New City Manager

 Surprising no one, the city has offered Police Chief Stan Reno the position of City Manager and indications are he will accept. from what I understand, the city has already settled upon an interim Chief of Police which will be announced in the near future

Meet and Greet 2

 Stopped in for the last half hour of the Meet and Greet with the city manager candidates. There were still about half a dozen people talking with the candidates. I got to ask questions of current Interim city manager Stan Reno and former city manager of Hastings NB, Shawn Metcalfe:

Stan Reno--I was primarily interested in why he wanted the job, given that his entire career until the last 6 months has been in law enforcement. He said that he had planned to end his career in law enforcement but found that, as he  performed the city manager duties, he found he enjoyed it and felt he did a good job. He estimated that, since the city would probably not engage in as widespread a search for his replacement as chief of police, the city could fill the position in about 3 months. Asked about what he would do about the perception, not the actuality, of Carbondale's high crime rate (the crime rate is no higher than any other town of Carbondale's size), he said transparency would be the number one way he would combat the perception and that encouraging events like the Off The Rails concerts, which have had no disruptions, would aid in that. He feels his work with the police department, working relationship with council and his in-depth knowledge of Carbondale would make him an effective manager. However, the past six months is the sum total of his experience as a city manager.

Shawn Metcalfe-- has experience as a city manager, having worked as one in Hastings, a town about the same size as Carbondale. However, his contract there was not renewed so he is looking for a position in a similar sized community. His expertise is in finance and human resources, which would be beneficial to the city. to get a feel for the city,  he read back through past city budgets and city council agendas and watched about 14 hours of recorded city council meetings, but has no "on the ground" familiarity with Carbondale. Strengths of Carbondale, he feels are SIUC, hospitals and medical development and the town's access to the Shawnee National Forest. I also asked him about dealing with the perception of Carbondale as having a high crime rate and he thought more events getting the police out into the community such as the "national Night Out" would help combat it. He also expressed interest in revisiting the city's position on Uber and AirB&B operations.

I did not get the opportunity speak with Thomas Thomas

Council will interview all three candidates in closed session tomorrow night and make a decision in the near future.

Meet and Greet

 The meet and greet with the candidates for the city manager position is still taking place from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight. I find it interesting the city has not published the names yet. I have not seen any media source listing them. All I have heard is that there are three and one of them is a local resident.

City Council Meeting

Special city council meeting Wednesday night, the night after the meet and greet with candidates for the city manager position. Since it is an executive session to discuss employment issues, my guess it is to consider the three candidates for the position select one. Hopefully Stan Reno is not one of them as I would not like the city to have to start a search for another chief of police.

City Manager Candidates

 From what I read, the city currently has three candidates for the city manager position, 1 from the area and 2 unfamiliar with Carbondale. I am of two minds on this. On one hand, assuming they are all equally competent, hiring someone already familiar with Carbondale means they will not have to spend time getting "up to speed" on the city and its operations. On the other hand, hiring someone from outside the area brings a new viewpoint and unclouded perceptions of the city and its problems and opportunities.

City Manager

 Apparently we have candidates for the city manager position.  I really hope Stan Reno is not one of them as his getting the position would then mean a search to fill the chief of police position

CARBONDALE - The City of Carbondale is pleased to announce that a public meet-and-greet event will be held on January 7, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Carbondale Civic Center. This event will allow residents to meet the finalist candidates for the position of City Manager, learn more about their backgrounds, and ask questions about their vision for the future of Carbondale.

The City Manager plays a pivotal role in overseeing the City's day-to-day operations, working closely with the City Council to implement policies and initiatives that affect the community. This event is a key part of the selection process, allowing residents to engage with the candidates before making a final decision.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, January 7, 2025
• Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Location: Carbondale Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, IL

The meet-and-greet is open to the public and free of charge. City officials encourage all residents, business owners, and community stakeholders to attend, share their thoughts, and ask questions to help inform the final selection process.

Interim City Manager

 Stan Reno, current Chief of Police, has been named interim city manager, replacing Gary Williams when Williams steps down at the end of the month. No word as to whether Reno will maintain his position as Chief while serving as city manager or will the city name an Acting police chief to take over Reno's duties during his time as city manager

Hollywood Lounge Liquor License Suspended

City manager Gary Williams, acting on the direction of the Mayor, suspended the liquor license of the Hollywood Lounge last Sunday. This was in reaction to a shooting that took place at the bar early Sunday morning:

On July 9 at 1:40 a.m., Carbondale Police Officers were in the area of the Hollywood Lounge when they heard and responded to a gunshot fired from inside the bar. Police officers entered the establishment and following an investigation, it is believed a victim received a non-life threatening injury from the gunfire inside the Hollywood Lounge. 

