As the City Introduces Manager Candidates to the Community, Hiring Process Faces Criticism

Less than 48 hours before the City of Saline was set to introduce candidates for city manager to the residents at an open house and during interviews, the process went sideways at Monday's city council meeting.

The process was already off to a strange start when the city failed to publicize its finalists until a full week after the search committee selected its finalists. It was also odd to see a final four without acting city manager Elle Cole, who'd become very popular in sectors of the community and was an applicant for the top job.

The finalists, Todd Saums, Commissioner of Water Distribution for Toledo, Jason Smith, City Manager for Belleville, Daniel Swallow, City Manager of Tecumseh, and Michael Tremblay, who was most recently  US Army Garrison Commander in South Korea, will be at city hall to meet the public from 12-3:30 p.m., Wednesday. City council's interview process begins at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The interviews will be live on Youtube.

At the outset of Monday's council meeting, Councillor Dean Girbach asked for a motion to be added to the agenda. Girbach asked the city's hiring committee to report to the city council to address "potential bias" and/or a "tainted hiring" process. He wanted the situation reviewed by the city's legal counsel. Girbach made the motion, seconded by Councillor Janet Dillon.

Girbach was surprised the hiring committee did not name Cole as one of the finalists. Girbach said the committee's decision to eliminate Cole based on "performance concerns" in a meeting without Cole present to defend herself was in violation of Cole's employee labor rights. Girbach said it was his understanding the committee went into closed session to discuss Cole. Girbach said going into closed session puts the council in jeopardy. Councillor Janet Dillon said the committee does not have the authority to go into closed session and may have met in violation of Open Meetings Act.

Girbach suggested that Cole's investigations into possible crimes, loss of city assets, or dereliction of duty may have led to retaliation.

Girbach then said he wished he'd known about the relationships between two of the finalists and council members on the hiring committee. Swallows lives five houses away from Mayor Marl on Russell Street. Tremblay knows Councillor Nicole Rice.

"Transparency is a key issue that we have to consider with any candidates, moving forward.

Girbach also asked why the mayor was using his personal email to communicate with Double Haul Solutions, the consultant helping the city with the hiring.

"When the mayor was using his personal email and not using the city email account it raises concerns that there were discussions and things that may have occurred outside of our city servers that cannot be verified or brought into into discussion for this issue," Girbach said.

Girbach requested that any emails Marl sent from his private account be sent to council to review.

Marl, Rice and Councillor Chuck Lesch are the three members of council on the hiring committee. The three delivered debukes to Girbach's allegations.

Marl said he was unaware there was a city manager finalist who lived five doors down from his residence.

"I have no knowledge of any finalists living five doors down from me or anywhere in my vicinity. I'm not aware that I've met or been introduced to any of the finalists that have been recommended by the hiring committee," Marl said.

Marl said he thought the process was fair, thoughtful and thorough.

"I don't think much of what you've expressed tonight is accurate, quite frankly," Marl said.

He said the committee did go into closed session to protected the confidentiality of candidates who requested descretion. 

"I have a lot of confidence and faith in the process, and I think it's critically important that council have confidence and faith in the process, especially processes that they establish committees that they appoint and consultants that they retain," Marl said. "I saw no ethical issues whatsoever - no issues of Integrity with any members of our hiring committee. I think they did a fair and reasonable job."

Marl called Girbach's motion inappropriate and performative.

Rice said there were multiple people on the hiring committee who worked with candidates or knew them. She said most of the committee had similar finalists.

Rice said she only had "second-hand" knowledge of Tremblay.

"I used my knowledge of what that person's resume stood out and said to explain to my colleagues in that room what all of those activities meant," Rice said. "We were put in there to be the experts and to make decisions that are best for this community, and that's what we did."

Lesch said he was a scientist by trade and that the committee took a scientific approach.

"I feel like the committee took the facts that we had. We analyzed them. We did have a robust discussion," Lesch said. "We pretty much had the same top candidates and we came to a compromise on the last one or two.  I thought it was a very thoughtful process."

Councillor Jenn Harmount said she thought Cole should have been given the opportunity to interview for the job.

"I would think the incumbent should always have a chance for the final set of interviews," she said. "That's a really hard thing for me. I do trust there was a process and there was data, I would just like to understand more about the weighting taken into consideration, along with the number of years of consideration of experience."

Cole has only been the acting city manager since Colleen O'Toole suddenly resigned in a shroud of secrecy in January. Two of the finalists are not city managers at all, however.

Rice said Harmount's question was fair.

"That's a fair question. We are here to ask questions of our colleagues. We are not here to accuse people and put a motion behind things that are accusatory," Rice said, voice breaking with emotion.

Councillor Jack Ceo said he supported the integrity of the hiring committee.

Councillor Janet Dillon made her point about discussing the performance of an internal candidate who was not in the room when the discussion was happening.

"We have a duty to understand, was there a line crossed?" Dillon asked. "If there was something that was done that may border on illegal, we need to address this."

Marl fired back at any shots at him or members of the committee.

"Disagreeing with the process is one thing. I think impugning the integrity and character of your colleagues is quite another. I think with all due respect, I think it's almost beyond contempt," Marl said.

Girbach reiterated that Cole did not give up labor rights when she applied for the job. He said he will continue to ask the city attorney to investigate that," Girbach said. "You screwed up, Mayor."

"No, I don't think I did," Marl replied. "You are entitled to your opinion, but you're not entitled to your own facts."

Girbach, Dillon and Harmount voted in favor of Girbach's motion. Marl, Lesch, Rice and Ceo voted against it.

Only weeks ago, Acting City Manager Cole seemed like a rising star in the city - even before O'Toole resigned as manager. Cole was hired as treasurer in 2022 and added Deputy City Manager to her role in 2024. When O'Toole resigned, however, Cole applied for the job. Sarah Finch replaced her as Treasurer. One source said between Finch and, potentially, the new city manager, Cole would no longer have a position in the city.

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