WILLMAR -- A new general manager to succeed Mike Nitchals at the helm of the Willmar Municipal Utilities could be approved by the City Council at its meeting next week.
Or, the search might need to start anew.
Members of the Willmar Municipal Utilities Commission met in closed session Tuesday to prepare a contract offer for the candidate it is recommending for the post.
The commission supports a recommendation by the search committee to offer the position to Steven Thompson. He is currently operations manager for the Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency and a favored candidate to take over the leadership duties there, according to Bob Bonawitz, chairman of the Willmar Municipal Utilities Commission.
The Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, which is headquartered in Blue Earth, serves as a power purchasing organization for 15 Minnesota municipal utilities. It also provides a range of utility services to its 15 member utilities and others through Utilities Plus.
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Thompson has 15 years of experience in the industry with the power agency and previously with Northern States Power, now part of Xcel Energy, according to Bonawitz.
Bonawitz said he spoke with Thompson on Tuesday morning and the prospects appear "pretty positive'' that he will accept the position here. However, no agreement has been reached and the city and Thompson are negotiating a possible contract.
The commission members closed the meeting to discuss the terms of their offer before reopening the meeting. The commission has the right to keep the terms of its offer private while negotiating, although any offer that is accepted would be presented to the City Council for approval and be part of the public record.
If Thompson and the city are unable to reach an agreement, the search committee that recommended him is suggesting that the city consider inviting a second round of applications. The city may want to use an executive search firm for a second round, according to information provided to the commission.
The city had 13 applications for the general manager position, according to written information provided to the commission by Michael Schmit, city administrator and a member of the search committee. The committee selected four finalists to interview, but only interviewed Thompson.
The three other finalists withdrew their applications, according to Bonawitz. Two opted out of contention for reasons unrelated to the position here, while it is not known why the third chose not to interview, he told commission members.
All the same, he said that search committee members were very comfortable with Thompson's capability, and felt fortunate that a candidate of his caliber would be available.
Nitchals announced earlier this year his intentions to retire. He has served as the general manager since 1992. He has indicated a willingness to continue as general manager until a successor can be brought on board.
