Folsom hires firm to find new public works director

Folsom hired a firm last week to find a replacement for Mark Rackovan, who is retiring next month as city public works director. Rackovan announced his retirement in December, effective May 30. City Manager Bryan Whitemyer recommended the City Council approve a contract with an executive search firm to recruit a qualified replacement. "These firms bring specialized expertise, strategic recruitment methods and a broad talent network to identify candidates," said Folsom Human Resources Director Allison Garcia. The HR team is unable to handle this executive-level recruitment due to the existing workload, which includes negotiations with multiple unions, workplace investigations and rank-and-file recruitments, said Garcia. After evaluating a half-dozen bids, Bob Murray & Associates of Roseville emerged as the winner, according to the report. The total Murray bid is $25,000, covering all recruitment-related expenses. "While pricing was not the sole factor in the decision-making process, Bob Murray & Associates presented one of the more competitively priced proposals at $25,000, compared to other quotes ranging from $30,000 to $45,000," staff said. With decades of experience, Murray found public works directors for numerous Northern California cities in recent years, including San Francisco, Newark, Belmont, Petaluma, San Ramon, Hayward, Vacaville, Napa, Cupertino, Milpitas and Watsonville. Murray also found talent for Vancouver, Washington, and Eugene, Oregon. "Our in-house database of 40,000 current and former executive and professional candidates is a valuable resource that can only be built over time," said Murray spokesperson Valerie Gaeta Phillips. The Folsom public works director earns $203,000 a year, with a $3,600 auto allowance and $1,200 for tech, according to the city website. Without discussion, the Folsom City Council approved the recruiter contract at the April 8 meeting.