E.L. city manager finalists meet students, community

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A day before East Lansing’s five remaining city manager candidates were set to interview with the city council, the finalists faced East Lansing residents and MSU students at a community reception.

Inside the Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, about 60 community members gathered to speak with candidates during a two-hour reception, grilling them on subjects ranging from their ideas for the city’s finances to East Lansing’s relationship with MSU.

The list of candidates includes two current city administrators — Director of Public Works Todd Sneathen and Interim City Manager George Lahanas — and three other candidates, all of whom have worked or currently work in Michigan towns.

The city council hopes to select its new city manager by Friday.

The relationship between East Lansing and the university is an important one that the new city manager should focus on, said Vishnu Pemmaraju, a genetics junior and the vice president of the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, 1218 East Grand River Ave.

“We’ve been interacting with a lot of council members lately,” he said of the fraternity. “The city manager is quite important (to the university’s relationship with the city).”

Candidate and current Saginaw City Manager Darnell Earley said he would emphasize the close relationship between MSU and the city if he is selected to fill the permanent role.

“I would maintain open communication with the leadership there,” he said.

Earley said his experience dealing with finances and budgets also gives him an advantage in the selection process.

“The first thing I want to do is get familiar with the financial situation (in the city),” he said.

Current Interim City Manager George Lahanas said his current body of work filling the temporary position speaks for itself.

“I think that the things that I’ve already started to do are the things I would want (to do as permanent city manager),” he said. “We’re doing the best we can do regardless (of the city manager search process).”

Earlier Wednesday, the finalists interviewed with three different community panels — one made of senior city administrators, another composed of other city officials and a third panel of community members and MSU representatives.

A search process stretching back to last year still has not satisfied some East Lansing residents.

Resident Jim Anderson said the search process lacked focus at the start, and as a result, left the city without adequate candidates.

“Some of the candidates in this room probably shouldn’t be here,” he said. “I’m not satisfied.”

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