© 2017 Chris Hartung Consulting, LLC 1

The City Council of

Lindsay Oklahoma is seeking an

experienced local government manager to be the city’s next

City Manager.

Community:

Lindsay, Oklahoma is located in Garvin County in the south-central part of the state, 36 miles southwest of Nor-

man and 24 miles west of Interstate Highway 35 and Pauls Valley. The city has a current estimated population of

2,840. Lindsay began as a farming community in the late 1800’s when the area was in the Indian Territory. The

community grew as people were attracted to the fertile ground of the Washita River Valley.

A major event in the history of Lindsay occurred in 1902 when two railroads decided to link their lines halfway be-

tween Chickasha and Pauls Valley. This led Lewis Lindsay to donate 440 acres for a townsite, for which the new

town was named after him. Shortly after that event, Lindsay became a center for the growing, buying and shipping

of broomcorn. “Lindsay Broomcorn sweeps the world” became the city’s theme.

Another major event leading to great change in Lindsay occurred in 1944/45 when the first oil well was drilled in

the area. This well led to intensified activity in the Golden Trend area. Through the years, Lindsay has enjoyed the

economic benefits and fluctuations associated with the energy industry. More recently, Lindsay is at the center of

the South-Central Oil Province (SCOOP), a significant shale oil play. Construction is underway in the area on an oil

pipeline which will connect from Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Lindsay Public School System has enjoyed a reputation for academic excellence going back over 60 years. In

recent years, Lindsay students have been regularly recognized among the top academic students in the state. The

school system has received a number of awards for various programs and its athletic teams are known for excel-

lence.

Lindsay residents are served by the Lindsay Municipal Hospital. This medical facility provides lab, surgical, X-ray,

orthopedic, endoscopy, outpatient CT scan and emergency room services to the area. Residents also can access

higher education within a short drive in Norman at the University of Oklahoma and in Chickasha at The University

of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.

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Governance:

The City of Lindsay operates un-

der a Home Rule City Charter,

adopted by the citizens in 1947

and portions were amended in

1958, 1994 & 2005, which pro-

vides for a Council/Manager form

of government. The city is gov-

erned by a City Council composed

of the Mayor and six Council

Members who serve two-year

terms of office. The members of

the current City Council are:

Mayor Debbie Whitehead has served on the City Council for 5 years and was elected Mayor in April 2017.

She manages Lindsay Place Apartments.

Todd Hinkley has served on the City Council for ten years. He owns an answering service.

Scott Wilbourn has served on the City Council for one year. He owns a funeral home and is a pastor.

Kris Spivey was elected to the City Council in April 2017. He works for an oil field service company.

Jane Pool has served on the City Council for 6 years. She is a teacher and owns a restaurant located in the

downtown area.

Carrie Rains was elected to the City Council in April 2017. She is an office manager for a company located

in Lindsay.

Mark Hutchinson was elected to the City Council in April 2017. He is a manager for the Love’s Travel Stop

in Lindsay.

The Position:

The City Council, by a majority vote, appoints a City Manager to serve as the administrative head of the municipal

government, who is chosen on the basis of his/her executive and administrative qualifications. The City Manager

serves at the pleasure of the majority of the City Council and may be terminated by four (4) affirmative votes. Un-

der the City Charter, the City Manager has the authority to appoint and remove all employees of the city except as

provided otherwise by the Charter. The City Manager is charged with managing the day-to-day operations of the

city government including the preparation, submittal and oversight of the annual municipal budget.

The City Manager of Lindsay directs the affairs of a full service municipal organization with 44 full-time and 5

FTE part-time and seasonal city employees and 23 full-time and 14-part-time and seasonal employees for the

Lindsay Public Works Authority (LPWA).

City Hall

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The Position (Cont’d.)

The Fiscal 2016-2017 combined budget to-

tals over $11.239 million for all funds. The

General Fund represents $3.9 million, and

the Lindsay Public Works Authority repre-

sents $7.339 million of the total. The pri-

mary revenue sources for the city include

sales tax and fees from electric, water, sewer

and sanitation services. The city provides

services through a number of departments

and divisions including Police, Fire, EMS,

Finance, Public Works (includes water utili-

ties), Electric Utility, Cemetery, Social Ser-

vices, Park, Library, Building Operations,

and Municipal Airport. Solid waste collec-

tion and disposal is provided by a private contractor.

