Petersburg Pilot

Five applicants remaining in

Petersburg city manager search

Lisa Phu

November 26, 2009.

The applicant pool for Petersburg city manager narrowed even further after the November 23 deadline passed for eight individuals to reply to a 29-item questionnaire. The council received responses from former city manager of Seldovia, Howard Davis; former city manager of Cordova, Scott Hahn; former town manager of Fort Myers, Fla., William Janke; current interim city manager for Petersburg, Bob Prunella; and former city manager of Menominee, Mich., Eric Strahl. Answers to the questionnaire ranged in scope and length from Prunella’s six pages to Strahl’s 20.

In response to the question, “Why do you want to relocate to Petersburg, Alaska?” Davis responded with a number of reasons – “Norwegian heritage,” “Its year round climate,” “location,” “city’s beauty,” and “beauty of the surrounding area.” Hahn called Petersburg “an ideal location,” and added, “People have always spoken well of Petersburg.” Janke commented on Petersburg’s beauty and wrote that the town “is very similar to other communities that I lived and worked in during my previous time in Alaska.” Prunella was open with the fact that he “did not intend to completely relocate from Wrangell to Petersburg” if hired, but plans to “either continue to rent or possibly buy a second residence here.” Prunella wrote that he’s “always loved Petersburg” and has “had the privilege to work with its good citizens over the years, both professionally and personally.” Strahl commented, “Both my family and I enjoy living in small town environments and in communities located on the water.”

One of the questions asked, “Why and under what circumstances did you leave each of your previous employers?” For Hahn, his seventh contract in Cordova was not renewed, but Hahn also mentioned that his tenure was the longest for that position in Cordova. Janke explained, “I left the Town of Fort Myers Beach for reasons that to this day I don’t understand. The Town Council there simply over-reacted to a news story about my wife’s previous career(as a porn star named Jazella Moore) and they terminated my contract without cause. I am sure you have heard the stories. Prior positions were normally left in order to accept new employment after approximately five years on the job, normally under very good conditions and with support of the City Council.” Prunella explained, “There was a pervasive Assembly-based effort to change up City’s Administrative staff when Wrangell became a Borough.” Although he found his job satisfying, “I voluntarily retired after eight and a half years as Wrangell’s City and Borough Manager.” Strahl outlined Menominee’s financial downturn prior to his city manager tenure and how he was still able to succeed in many areas. “Despite all of the above, a majority of the present City Council (five out of nine) and I just have a different philosophy on how the City should proceed,” Strahl wrote. “I discussed the situation with the City Council, and we arrived at an amicable parting of the ways.” Davis’s response explained how a lawsuit brought against the City of Seldovia 18 years before David became city manager still affected his tenure and led to the threat of another lawsuit. “As a result of my protecting the City, and following State and Federal law, our continued residency in Seldovia was no longer possible. It was with great regret that I tendered my resignation and only did so for the good and safety of my family.”

When asked about major strong points, Janke replied, “I have a long history of being conservative with the tax payer’s money and having a very open style of management.” Prunella listed a number of qualities including, “empathetic listener,” “establish a solid base of trust quickly,” “able to secure funding from various governmental and non-governmental sources,” and, “community relations.” Strahl’s list of strengths included, “strong analytical and financial skills,” “goal oriented,” “team-builder,” “ethical,” and, “creative.” Some of Davis’s strong points are “not being a micro-manager,” “fair, honest, trustworthy and dependable,” and, “I think out of the box and toward the future.” Hahn’s list included, “budgeting,” “Alaska experience,” “hands on experience,” and, “affable personality.”

For weaknesses, Prunella wrote, “My primary weakness revolves around keeping up with the technological advances in the administrative field. My computer skills, i.e. advanced programs beyond Microsoft Word, are in a steep learning curve.” Strahl’s weaknesses included, “If I have to make a choice, I choose to do what’s best for the community over popularity,” and, “I am not a non-stop talker and I do not like to talk just for the sake of hearing myself speak. If I have something important to say, I say it. This does not mean, however, that I cannot carry on a conversation or address large groups effectively.” Davis responded, “My reports can be burdensome with detail. I am working on it. My commitment to the community is so strong that I don’t make time for myself and my wife. I am improving in this area. I am very critical of myself.” Hahn wrote a lengthy response to the question on weaknesses. Part of it stated, “I hate to fire people,” and, “I am known for having a high level of honesty, ethics and integrity. I mention this as a weakness because sometimes this quality is not good for self preservation and therefore is considered a weakness.” Janke answered, “I guess my weakness would be listening. I do understand that and work to minimize that point at all times.”

After reviewing each applicant’s questionnaire, the council will meet Wednesday night, Nov. 25, to figure out which applicants to conduct phone interviews with.