Council appoints Davidson to assist in the recruitment of a permanent General Manager and establishes selection panel

Davidson has been appointed to assist the Council to recruit a permanent General Manager for Central Coast Council.

The appointment followed an Expression of Interest process, with three shortlisted agencies addressing the Council meeting.

Mayor Jane Smith said Council was confident the agency would find the best person to fill what is a crucial role for Council and the Central Coast.

“We are now a major regional Council and a key growth area in the State and I am confident we will get quality candidates wanting to fill this role,” Mayor Jane Smith said.

“This is the first crucial step in the process and we are hopeful of a permanent General Manager within a few months.”

“In the meantime it is business as usual and we are being ably led by Acting Chief Executive Officer, Brian Glendenning who will continue to work with the Council and staff in the best interests of our community.”

The recruitment agency will shortlist a number of candidates who will then be formally interviewed by a selection panel established by Council tonight.

The selection panel will consist of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Councillors Burke and Hogan as well as an representative from Davidson.

“The General Manager is the only position at Council that is appointed by the Council and it is important to have an independent and robust process” Mayor Smith said.

“While the selection panel will make recommendations on preferred candidates, the final decision will be one of the full Council.”

Brian Glendenning will continue to be the Acting Chief Executive Officer until such time as a permanent General Manager is appointed.

First Ordinary Meeting for 2018 confirmed

The first Ordinary Council Meeting for 2018 will be held on Monday 12 February in the Gosford Chambers.

Under the current meeting schedule Monday 12 February was an Extraordinary Meeting to confirm the process for selection of an agency to progress recruitment of a General Manager, but as this has already occurred, the next meeting will allow for the decision making of Council to continue.

Mayor Jane Smith said Extraordinary Meetings had to be a set agenda but ordinary meetings could deal with business arising from staff report and recommendations to Council.

“We have been elected to make important decisions for our community and we want to get on with that important job,” Mayor Smith said.

“Meetings have been going quite long as Councillors get across the issues and having an earlier Ordinary meeting will ensure we can deal with some issues in a more timely manner,”

The meeting will be open to the public and live streamed with proceedings starting at 6.30pm.