Later that Sunday morning, Mayor Mike Henry, acting in his capacity as Chairman of the Local Liquor Control Commission, directed the City Manager to take all reasonable and necessary actions to ensure that the public isn’t exposed to any further risk from actions that may occur at the Hollywood Lounge. 

Following advice from City staff and pursuant to Section 2-2-3 of the Carbondale Revised Code, Mayor Henry summarily suspended the liquor license for Hollywood Lounge.

“The City Council and I are committed to revitalizing Carbondale and it starts by ensuring that our City is safe for all residents. We’re not going to tolerate this type of violent act that occurred this weekend and certainly not from any of our liquor establishments,” added Mayor Henry.  

Police Chief Jeff Grubbs stated, “Our police officers are working diligently to quell violent acts in our community and we need to use all the resources we have to assist them in their efforts. That is why it is so refreshing to have a Mayor and City Council who are standing behind them and assisting them every step of the way.”

“This suspension is further proof that both the Council and City staff are working together, setting higher standards for our community,” said City Manager Gary Williams.

A hearing will be held before the Local Liquor Control Commission on Tuesday, July 18 regarding the status of the liquor license for the Hollywood Lounge.

Fireworks Rescheduled

Just received the following email from City Manager Gary Williams announcing that, due to bad weather, Carbondale fireworks will take place tomorrow night:

Due to bad weather being forecast for the evening of July 4^th,

the Carbondale Fireworks Show is being rescheduled

for Tuesday, July 5^th at 9:00 PM at the Carbondale Super Block.

City Manager Gary Williams

City Council will have a special meeting tonight to enter into an agreement to higher acting City Manager Gary Williams as full City Manager. A good choice in my opinion.

See Click Fix

Just learned about this app for your smart phone from City Manager Gary Williams today. It is called See Click Fix and can be downloaded to your phone for free. When you see a non-emergency problem that the city needs to address, such as a pothole or street light out, you open the app, take a picture of the problem, add an description and email it automatically to the Public Works department. If you like, you can do it anonymously . Turn around time, according to one person I spoke with who has used the app is less than 4 days.  He reported a pothole and, 4 days later, the city had repaired it.

City Council Meeting

Agenda for tomorrow night's city council meeting. Given that it is a closed meeting to discuss employees, dollars to doughnuts the city manager position will come up:

WELCOME - Visitors are always welcome to all meetings of the City Council. If you wish to address the Council concerning an item which is listed on the printed Agenda, please raise your hand when that item is introduced for discussion. 1. Roll Call 2. Citizen’s Comments and Questions 3. Closed Meeting Closed Meeting to Discuss the Appointment, Employment, Performance, or Dismissal of Specific Employees of the Public Body 4. Return to Open Session Possible Action Relating to the Appointment, Employment, Performance, or Dismissal of Specific Employees of the Public Body 

Ding Dong Baity's Gone

It appears the now shuttered Pony is happy to see the departure of city manager Kevin Baity as the above is what is showing on the marquee outside the establishment.

Press Conference On Baity Resignation

Just got back from a quickly called press conference featuring Mayor Mike Henry with a little more detail about Kevin Baity's resignation.  From what Henry said, the split is amicable and no negative material will appear in Baity's file, the city council decided it wanted to move in a "different direction", one that was not a good fit for Baity. The mayor mentioned the term "business friendly' several times so apparently that will be a focus of the city for the next year.

Assistant City Manager Gary Williams is now "acting" city manager for the foreseeable future, while the city solicits applications for the position. The city will rely on word of mouth to generate applications it appears, as the mayor said the position will not be posted online. Baity is currently on a paid leave of absence as the city negotiations the terms of separation with him. Under the current agreement, if the city terminated Baity, he would receive 6 months severance pay but, according to the mayor, this is one of the points under negotiation.

Not sure if it means anything but Mayor Henry met with Chief Grubbs just prior to the press conference, but did not see the Chief present at the conference.

