The Marathon City Council unanimously approved a contract for a new city manager at Tuesday night's general city council meeting.

The council picked Roger Hernstadt, former assistant city manager in Miami since August 2007, after two days of hearings and multiple rounds of voting last Saturday, and set city staff to the task of finalizing the details of a contract for approval at Tuesday's meeting. Hernstadt, who was laid off from his position in Miami in a wave of budget cutting late last year, starts as Marathon's new administrator on Monday, Feb. 1.

Selection

Hernstadt began negotiations with Interim City Manager Peter Rosasco after the council met in a special session Saturday morning. Hernstadt was ranked the top pick of three finalists. The other finalists were Marathon Planning Director George Garrett, second, and Pahokee's Interim City Manager Matthew Brock.

"My family and I are extremely excited about the prospect of moving here," Hernstadt said. "We're coming to Marathon, and we're going to become members of the community."

Hernstadt was the top pick of Marathon Mayor Ginger Snead in the first round of voting when the council reconvened Saturday morning, following a day-long interview process with seven finalists that included public question sessions and private one-on-ones between council members and candidates. He was the second pick of three of the four other council members.

A subsequent tally of undisclosed council rankings in a second attempt to pick a final candidate placed Hernstadt firmly in the lead, according to Rosasco.

Hernstadt, who has 32 years' experience in county and municipal public administration, said in interviews with council last Friday that he has watched Marathon's progress for some time.

"Through the internet, we're aware of many of the issues," he said. "You are a model of success for other communities to emulate."

Local contact

Hernstadt has other connections to the Keys, including a close friendship with Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi. Council members confirmed that Gastesi had lobbied them on Hernstadt's behalf.

Councilman Dick Ramsay asked about the relationship in Friday's public session, wondering about the potential for a conflict of interest if the city and county were to disagree about something.

"Is this friendship a deterrent to accomplishing what the city needs to do?" Ramsay asked.

"Good managers can get together and find compromise," Hernstadt replied. "I will never go against what the council sets me to accomplish."

Snead said she wasn't overly concerned about Hernstadt's relationship with Gastesi.

"I addressed that with him in the interview and since," Snead said. Her focus in the interview was more practical. "I looked at what they had done, who had the most well rounded background."

The contract

With the votes locked up and a short negotiation with Rosasco out of the way, Hernstadt addressed council on his remaining concerns with the contract that was offered while stressing that there were no "deal breakers."

The contract offers a salary range of $80,000 to $110,000 -- with a six-month evaluation that could add $20,000 -- plus a standard employee benefits package including health, dental and a retirement contribution, according to Rosasco.

"If I accept this contract, the [International City Managers' Association] says I can't leave in less than two years," Hernstadt said, asking the council for a similar commitment. "I intend to be here longer than that."

Additionally, Hernstadt asked that the contract not make a distinction between sick and vacation days, but provide personal days.

Council made concessions on the personal days and contract term before directing that the remainder of the details be settled by Hernstadt and City Attorney John Herrin.

At Tuesday's meeting, Ramsay chastised Hernstadt for negotiating a benefits package that would not be locked to that of the rest of city staff.

"I would like [the contract] to read that the benefits and the deferred compensation packages will be concurrent with the benefits package offered by the city itself," Ramsay said. "I could never see us going to the employees and saying we're going to ask you for a 20 percent contribution level and not expect that from the city manager."

Hernstadt assured Ramsay and the rest of council that he would lead by example, but demurred when pressed on the benefits issue.

"With respect to belt tightening that the council will have to do ... not knowing what changes they would be I could not commit to them today," he said.

The contract is "at will," meaning the city can terminate employment, with notice, at any time, according to Rosasco. If Hernstadt were to be terminated without cause, the severance would be three months' pay, officials say.

Path forward

Even with his local connections and research, Hernstadt will have a host of Marathon issues to catch up on. Ramsay is suggesting keeping Rosasco close through the process.

"I have recommended, both to Roger and to Peter Rosasco, that Roger consider using Peter's talents for at least the first month or so to get up to speed and oriented," Ramsay said.

Ramsay said it would be within Hernstadt's discretion to bring Rosasco on as a consultant, but he highly recommended it.

"The relationship that Roger has with the council and with Marathon is going to totally depend on his ability to adjust and to interact with this community," Ramsay said. "I will help him any way I can."

Snead agreed that Hernstadt's best course of action for now is to get settled in.

"He should be seeing if there is anything we need to do to get our house clean," she said. "He will bring a professionalism that we need... We're becoming a grown up city."

The council was tasked with filling the position after former Marathon City Manager Clyde Burnett resigned in the face of harassment allegations in October.

mphelps@keysnews.com