The city buys power for the electric system from the Grand River Dam Authority. The drinking water supply is

from local ground water sources. Electronic meters have been installed for both the water and electric systems.

Incode provides the city’s financial management system. The city has recently completed construction on a new $2

million swimming pool.

Council Priorities:

The City Council will expect the new City Manager to give priority to the following issues:

Water System Issues and Aging Infrastructure-The city has recently experienced a significant number

of customer complaints about water quality. The city water system has a significant percentage of cast iron

pipe that has exceeded its useful life. The city is currently upgrading the pre-filtration system at the water

plant and has implemented a hydrant flush program in an effort to reduce this problem. The City Council

will look to the new City Manager to analyze the situation and develop plans to replace the city’s aging in-

frastructure including recommendations for methods of financing the program.

Potential Staff Retirements-Two long-time Department heads have announced plans to retire during the

next two years. The Council will expect the new City Manager to prepare for the loss of this experience

and institutional knowledge.

Organizational Review-The Council will expect the new City Manager to quickly become familiar with

the organization and personnel of the City of Lindsay. He/She will be expected to evaluate the operations

of the city to determine if the organization is prepared to continue to meet the needs of its citizens both

now and in the future, including opportunities to streamline city procedures and processes.

Code Enforcement-The Council has placed a priority on quality of life and beautification of the city. The

Council will want the new City Manager to become familiar with this situation and develop recommenda-

tions for addressing the problem, as well as effective methods for communicating on the problems to resi-

dents and property owners.

Economic Development-The City Council is interested in developing a program to diversify the Lindsay

economy and redevelop the downtown area. They will look to the new City Manager to work with the

Chamber of Commerce to develop a business recruitment plan to attract new businesses to the city.

City of Lindsay Electric Utility Substation

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Personal Qualities:

The City Council is seeking candidates who have broad experience in the management of a full-service municipal organization. Experience with aging infrastructure and operations of a municipal electric system will be a plus. The City Council has indicated their interest in candidates who have established reputations for excellent interper-sonal skills and an ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with a broad range of people in the com-munity while building partnerships to address community issues. Strong leadership skills and a track record of finding creative solutions to difficult problems are desired. In addition to these qualities, the City Council is inter-ested in candidates who exhibit the following knowledge, skills and abilities: • A reputation as a team

player who applies per-sonal ethics that reflect honesty and integrity in all relationships to es-tablish an example to staff and citizens alike.

• Proven ability to select, motivate and develop competent, qualified staff and develop effec-tive teams.

• A forward-thinking visionary who can an-ticipate problems and develop practical strate-gies for addressing them.

• A record of successful-ly acquiring grants from the state and federal governments to supplement local revenues.

• Well-developed communication skills and an understanding that effective communication begins with effec-tive listening.

• A working knowledge of municipal finance and budgeting with a reputation for conservative fiscal manage-ment.

The City Council is seeking candidates who would see this position as a good career and family opportunity and who would become an active and visible part of the Lindsay community.

Swimming Pool and Other Park Facilities

Police Department

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Minimum Qualifications:

The City Council is seeking candidates who have at least five years of experience as a city manager, assistant city

manager or senior manager in a full-service municipality of comparable complexity to the City of Lindsay. This

position requires a Bachelor’s Degree in public or business administration or a related field. The City Council will

require the City Manager to reside within the city limits of Lindsay.

Compensation:

The competitive compensation package is negotiable depending upon the background and qualifications of the

person selected. The city has a generous benefits program including Oklahoma Municipal Retirement System,

100% employer paid premium for City Manager’s health, dental, vision and $20,000 of life insurance, paid vaca-

tion, sick leave and holidays.

To Apply:

Send an electronic version of your current resume, salary history and a list of ten work-related references

( including supervisory) with phone numbers ASAP to G. Chris Hartung a t

jobsearch@chcpublicsectorsolutions.com . The first review of candidates will be July 17, 2017.

Applicants for this position selected as finalists will be subject to a background review prior to interview.

Under the Oklahoma Public Information Act, information from your resume may be subject to release to

the public.

Water Treatment Plant

City of Lindsay