News

By Jane Smith

    A corporate executive search firm will be used to recruit Delray Beach’s next city manager.
    “I’m not looking for someone on the learning curve or on their last stop,” Mayor Cary Glickstein said. “But someone with demonstrated measurable outcome where they were and who still has a lot of gas left.”
    City commissioners unanimously agreed in mid-January when they gave interim City Manager Neal de Jesus the authority to advertise for a recruiting firm and bring the selections back to the commission in early March. Then after the election, with the full commission of five members, the search process would begin, de Jesus said on Jan. 17.
    The commissioners also agreed to increase the salary range for the city manager by about $75,000. The current range is $127,000 to $203,000. The new range will be $200,000 to $275,000.
    “You get what you pay for,” Glickstein said. “The citizens of this town have paid dearly for having ineffective management for years.”
    He said the previous city manager, Don Cooper, was effective in doing triage, which the city needed. But he was not the change agent the city now needs, Glickstein said, adding “I hate having this conversation in public.”
    Other commissioners said they wanted the new city manager to be a leader.
    “The city needs a leader who can enhance the team of leaders we have,” Commissioner Mitch Katz said. “We need someone to hold them accountable and bring everyone up with them.”
    Vice Mayor Jordana Jarjura agreed. “I want someone who knows how to find the right people, put together a succession plan and rebuild a city that has had some changes and growing pains,” she said.
    “If the person has additional expertise in the finance world or the grant world or ran a capital improvements program, that’s all gravy to me.”
    Commissioner Shelly Petrolia pointed out that providing stability is a crucial attribute.
    “We were basically going around in circles, like a ship without a rudder,” she said. “Cooper righted the ship and set us in the right direction.”
    While interim city manager, de Jesus receives an annual salary of $159,000 with a $2,000 monthly housing allowance.
    In other city news, the Delray Beach Visitor Information Center, managed by the Downtown Development Authority and sitting at the corner of A1A and East Atlantic Avenue, will be closed until late March for renovations. During construction, a temporary center will be open at the Sandoway Discovery Center, 142 S. Ocean Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
    When the center reopens, it will be tripled in size. Wi-Fi will be available for visitors to learn about shops, attractions, dining, entertainment and hotels. In addition, the renovated center will become Visit Florida’s Official South Palm Beach County Visitor Center.