Danville City Commissioners did not discuss the city manager search process as planned at a special meeting Tuesday, adjourning after only seven minutes.
The agenda for the special meeting was sent to reporters at about 9:40 a.m. Monday and included public discussion and an executive session regarding the city manager search process. However, at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday Mayor Bernie Hunstad announced to a small audience that Commissioner Gail Louis was sick and thus the meeting should be postponed until all members could be present.
The only action taken was a 4-0 vote enabling city officials to apply for federal grant funds toward the slated $27.5 million water treatment plant expansion project. The resolution was listed on the agenda sent to reporters.
Commissioners J.H. Atkins and Kevin Caudill said after the meeting the vote is another important step for moving the project forward. If all goes according to plan, the expansion will start in September. When completed, it would enable Danville to pump 12 million gallons of water daily rather than its current 10-million-gallon capacity.
One of the issues which led to former City Manager Paul Stansbury’s termination in May was his alleged failure to instruct and guide city commissioners in a timely manner about the expansion of the water plant. Ron Scott has served as interim city manager since August.
Recently, the Danville Citizens Committee, on which Louis and Atkins served, selected four finalists for the job from a pool of 12 resumes. In a recent City Commission meeting, committee chairwoman Mary Stith Hamlin said the members were disappointed at the quality of applications and also the lack of regional applicants.
Atlanta-based consulting firm The Mercer Group handled the recruitment process and is also recruiting applicants for the vacant police chief position.
A regularly scheduled Danville City Commission meeting will be held 5:30 p.m. Monday at city hall. The agenda for that meeting was not available as of press time today.
