Medina Council Outlines Next Steps in City Manager Search

Medina council members met Monday night to outline what they plan to do next after ousting City Manager Donna Hanson. The new city manager could be chosen by the end of the year, according to a timeline outlined by the council members present at the meeting.

Councilmen Pat Boyd and David Lee and Deputy Mayor Katie Phelps were present at the meeting, along with Medina Mayor Michael Luis.

Next Monday, July 8, the council plans to name an acting city manager from its current department heads and to have drafts of a request for proposals. 

The proposed deadline for receiving the proposals is July 26 and the council plans to review the proposals by the end of the month.

The search firm also could help the city council select an interim city manager for the months during the search, Medina Mayor Michael Luis said after the meeting.

The city council last week approved pursuing a separation agreement with Hanson, who has been head of the city since 2008. Luis told Bellevue Patch last week that he is in negotiations with Hanson over the terms of the separation agreement. Hanson has not yet signed the agreement, Luis said Monday night.

Hanson has been city manager at Medina since 2008. She came into public conflict with former Medina Police Chief Jeffrey Chen in 2010, culminating in his firing in 2011.

Chen in March won a federal law suit claiming that Hanson and other city officials were biased against him because of his race.

A jury awarded Chen $2 million, including $285,000 in back pay, $1.65 million in loss of income from his inability to find employment in law enforcement, and $100,000 in emotional damages. The jury also said that Hanson must pay $25,000 in punitive damages.