City manager search enters final stage

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

NEW ULM -- Five finalists for the New Ulm City Manager's position are in town today for the final city manager interviews.

One candidate, Redwood Falls City Manager Jeffrey Weldon, withdrew from consideration earlier this week after the Redwood Falls City Council decided it will sweeten his compensation package. Redwood Falls councilors felt Weldon was one of the favorites for the New Ulm position, and set up a committee to prepare a recommendation for improving his compensation.

Candidates arrived Friday and spent the afternoon touring the city, meeting with city department heads, and visiting with school representatives and real estate agents.

The interviews will be conducted today at New Ulm City Hall. The candidates will meet from 8 a.m. to noon in one-on-one interviews with city councilors and public utility commissioners. A councilor and commission member will be stationed in separate rooms at city hall, and the candidates will meet individually with each pair.

In the afternoon, starting at 1 p.m., the council will join together to interview each candidate as a group.

The interviews are public sessions.

Following the interviews, the council will discuss the candidates and could come to agreement on who will get a job offer.

Candidates include:

Brian D. Gramentz, city administrator in Hudson, Wis. since 1996. He is a Springfield native and grew up in Brown County. He has a B.S. degree in 1981 and an M.A. degree in 1989 in public administration from Mankato State University. His past experience includes working with the Region Nine Development Corp. in Mankato in 1980; city administrator in Eagle Lake from 1981 to 1984, city administrator in Winthrop from 1985 to 1987, and city manager of Sioux Center, Iowa, from 1988 to 1995.

Larry D. Hansen, city administrator in Stewartville sincce 1987. He was city administrator in Waterville from 1983 to 1987, and was executive vice president of Budd Residential and Commercial Construction Co. in Askov from 1978 to 1982. He has an AA degree in Political Science from Austin Community College in 1973 and a BBA in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1978.

Matthew L. Hylen, city administrator in Luvernes since 1996. He was city administrator in Hector from 1993 to 1996, and was a city manager intern in Moorhead from 1991 to 1993. He has a BA in 1992 in Business and Political Science from Concordia College, Moorhead, and an MA in 1996 in Urban and Regional Studies from Mankato State University.

Bret A. Jones, city manager in Guthrie, Okla. since 1998. He was city manager in Alliance, Neb., from 1994 to 1998, city administrator in Vandalia, Mo., from 1988 to 1994, and assistant to the city manager in Vermillion, S.D. from 1986 to 1988. He has a B.S. in political science from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion in 1986, and an MPA in Local Government Administration and Planning, USD-Vermillion, in 1988.

Donald L. Sandor, city manager of Oskaloosa, Iowa, since 1993. He was borough manager for the City of Sweickley, Pa., from 1992 to 1993, vice president for Administration and finance, University of Charleston, W.Va., from 1989 to 1992, city administrator for Waverly, Iowa, afrom 1986 to 1989, city administrator in Eldridge, Ill., from 1982 to 1986, and village administrator, Village of Elburn, Ill., from 1979 to 1982. He has a B.S. in political science from Northern Illinois University, in 1973, and and MPA from Northern Illinois in 1979.