Recruiting for City Manager

City of Flowery Branch, GA

About Flowery Branch

FoundedIn 1874

Population0f 9200

Square Miles6.33

The City of Flowery Branch is located in Hall County,Georgia on the shores of beautiful Lake Lanier. It’spart of the Gainesville metropolitan area, but is theonly town named Flowery Branch in the world. Soit’s definitely one of a kind. Proximity is key toFlowery Branch’s desirability as a destination andplace to call home. The geography of the City puts itabout 1 hour from downtown Atlanta and 1 hourfrom the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Flowery Branch is home to the NFL’s Atlanta FalconsHQ and Training Camp. Each summer the teamopens the doors to their home base for fans tocome out and enjoy watching the team duringtraining camp. It’s a fun, free activity for fans to getsome up close time with the players.

The City has been working towards revitalizing itshistoric downtown area, known as ‘Old Town.’ OldTown’s location is unique in that it sits on the shoreof Lake Lanier. The City of Flowery Branch has beendiligent in preserving its historic features andworking towards rehabilitating this area to appealto businesses, families and visitors of all ages.

Flowery Branch has some great outdoor recreationfacilities. From boat rentals at one of the localmarinas, to hiking and biking trails, the City offers avariety of activities to do outdoors.

Flowery Branch is a Georgia Camera Ready filmcommunity. Currently, the award-winning Netflixseries Ozark is completing its final season filming onLake Lanier in Flowery Branch.

The City’s population and density has been rapidlygrowing since 2000. The median household incomehas also grown tremendously over the past decade.With over 3,000 new homes slated for developmentin the near future, Flowery Branch is poised tobecome the population center of South Hall County.

About the Government

The City of Flowery Branch is a full-service municipality that operates undera Council/Manager form of government. The Mayor and Council is a six-member body elected at-large that sets policies, enacts ordinances,approves appropriations and develops the overall vision for thecommunity, which is then carried out under the City Manager’s direction.The position of City Manager is appointed by the Mayor and Council and isresponsible for directing the daily operations of all city departments andworks closely with the Mayor and Council to ensure the vision of the City’selected officials is implemented.

City services are provided through several departments including:Administration, Finance, Planning and Community Development, PublicWorks Water and Sewer. Within these departments are 59 full-timeemployees. The General Fund budget is $5.2 million with a Water & Sewerbudget of $2.1 million and SPLOST budget of $1.1million.

About the Position:

The City Manager is the Chief Administrative Officer and is responsible to the Mayor and City

Council for the administration of all city affairs as required by the charter. The position is

specifically responsible for directing and supervising the administration of all departments of

the City. Specific duties and responsibilities of the position include:

• Plans, organizes and oversees the day-to-day operations of the City services through city

departments.

• Hires, directs and supervises, disciplines and/or removes all city employees in accordance

with the City Charter, personnel rules and regulations and applicable laws.

• Plans, organizes, and manages the preparation and administration of the annual operating

and capital budget; presents the budget to the Mayor and City Council; reviews financial

and programmatic aspects of the budget as needed; and presents budget matters to the

Mayor and Council.

• Meets with individuals, civic groups, businesses, City Council, attorneys, or Court officials

to answer questions, responds to complaints, and promotes a positive public image.

• Ensures that all provisions of the City Charter and all ordinances approved by the Mayor

and Council are faithfully executed.

• Supervises the purchase of all materials and equipment in accordance with fiscal policies

of the City.

• Attends all meetings of the Council; takes part in the discussion of all matters coming

before the Council; interprets instructions and requests and ensures that requests are

fulfilled.

• Directs and oversees the preparation of a wide variety of reports and presentations and

interfaces with the media and serves as a key spokesperson for the City on city matters.

The Ideal Candidate

The City of Flowery Branch seeks a professional CityManager who is a dedicated team player and canquickly gain the confidence of the community. Theright candidate for this position is experienced andethical, a dedicated leader who possesses the abilityto build community trust through the developmentof partnerships with various stakeholders and othergovernment entities. The ideal candidate willdemonstrate the ability to embrace change andfocus on continuous improvement while guiding thecommunity through challenges. He/she will beexpected to articulate a vision of excellence,establish credibility and consistency in delivery ofservices, and be a creative problem solver andexcellent communicator in response to uniqueopportunities in Flowery Branch.

