Common Council Expands

Team To Recruit Manager

Donovan, Cleinman, Nayor May Play Role

ONEONTA – As it seeks Oneonta’s third city manager, it looks like Common Council for the first time is about to expand the search committee beyond its membership to include two eminent citizens, plus Police Chief Dennis Nayor.

At its meeting at 7 p.m. this coming Tuesday in City Hall, Council is expected to name Alan Donovan, retired SUNY Oneonta president, and Alan Cleinman, president, Cleinman Performance Partners, to the search committee, as well as Nayor.

The motion on the agenda released this afternoon also lists four Council members – Melissa Nicosia, who is also a human resources professional at SUNY Oneonta, Russ Southard, David Rissberger and John Rafter – to be approved for the committee assignment.

The appointments are being proposed by Mayor Gary Herzig, who will also serve on the committee.

In the hiring of the first two city managers, both of whom left the job under pressure, Common Council, under Mayor Dick Miller, insisted on doing the hiring itself.   Expanding the search group to include citizens with special skills was suggested along the way, but Common Council never acted on the suggestion until now.