City Council wants Urbandale’s city manager

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Nov. 19, 2008

After a tense, closed-door debate, the Wichita City Council voted 4-3 on Tuesday to choose Robert Layton as the next city manager.

Layton, city manager of Urbandale, Iowa, said he’s excited about the opportunity, but that he will need to talk to council members before he knows whether the split vote is a deal breaker.

“I don’t want my hiring to be a distraction to the city and knock it off course,” he said. “I want to make sure we can establish a good working relationship.”

Council members Paul Gray, Sharon Fearey, Jeff Longwell and Jim Skelton supported Layton.

Mayor Carl Brewer and Vice Mayor Sue Schlapp said they thought Sedgwick County Manager William Buchanan was the best candidate because of his resume and widespread community support.

Council member Lavonta Williams sided with Skip Noe, Corpus Christi’s former city manager.

Other council members acknowledged Layton will have to adapt to a much larger and more complicated city than Urbandale, but they said his energy and passion elevated him.

“Is he going to have a little bit of a learning curve?” asked Longwell. “Absolutely. But I think the plus side of that far outweighs the negative.”

Council members say they’re not sure how Layton may read the fractured vote.

“He should look at that 4-3 as a circumstance of incredible competition with great candidates and a guy who is already known to all of us,” Gray said.

Brewer said the split was driven by quality candidates. But he said it also should motivate Layton.

“We always worry about the message that’s being sent,” he said of the vote. “The thing is is allowing him to come and to understand that some have some concerns. It also gives the awareness that, ‘OK, these are some areas I must put a lot of emphasis in to be able to work on.’ “

He said the council will move forward regardless.

“The council has made a decision, and I’ll be working to partner to be able to ensure the success that the council has asked for,” Brewer said.

Brewer, Schlapp and Gray will negotiate a contract with Layton.

It’s unclear when he would start working if he accepts the job. Brewer said he would like Layton to start by Jan. 1. But Layton’s Urbandale contract includes a 60-day notice, and Layton said he wanted to stay though mid-January to complete that city’s budget.

Tense debate

The three finalists had vastly different backgrounds: Layton, from a Des Moines suburb of nearly 40,000 people; Noe, recently forced out in a city slightly smaller than Wichita; and Buchanan, well known in Wichita’s power circles.

Several council members said their closed-door debate was tense and included passionate pitches for each of the three finalists.

The heat remained visible after the decision.

After Brewer and Longwell responded to questions at a news conference, Skelton walked to the lectern and said he hoped the debate hadn’t broken any relationships.

“It’s my heart to patch any wounds that have been opened here,” he said, as council members sat at a table next to the lectern. “I don’t want those wounds. But I value our relationship, mayor.”

When he returned to his chair, he put his hand on Schlapp’s. She pulled her hand away.

“Business is business,” Brewer said afterward. “You have to vote your own conviction.”

Williams said it was probably the hardest decision this council has had to make.

“Everyone was tense,” she said. “We still had some that felt very strongly in their opinions.”

But she said she believes the division is limited to that vote. And that sentiment was echoed by others.

“I think that this process has been grueling,” Longwell said. “I think that this process has been wearing on all of us, and we’re tickled that we can move forward.”

Disappointment

Asked about the council’s decision, Buchanan gave a brief reply:

“I believe in and honor the process,” he said. “I’m disappointed.”

Many supporters echoed that.

“I think Mr. Buchanan was the superior candidate,” Schlapp said, noting her vote shouldn’t be viewed as negative toward Layton. “I think his resume was much stronger. I think his interview was much stronger.”

Bryan Derreberry, president of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, said he’s sure the council did due diligence and that the community should respect that choice.

“I lobbied for a lot of years, and I learned along the way some people have personal preferences, some people prefer some managers to other folks,” he said. “But at the end of the day, those they select are the folks you have to work with.”

Dave Lundberg, one of the Minnesota Guys redeveloping downtown office buildings, said he and partner Michael Elzufon favored Buchanan.

“Yes, we did,” Lundberg said. “Very much so. I know nothing of Robert Layton. In fact, the first time I recognized his name was you mentioning it.”

Lundberg said, though, that any decision to fill the vacancy is an asset to his group’s redevelopment efforts.

“It’s just difficult to get anything done with an interim (manager), regardless of how good they are,” he said. “He doesn’t want to do anything to upset the apple cart for the new manager.

“So from that standpoint, we look forward to working with Mr. Layton.”

Contributing: Bill Wilson and Beccy Tanner of The Eagle