Candidate Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in public

administration, business administration or

related degree from an accredited college or

university. A master’s degree is highly

preferred.

• A minimum of five years of executive level

management experience in local governments

of similar size and complexity to the City of

Flowery Branch or applicable executive type

experience is required.

• Evidence of continued professional

development such as ICMA Credentialed

Manager designation, is a positive indicator of

dedication to the profession and will be noted

during the vetting process.

Lawrenceville Historic Square

Challenges & Opportunities:The new City Manager will be expected to provide leadership and/or significant input to the following:

•The City is in the planning stages of significant expansion of its wastewater treatment plant to more than

double current capacity. The new Manager be expected to manage the design engineers and contractors

selected for the project to ensure it is completed in a timely and cost effective manner.

•Working with the Mayor and Council, the new Manager should help define a vision of positive growth that

protects Flowery Branch’s historical identity as a quality small residential community while utilizing appropriate

growth tools such as Tax Allocation Districts, Enterprise Zones, and Opportunity Zones to enhance commercial

development.

•Consultants selected by the City are currently drafting an updated building code ordinance that will be a key

component of a future Unified Development Code. The Manager will be expected to ensure that appropriate

recommendations related to the UDC are presented to the Mayor and Council that will produce high-quality

developments, support managed growth, establish appropriate development fees, and support Flowery

Branch’s community values.

•The City is exploring several options to increase the City’s water system capacity. The Manager will be

expected to provide guidance to this exploration in a manner that serves the best interest of the City.

•The new Manager will be expected to develop a working relationship with employees that builds trust,

recognizes expertise of current staff, ensures workloads are properly assigned, demands accountability for job

performance, avoids micromanagement, and encourages quality customer service. An important element of

retaining a strong, committed workforce will be the development of a merit-based pay plan with an employee

appraisal component to measure job performance.

•The City is currently partnering with a private developer to preserve the charm of the Old Town area while

enhancing commercial opportunities and creating a downtown that is seen as a destination point for shopping,

restaurants, and community events. The new Manager will be expected to manage the progress of this project

to ensure quality and timely completion. The Manager also will help identify funding sources and provide

leadership to implementation of other downtown development projects envisioned in the comprehensive plan

including additional public-private partnerships, improved streetscapes, a farmer’s market, amphitheater, and

park improvements.

•The Manager will be expected to identify best practices for financial reporting and revenue projections that

will ensure transparency, maximization of revenues, control of operating costs, and strengthen the City’s

Capital Improvement Program for infrastructure improvements.

•The Mayor and Council expects a collaborative working relationship with the new Manager defined by open

and timely communication within a supportive learning environment that is mutually respectful of the

responsibilities of the Manager and Elected Officials.

•The new Manager will need to be proactively focused on transportation and stormwater infrastructure needs

related to ongoing maintenance and planning for new growth. Special attention should be given to the I-985

corridor, traffic challenges due to multi-family developments, additional sidewalks, signage and parking to

support downtown as a point of designation, and review of consultant’s work related to proper traffic flow in

the downtown area.

Interested candidates must submit by email a cover letter, resume, at least five job related

references and salary history no later than August 27, 2021: Lisa Ward, Senior Associate,

Mercer Group Associates, at lisaward912@gmail.com. Any questions please call

706-983-9326. Interviews are expected to be conducted the first week of October.

How To Apply:

W. Alan Reddish, Senior Associate107 Indigo LaneAthens, Ga. 30606Cell: 706-614-4961

Compensation & Benefits:

The expected starting salary range for this position is $110,000 – $140,000 (depending on

qualifications of the selected candidate), with a comprehensive benefits package, including

health, dental and vision insurance options. The City participates in the Georgia Municipal

Employees Benefit System (GMEBS) Defined Benefit Retirement Plan for its employees.

Participation is mandatory for all eligible employees. The monthly retirement benefit amount

for eligible regular employees is 1/12 of 2% of final average earnings multiplied by years of

total credited service. The City also offers a generous leave package and life insurance

coverage options. Relocation expenses are negotiable.