During its regular meeting last Wednesday, the Fernley City Council approved a contract with CPS HR Consulting of Sacramento to assist in the executive recruitment search for a new city manager.
City Treasurer Robert Carson reported that three firms submitted proposals for consideration: Prothman Executive Recruitment of Issaquah, WA, with a proposed fee of $18,500 plus expenses; Bob Murray and Associates of Roseville, CA, proposing $40,000 plus expenses; and CPS HR Consulting, which proposed $30,000 plus expenses.
All three firms estimated a 16-week recruitment timeline and offered a one-year guarantee—agreeing to conduct a second search at no additional cost (except expenses) if the selected candidate does not remain employed for at least one year. They also committed to continuing recruitment efforts at no additional fee if the initial process does not result in a successful hire, and all agreed to conduct reference and background checks on candidates.
Councilman Joe Mendoza inquired whether the city could obtain feedback from entities that had previously hired candidates recruited by the consulting firms. Carson responded that the council could delay the decision to obtain references if desired.
CPS HR’s proposal, which the council ultimately approved, outlined a three-phase approach: developing a candidate profile and recruitment strategy; conducting a proactive and comprehensive recruitment; and assisting in the final selection process, according to Carson.
Councilman Albert Torres asked Mayor Neal McIntyre why he recommended CPS HR over the other firms. McIntyre explained that he had personally spoken with all three firms and also consulted with the city engineer, who praised CPS HR’s past work with the Regional Transportation Commission.
“CPS HR went into depth on what they would do for us,” McIntyre said. “The other two just said, ‘we’ll send you some information.’”
McIntyre also said he may request a proposal from CPS HR for recruiting upcoming “hard to fill” engineering positions and bring it to the council for future consideration.
The council approved the contract with CPS HR in a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Torres voting no, citing a preference to review performance references before moving forward.
The recruitment follows the resignation of former City Manager Ben Marchant in May, during budget discussions. At the time, three council members voted to defund the city manager position, accusing Marchant of dishonesty and insubordination.
Marchant denied the allegations but offered to resign to facilitate passage of the budget. Following a recess to negotiate a separation agreement, the council reconvened and approved the final budget.
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