HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpecial City Council Minutes 03.12.1991Minutes of the City Council of Laurel
~arch 12, 1991
A special meeting of the City Council of the City of Laurel,
Montana, was held in the Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor
Bob Gauthier at 5:05 p.m., on March 12, 1991, for the specific purpose
of appointing a City Treasurer to replace Peg Kamerzel who is retiring
effective March 31, 1991.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:
Norman Orr
Donna Kilpatrick
L.D. Collins
Chuck Rodgers
Lonnie Kellogg
Bob Graham
Ron Marshall
Bruce Teeters
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: None
The vacancy was advertised and eight applications were received. One
applicant was disqualified because they reside outside the city limits
and one has not lived within the city limits for two full years. Two
of the applicants withdrew but not until one of them was interviewed.
The Personnel Committee interviewed five applicants and recommended
three finalists to the council for their consideration. The three
finalists are Naomi O'Connell, Christy Elsenpeter and Vicki Metzger.
Bob Gauthier explained that the applicants will be able to tell a
little bit about themselves, explain why they would like to be City
Treasurer and the council can then ask questions of them. At this
time a vote will be taken to narrow it to two finalists and then a
final vote to select the treasurer.
Joe Bradley explained that this position is a council appointment
selected by the vote of the council.
The Mayor asked each applicant to speak on their behalf at this time.
Naomi O'Connell stated she has lived in Laurel for 11 years, is
married and has one child. Her husband is employed by the City of
Billings. She applied because she would like to find a good steady
job here in Laurel.
Christy Elsenpeter has lived in Laurel all her life, is married with
two children and her husband works for Montana Rail Link. Christy
currently works part-time for Laurel-Worden Creamery. Christy stated
she applied because she would like a full time job and would like to
work for the City of Laurel.
Vicki Metzger has lived in Laurel for 14 years and is married with two
sons. She would like to be treasurer because she feels it would be a
challenging position and she is looking at a career, now that her
children are at the age where they are more self sufficient.
For verification to a question, all stated they are residents and have
lived in Laurel for the two most recent years in a row.
Joe Bradley stated that the appointment is effective through this
year, at which time the new treasurer would have to run for
re-election in the General Election in November of this year.
Bob Graham asked each candidate what they could uniquely bring to the
position.
Vicki stated it would be a task for anyone to fill Peg's shoes but she
takes pride in her work, is responsible and would do the best job
possible.
Vicki said she has a background in business management which includes
bookkeeping, government reports, maintaining records, payroll and
general business duties.
Christy is currently employed and does bookkeeping, record keeping,
some secretarial duties, and handling the cash register and customers.
Naomi said she gets along great with the public, is honest with them,
has an excellent sense of humor and works well with her co-workers.
If a customer has a problem she will deal with it and if she has a
problem with the bookkeeping, she will ask for help. She feels her
greatest asset is what she can do for the public.
Lonnie Kello~ asked whether any of the three finalists have had any
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Council
Minutes of the City Council of Laurel
Meeting of March 12, 1991
L.D. Collins asked whether all the women are bondable. Vicki and
Christy stated yes, and after an explanation of what bonding is, Naomi
also stated yes.
Bruce Teeters asked if all three would plan to run for re-election if
chosen and all said they would. Vicki is the only one that stated she
would run even if she was not chosen to fill the job at this time.
The period for filing for office is April 29th through June 27th.
Bob Graham asked a hypothetical question of the candidates. What
would you do if your working one day and the door bangs open and an
irate customer comes in and demands to see you and they pose a
question to you that you cannot answer?
Naomi stated she would try her best to calm them down and if that was
not successful, she would go to her supervisor because people will
often listen to a supervisor. Regarding the question, she would ask
someone who knows the answer and explain to the customer that she did
not know it.
Christy agreed that she would also try and calm the person down and if
not successful, she would get a supervisor. Regarding the question,
she would look in the records, try to gain some information from them
and let the person know that you are trying to help them and if
needed, ask for help in arriving at an answer.
Vicki stated she would also try and calm them down and explain to them
that she did not have the answer but she would try her best to get the
answer and let them know that she is working for them.
Joe Bradley said that he needs to explain the treasurer's position.
