Questions Swirl Around Shorewood’s “Closed Door” Hiring Policy

On March 25, the Council approved the hiring of Park & Recreation Manager Mitchell Czech on the council consent agenda. He will start at approximately $95k, the same level as the outgoing director, Janelle Crossfield.

Drilling down:

• The resumes of the candidate finalists were not made public.
  
  
• When asked if the Park Commission would be involved in developing the job description or participating in the interview process, Administrator Nevinski responded that it would not.
  
  
• As the Council grappled with a title and revised job description, CM Sanschagrin suggested asking for resident input on uses for the parks and expectations for the position. Other Council members did not support him.
  
  
• At the January 9 Park Commission meeting, Commissioners Amy Wenner and Michelle DiGruttolo asked if they could give input on the candidates. Nevinski and the Park Commission Chair, Jim Hirner, responded no.
  
  
• Interested commission members were instead told to email comments or call “staff.”
  
  
• A “stakeholder meet and greet” for the final three candidates was held on March 11th at the South Shore Center. Although a memo (starting at p. 2) from HR Director Sandie Thone indicates “a park commissioner” was invited along with sports representatives, and unnamed others. Wenner and DiGruttolo (the two who wanted to participate) were not made aware of the event. It appears Hirner was the only commissioner invited.
  
  
• The Park Commission serves as an advisory board to the council. While it is up to the council to include them, the commission will work directly with the new manager. Their feedback is essential.
  
  
• Below is a section of the job description (start at p. 148) for the new manager, including working with the Park Commission.

SCA comment:

We agree that the commissions are advisors to the council. Commissioners also volunteer their time and talent for the betterment of the community. For volunteers to ask to participate in this process and then blatantly be left out without cause is disingenuous. Sidelining a select cohort in a process that directly affects them is not acceptable.

SCA believes this hiring walked a fine line between being accountable and transparent and creating distrust by exclusion.

A review of park commission minutes from the last five years indicates significant turnover. We wonder why?