35 seek manager’s job

By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

August 29, 2008 12:32 am

— CONNEAUT — Nearly three dozen people want to be Conneaut’s full-time city manager, but City Council must first find a fill-in for interim overseer Edward Somppi, who steps down one week from today.
Thirty-five resumes have been received in response to advertisements placed in trade journals, newspapers, the Ohio Municipal League and on the Internet, said Pamela Harper, clerk of council. The applicants hope to succeed Douglas Lewis as Conneaut’s fourth full-time manager.
Resumes were due at midnight Monday, but some have trickled in after the deadline, Harper said.
Five of the applications come from Conneaut residents, Harper said. A few originated within Ohio, but the majority came from outside the state, she said.
Thanks to a $10,000 donation from the Conneaut Community Foundation, council is expected to hire a professional consultant to help the hiring process. Council, to save money, was prepared to handle the job search themselves.
Three consulting companies are under consideration and one will be hired soon, said Council President James Jones.
Council’s immediate priority is to find someone to handle the day-to-day operation of the city after Somppi departs. Somppi announced his resignation at Monday’s council meeting. He will leave with nearly two months remaining on his second, three-month contract.
Earlier this week Jones said he hoped Law Director Lori Lamer and Finance Director John Williams would serve as co-interim managers until a full-time administrator was hired. Lamer since has said she will not accept the job, citing criticism of her performance by some members of council.
Jones said he still planned to ask Williams, but wasn’t sure of the response. Williams could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday afternoon.
Somppi, a former Ashtabula County and Geneva-on-the-Lake official, could not be considered for the full-time job because he lacks the college degree Conneaut’s charter government requires of a manager.
Jones was unaware of anyone locally interested in serving as interim manager.