The treasurer does not have a supervisor, but is the head of the
treasurer's department. The Mayor is not a supervisor to the
treasurer either. Joe said that when the treasurer does other duties
in the office, the treasurer may be advised by the City Clerk, who
runs the office.
Bob Graham stated that this position entails two parts, bookkeeping
and public relations. How would you handle a customer who comes in
with the attitude that they know they are right and yet you know you
are right?
Vicki said she has a tendency not to argue and will try to bring the
customer around to her way of thinking. She would listen to their
point and may realize that they have a valid point and then try to
combine both thoughts and go from there.
Christy stated that if you know you are right and they are wrong then
you would have to research it very thoroughly and make sure you are
right and show them in black and white what it is.
Naomi agreed with both previous answers and stated that she worked in
a credit department and when this would happen she would research it
while they were standing there and show them how she came up with the
answer. She would lay it all out for them and that's all you can do.
Joe said that the tax information is public record, but he stressed
that the information that is acquired within the office should not be
broadcast by you out on the streets. It is confidential and should
not be discussed even within your family. If a taxpayer requests
public information, the treasurer will show them what they are looking
for, but will not just turn them loose on the books.
Joe Bradley stated that you may also be asked to deal with the press
and he asked if anyone has ever faced that. Vicki has faced it and
she did not have a problem with it. She said a reporter is generally
very easy going and you are helping them.
Ron Marshall asked the candidates what they feel, in their own minds,
as being the biggest obstacle with taking the job.
Vicki said Peg has made a name for herself in the job and she feels
people may be looking at the person who fills this job as having this
immediate knowledge also. It will take time to gain the public's
confidence in you.
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Council Meeting of March 12, 1991
Naomi said the hardest thing for her would be to get back into the
grove of doing book work again, as she basically just deals with the
public now.
In response to a question, Vicki stated her educational background
includes graduation from high school where she took business classes.
She has had no formal continuing education classes but has gained her
knowledge from a different variety of work experiences.
Bruce Teeters indicated that he will abstain from voting in fairness
to all three of the candidates since Christy works for him.
Bob Graham asked that the council be able to discuss this privately
before a vote is taken and Joe said it is a public meeting. The
candidates requested that they not be in on the discussion and Joe
said there is no problem with that if they so chose.
Jean Carroll Thompson, one of the applicants who was present in the
audience, asked if she could make a comment.
She said the Mayor stated she could attend this meeting but she was
not asked any questions since she was not a finalist. When she
applied, she felt she had the qualifications and the schooling for the
job. She is not really concerned about the low pay that the job has
even though she is a college graduate.
Jean Carroll said she has done bookkeeping, government forms and
written grants. She knows what the city is about, she knows about
licensing since she had to get one herself in order to go into
business, she knows the community and the people in it and she knows
what is going on in Laurel. She feels she has the skill and the
ability to offer the City of Laurel something in city government.
Jean Carroll said she has a degree in math and has taught business
education and she feels she is qualified for the job.
When asked if she will run for City Treasurer in the election, Jean
Carroll said she definitely would. In the interview she was asked
this question and at the time she hadn't really given it a thought.
Jean Carroll said that at one time in the past she considered running
for City Treasurer but did not because she felt she could not beat
Peg. But after listening to the candidates today, she said she would
definitely run against them in the coming election.
There was discussion by the council regarding the three candidates.
Ballots were distributed at this time. The votes were counted with
the results as follows:
Christy Elsenpeter .... 0
Naomi O'Connell ....... 1
Vicki Metzger ............ 5
Jean Carroll Thompson .... 1
Motion by Alderman Collins to appoint Vicki Metzger as City
Treasurer, effective April 1, 1991 until January 6, 1992 or until her
successor is qualified, seconded by Alderman Kellogg. Motion carried
7--0 with Alderman Teeters abstaining.
There being no further discussion, ~ meetin~g was/ adjourned.
Donald L. Hackmann, City Clerk
Approved by the Mayor and passed by the City Council of the City
Laurel, Montana, this 19th day of March, 1991.
Bob Gauthier, Mayor
of
ATTEST:
Donald L. Hackmann, City Clerk