Updated: Poplar Bluff on Verge of Naming New City Manager
Heath Kaplan, Poplar Bluff New City Manager
UPDATED 7/29 – PB City Council voted unanimously to allow for up to one year contracts for City Manager position. Mayor Angela Pearson announced after a 1hr and 45min closed session that Heath Kaplan was offered the position of City Manager and he has accepted the position. Kaplan is currently Finance and Management Services Director for Muskegon County, Michigan.
A special meeting of the Poplar Bluff City Council is being held tonight (7/29) at 6pm with two agenda items. First, the council will discuss (and possibly vote) on amending the city’s ordinances:
WORKSHOP ITEM:
The City Council will review an amendment to the Code of Ordinances relative to term of office for the City Manager position.
And then the Council will go into closed session in which council “will discuss such matters which are exempted under the open meetings law Sections 610.021.3 (personnel) RSMo.”
As previously reported, our city currently is not allowed to issue contracts to the city manager. That position, by ordinance, is an at-will position. The state of Missouri allows city’s to amend their ordinances to provide up to a one year contract to their city manager.
It appears as though the city council will first amend Poplar Bluff ordinances to allow for a one-year term and then make an offer to their selected candidate for the position. Poplar Bluff appears to be on the verge of hiring a new city manager.