By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
When Williston’s new human resources director was recently handed a second job as deputy city manager, not everyone on the city council knew about it until the decision was announced publicly at the May 3rd council meeting.
The vacant position wasn’t advertised internally by City Manager Jackie Gorman as the city’s Human Resources manual appears to require. Only one person was interviewed by the city manager – Human Resources Director Deanna Nelson, the person who got the job.
The HR Manual requires department heads to advertise vacancies internally citywide for five days to give all current city employees a chance to apply for the position before the city recruits someone from outside, but that wasn’t done before Nelson was given the new job.
Nelson will keep her position as human resources director and hold the deputy city manager’s spot as well, making her second in command in the city administration while wielding considerable influence over employees with her HR position.
Gorman called the hiring of Nelson a promotion when questioned by City Councilwoman Marguerite Robinson at the May 17th council meeting. The city Human Resources manual doesn’t appear to set any requirements for promotions, other than promoted employees must be placed on probation for six months. Gorman said she got an okay from legal to go forward with the hiring.
But she didn’t ask for city council approval. There was never a city council vote to hire Nelson as deputy city manager.
The deputy city manager’s position had been vacant since C.J. Zimoski, the city’s first deputy manager, left on short notice last year without giving an explanation for why he gave up the position after many years as city utilities director. He had kept his job as utilities director when hired as deputy manager.
Robinson said she was totally unaware of Gorman’s plans to hire Nelson as deputy manager until Gorman announced it in her manager’s report at the May 3rd council meeting. Robinson said she didn’t know if Council President Debra Jones was surprised by the announcement. As council president, Jones has the most contact with Gorman and the two seem to get along well.
“I was surprised; Ms. Jones may not have been surprised; I don’t know. I asked during that meeting and after, how did this come about?” Robinson said.
She said she was first told a panel of three people interviewed applicants for deputy manager. She asked for the names of the three panelists. She didn’t get an answer at the meeting. She said the following day she didn’t get an answer either.
“I asked if anyone else was interviewed. Obviously not. I thought (Fire) Chief Lamar Stegall or even (Airport Administrator) Benton Stegall would have been a better choice because they know the municipality. They know grants,” Robinson said. “I was told originally it was a position. I was also told it was a promotion.”
“I thought I clarified all that in our email,” Gorman responded at the May 17th council meeting.
“I asked in order to be transparent because none of these people know exactly what’s going on,” said Robinson, motioning with her arms toward residents in the attendance and department heads seated in the room.
Gorman maintained it was a promotion.
“The position was approved and was still in place. I just didn’t fill it until I made a decision to put Deanna in the position. It was a promotion. It was not a recruit,” Gorman responded.
Robinson asked Gorman to name the qualifications that made Nelson eligible to be considered for deputy city manager.
Gorman said the idea was that she didn’t want to go through the recruitment process and bring someone on board who was totally new to the city.
“The idea was to have a deputy who was already familiar with everything,” Gorman said.
The position of deputy city manager was created by the city council to ensure a smooth transition if Gorman ever leaves due to retirement, is terminated, or forced to resign.
City council members were left in an awkward position when former City Manager Scott Lippmann resigned with advance notice and the city had no one to replace him. Former Police Chief Dennis Strow was named interim city manager until Gorman was hired. He didn’t want the job but got stuck with it anyway.
Many questions remain about Gorman’s promotion of Nelson. Spotlight submitted a public records request to the city on May 4 asking for documents related to the hiring of the new deputy city manager but hasn’t’ gotten a response.
Robinson mentioned during her questioning of Gorman on May 17th that Zimoski was an experienced employee when he took on the position of deputy city manager. The council saw him as the future city manager after Gorman left city employment.
“I’d rather not get into that but yeah, it didn’t work out,” Gorman said.
“I’m asking what qualifies her; not that I have anything against you (referring to Nelson). She’s a great HR person,” Robinson said.
Gorman said she has watched Nelson in action and likes what she sees.
“I’ve watched her since she’s been at her position do amazing work in HR as far as getting processes changed up,” Gorman said. “She is very intense when it comes to trying to understand, where are things coming from, where are things going to, and she stays on it until it’s fixed.”
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.City of Williston Regular Meeting May 17, 2022; Posted June 2, 2022
