New City Manager
The King City City Council’s search for a new city manager is entering the home stretch.
The city has engaged with Prothman, a recruiting firm, to hire a new city manager following the resignation of former city manager Mike Weston in August.
Steve Worthington, a senior consultant with Prothman, has been working with the City Council since mid-October on the search, and presented his report on the process at a special Nov. 10 council meeting to all seven City Council members.
With 22 applicants for the job, Worthington said he recommended the council narrow the list down to about five finalists to be interviewed the first week in December. He gave a report on each applicant, using pseudonyms and even disguising their genders, and the council came up with a list of five finalists plus one alternate in case someone drops out.
Council members want to involve the community in the selection process, so information about each applicant will be on the city’s website while preserving their anonymity, and the public can submit comments about them.
The final part of the process will kick off with a public reception for the applicants on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Council President Jessica Braverman noted, “I think we should involve the public in more than just a meet-and-greet,” and Worthington said the public would have more opportunities the following day.
On Wednesday, Dec. 3, there will be a full day interfacing with the final applicants. Council members will be given packets with the applicants’ résumés, cover letters, background information and references, and the council will separately interview each applicant. In addition, there will be three different panels made up of a facilitator, city staff, community members and King City business people to meet with each applicant, with the facilitators reporting back to the council afterwards.
There will be a debriefing for the council at the end of the day and an executive session, not to decide on a finalist but to do a final evaluation of the applicants.
The last step would be for the council to set a meeting to vote on hiring a new city manager.
Transportation System Plan
The City Council may find it easier to choose a new city manager than to revise the controversial Transportation System Plan (TSP) whose passage led to the recall or resignation of a majority of the City Council members who approved it in 2023,
Council members discussed a proposed resolution to start the process with City Planner Max Carter at the Oct. 15 City Council meeting.
“(The proposed resolution) says we might want to potentially adopt a different alignment,” Braverman said. “What if we decided we don’t want this TSP at all?”
She asked if the city could sell the 528-acre Kingston Terrace area in King City’s urban growth boundary to Sherwood or Beaverton or Tigard “and let them have it since the flow of traffic would flow easier out to Roy Rogers Road instead of trying to force it through King City? Is that an option we can explore?”
Carter replied, “I don’t believe that’s an option we can explore given that the TSP is already King City law,” and he pointed out that if another jurisdiction took over Kingston Terrace, it would likely impose higher densities than the King City plan allows.
Braverman countered, “I would like to have every option on the table. King City residents have not had the option of start over and look at this with fresh eyes, and all options should be on the table.”
Carter added, “It’s state law. It’s part of the Regional Transportation Plan. To go through that whole process to eliminate it would somehow need to comply with the Oregon Transportation Plan and Regional Transportation Plan, which I don’t see a way to do that…
“If they had never passed it, and it was never made law, then it would have just died back in 2023, but the fact that it’s already been passed and acknowledged, then it’s the law already. If the council wanted to pass an ordinance at the next meeting and say the council is going to eliminate the TSP, we’re not going to do it, then LCD simply would not acknowledge that as law, and … then it would not change.”
Carter said the city could probably choose an alternative route north from 137th to avoid the Bankston Nature Preserve, which is a key issue for many people.
Mayor Rachel Kazmierski asked Carter if he could simplify the resolution, and the council voted 7 – 0 on a resolution made by Councilor Sandra Cunningham and seconded by Councilor Steve Gearhart that states that the King City City Council seeks to evaluate amending the TSP for all possible alternative options, perform needed studies, and apply to authorize and research funding through grant programs, including but not limited to ODOT growth management programs, to prepare and advertise for a Request for Proposal.
