Following the resignation of Deputy City Manager–Chief of Development & Operations Wade Wagoner, who also served as interim city manager, the Indianola City Council met for a special meeting on Monday, March 10.
The Council passed a resolution appointing Chief of Culture & Recreation Doug Bylund to assume interim city manager responsibilities, effective immediately.
The City Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the City and ensures that policies declared by the Mayor and Council are fulfilled. In Indianola, this top leadership position is responsible for:
- Preparing the annual budget.
- Applying the ordinances set by the Council.
- Hiring personnel.
- Recommending policies or programs to the City Council.
- Keeping the Council fully advised of the financial and other conditions of the City.
- Providing the Council with information to aid in decision-making.
Bylund, who has served the City of Indianola since 1998 in various roles with Indianola Parks & Recreation, will carry out the duties of interim city manager until the position is filled in the next few months.
City Manager Recruitment Update
The City Manager position opened for applications the week of January 13 and closed Friday, Feb. 21. Overall, there were 59 applications received for the role. Furthermore, the search attracted a diverse pool of candidates, with resumes submitted from two countries and 25 states – including a strong showing of 22 applications from Iowa.
From February 24-March 7, the consultant, MGT reviewed resumes, interviewed candidates, conducted background reviews, etc., and narrowed the field to 8-10 candidates for further consideration.
At its regular meeting on Monday, Jan. 6, the Indianola City Council approved the following timeline of next steps in our City Manager recruitment process. The timeline has been updated to reflect where the City is currently at in its process:
- December 30: Kick-Off Meeting (COMPLETED)
- Week of January 6: Interviews with Stakeholders. Consultants draft profile and provide position advertisement text to the City for approval. (COMPLETED)
- Week of January 13: City approves advertising materials and recruitment begins. (COMPLETED)
- February 21: Deadline for resumes. (COMPLETED)
- February 24-March 7: Consultant reviews resumes, interviews candidates, conducts background reviews, due diligence, etc. Consultant narrows field to 8-10 candidates for further consideration. (COMPLETED)
- Week of March 10: Consultant sends Recruitment Report to the City (electronically) and meets with Mayor and City Council to review candidates.
- Week of March 24: City conducts first interviews. (4-6 candidates virtually)
- Week of March 31: Finalist interviews.
- May/June: Candidate starts employment.