Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
THE WAKEFIELD City Council discusses offering Michael Womack, of Macomb Township, a position as city manager Thursday afternoon. From left are Kay Wiita, Amy Tarro, Bob Blaskowski, Mayor Joe DelFavero and John Granato.
By TOM STANKARD
Wakefield - The Wakefield City Council agreed Thursday afternoon to make Michael Womack an offer to be city manager and to negotiate a contract.
Womack was interviewed on Feb. 19.
The council interviewed all seven potential candidates for the city manager position: Richard Brackney, Perry Franzoi, Eva Smith-Fergason, Mary Servia, Thomas Budgick, Jason Laumann and Womack.
At Thursday's special meeting the council unanimously offered Womack the job.
According to his resume, Womack, of Macomb Township, has a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Oakland University. He has a degree in international law from Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University and a master's degree in public administration from Central Michigan University.
Womack said he's been an independent attorney since 2008. In 2014, he began working for an oil and gas company doing legal research. In August 2015, he was a city manager assistant in Eastpointe and Lake Orion.
Amy Tarro, council member, said she preferred Womack. She cited two of Womack's references, and they had "nothing bad to say about him.
"I asked them, 'Do you think that he could be a city manager?' and they both said, 'yes,'" she said. "In Lake Orion, they said he gets along with everybody and they had nothing bad to say about him."
Mayor Joe DelFavero said he also liked Womack the best of the seven candidates.
"He was my number one candidate from the start," he said. "He's a highly-intelligent individual."
Looking at the list of candidates, John Granato, council member, said he doesn't believe it consists of "prime candidates.
"Prime, meaning having experience with the department of public works, roads and budgeting," he said. "But we're not getting these candidates. I would like to see the city go in the right direction."
Bob Blaskowski, council member, said Womack will experience a learning curve.
DelFavero said Womack can be trained and seems like a "quick learner.
"He doesn't consider budgeting his strong point, but he has worked in that area," he said. "It won't take him long to comprehend the budgeting process."
Also on the agenda, the council approved the contract between the city of Wakefield and GEI Construction for the Stormwater/Asset Management/ Wastewater project.
GEI will be the prime professional and will enter into a sub-contract with Coleman Engineering, according to the council. City clerk Jennifer Jacobson was authorized to execute the document.
