Search for next Longboat town manager begins

Longboat Key Commissioner Jim Brown recalls the search for an interim town manager six years ago, and the uncertainty that came with it.

“I was scared as hell,” Brown said. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Brown said he and former Town Attorney Dave Persson sought out local prospective candidates, and many pointed them in Dave Bullock’s direction.

“I think it was the most fortunate thing in the world,” Brown said.

Now, the Key is beginning the search for its next town manager. In early May, Bullock, 66, announced his plans to retire in January.

Commissioners discussed the hiring process on Monday. Brown stressed the benefits of seeking local candidates who, like Bullock, understand the intricacies and nuances of overseeing day-to-day business on Longboat.

“As we all know, we’re not like a lot of places,” Brown said. “We’re a unique community, and we’re peculiar in a lot of our desires and our needs.”

Before coming to the Key in 2011, Bullock was a deputy county administrator for Sarasota County for 14 years.

While agreeing with Brown’s sentiment, George Spoll suggested a candidate who understands the character of the Key could be found in a nationwide search.

“Is there somebody out there who would like to come home?” Spoll wondered. “I would hate to lose that option.”

Mayor Terry Gans added that he is not ready to rule out the possibility of an internal candidate.

“I think we can target, but I wouldn’t want to slam the door on anybody at this point,” Gans said.

In the end, commissioners instructed Bullock to contact potential candidates he believes are qualified. Bullock will then arrange for interested candidates to meet with commissioners individually. Commissioners will also suggest to Bullock any candidates they have in mind.

If this approach does not yield positive results in the next month or so, Bullock said he will suggest the Town Commission consider a different route.

“We shouldn’t spend too much time trying to find the perfect person,” Bullock said. “(Then) suddenly we’re three months down the road and we don’t have anything.”

The new manager will have to tackle two major undertakings:

• A plan to bury utilities, such as power lines and wireless communication gear. The project is intended to enhance the community’s safety, appearance and protection from storm-related outages and recovery from damage.
• Bullock in recent weeks has begun looking into the feasibility of possibly annexing entirely into either Manatee or Sarasota counties. About a third of the town’s population lives in Manatee County.

In May, Bullock announced he has hired a new public works director, replacing Juan Florensa, who will retire in early 2018. Isaac Brownman, who has worked for Sarasota County for 17 years, begins with the town in August.