City Manager Stepping Down

Kevin Baity announced today that he will step down as Carbondale City Manager effective Oct 1,  The City Council has a closed session last night. Typically council only goes into closed session to discuss issues pertaining to real estate or employment issues, so I imagine Baity's resignation/termination was the topic of discussion. IF the council terminated Baity's contract, he receives six month's pay as severance and does not have to pay back the money received to fund is master's studies at SIUC. Not sure what the contract says if he resigns

Jeff Grubbs for Police Chief

I see the Carbondale Times came out with an editorial last week supporting Jeff Grubb's appointment, which I agree with.  The city has not bothered to post the opening, as far as I know, for months, likely satisfied with Grubb's performance as Interim Chief, but Carbondale needs a permanent police chief and Grubbs has shown himself able to do the job.


However, I also agree with the Times that, if he wants the job, he needs to meet the requirements and one of those requirements is residing within the Carbondale city limits. If he is not willing to make that move in order to secure the position, then the city needs to quit sitting on its hands and actively start seeking a non-interim chief. The position is too important to remain unfilled.

City Residence Requirement

All employees of the city of Carbondale must live within 9 miles of the city center. Employees of grade 8 or 9 must live within the city limits, which includes city employees such as the city manager, department heads, and chiefs of the fire and police departments. Renting an apartment while maintaining residence elsewhere would probably not work, especially given the challenge to Mayor Henry's candidacy accusing him of doing just such a thing, though at least one city department director does just that, though said department head is close enough to retirement that no one currently wants to pursue it.

Chief O'Guinn Dismissed

Just got this email from the city manager's office.  Wow!

Effective Monday, August 18 at 9:00 a.m., I am dismissing Jody O'Guinn as Chief of Police for the City of Carbondale. Chief O'Guinn has served the City since June 2009. As of now, no timeline has been established for finding his successor.”

"I am naming Deputy Chief Jeff Grubbs to serve as Interim Police Chief. I have full faith and confidence in Deputy Chief Grubbs' ability to lead the Carbondale Police Department,” Baity states. “I want to stress that my decision to dismiss Chief O'Guinn is a confidential matter and has nothing to do with the unsolved cases or recent litigation filed against the City and the Chief. Any assumptions/allegations to this effect are completely unfounded."

Special City Council Meeting

This Tuesday, Jan 10th at 7 p.m.   Looks like the only thing on the agenda is a pro-forma vote (at least according to the press release sent out last week), appointing Kevin Baity as the new City Manger. Expect at least one "No" vote as Jane Adams has posted on her website that she plans to vote against the appointment.

City Manager Baity

According to a press release sent out by the mayor, Kevin Baity will be the next city manger:

The Carbondale City Council has reached a consensus that Mr. Kevin Baity  will serve as the next City Manager of Carbondale.  Mr. Baity has been employed by the City of Carbondale since August 2006 and is currently the city’s Director of Development Services and Interim City Manager.  He was originally hired as the city’s Assistant City Manager for Economic Development.  Prior to coming to Carbondale, Mr. Baity had served as the City Administrator for the City of Flora, IL; the Director of Community Development for the City of Centralia, IL; and the Director of Environmental Health for the Perry County (IL) Health Department.

A Special Carbondale City Council Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 7:00 pm to formalize the decision by voting on an ordinance to approve a City Manager Employment Agreement.  The meeting will be followed by a reception to introduce Mr. Baity to the public as the City Manager.

I find the term "consensus" an interesting choice of wording.  It doesn't say he was voted upon by the council, just that some form of agreement about him.  Apparently the council, or at least the mayor, is making=ng the announcement prior to the actual vote. At least one city council member has concerns about this. From a eamil sent out by councilwoman Jane Adams:

Until we officially vote, our discussions in Executive Session are private. Does the Open Meetings Act allow the Mayor to publicly characterize our private deliberations?

It is entirely proper for the Mayor to call a special Council meeting. However, the press release says that there will be a reception following which will “introduce Mr. Baity to the public as the City Manager.”

Again, no vote has been taken. We discussed, we argued, we debated. We developed a sense of where the majority sentiment lay. Without compromising the confidentiality of our debates, I think I can fairly state that the Mayor was a leader of the majority. But there was no vote. To have voted would have been illegal – a clear violation of the Open Meetings Act.

Until that public vote, Mr. Baity cannot be presumed to be the next City Manager. Nor can there be a presumption of “consensus.”