mr. Krol to submit a proposal to be a consultant while the council looks for a city manager to replace Mary M. Corriveau. Mr. Krol met with council members Monday night to give them some ideas on how to handle the search.

Mr. Krol has proposed drafting an ad to recruit applicants and helping to place the ad in area newspapers and trade publications. He would use his contacts to find applicants, help to coordinate the process and be the point man for candidates.

He would conduct background checks, find out about candidates’ working experience and provide an initial list of them to interview.

Mr. Graham said the proposal and its cost are about what he expected. Saying council members “need to look ahead” with the search, he said he brought in Mr. Krol because he wanted someone who was local and knew Northern New York issues.

Using a consultant would “keep individual personalities and suspicions out,” he said, adding it should be “a clean” search.

Council members are expected to discuss his proposal at the council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday in the third-floor council chambers at City Hall, 245 Washington St.

Officials were divided Monday over using a “facilitator” for the search. They said they would consider proposals from others who would be interested in helping with the process.

Councilman Joseph M. Butler Jr. said he was surprised Mr. Krol agreed to submit a proposal Monday night because he was under the impression that Mr. Krol was not interested in being the facilitator. He could not be reached for comment Friday morning.

Councilwoman Teresa R. Macaluso said she had not had a chance to examine the proposal that closely, but hoped council members would agree to it. While acknowledging the $10,000 figure “was a little steep,” she said she wanted to see what the proposal entailed. She also wondered whether the city could find anyone to do it for less.

On Jan. 18, council members voted not to renew Mrs. Corriveau’s contract, which expires April 30. Mrs. Corriveau has since announced she will retire April 28.

On Monday night, the council also is expected to discuss new policies and procedures to sell alcohol at events at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds. Last spring, council members agreed that some new policies needed to be put in place after revelations that the city’s Parks and Recreation Department did not follow state Liquor Authority regulations about alcohol sales at the fairgrounds.

The city hired a former Liquor Authority chairman to help make changes.