Works seeking interim position

Deputy City Manager Marena Works put in for interim city manager, forgoing the option of trying now to replace Larry Werner in Carson City’s permanent chief executive role.

Werner, city manager for almost six years, said in October he will retire Dec. 19. Works is among local possibilities the Board of Supervisors could consider for the interim and could have considered for the permanent post atop city staff. Her weekend decision to seek the interim post surfaced Monday after she sent an email to city government’s human resources department director.

“For me right now,” Works said later in the day, “it is the right decision.”

Fire Chief Stacey Giomi last week said he might be interested in the permanent city manager role, but Works initially had declined to say whether she wanted to seek the top spot permanently.

The board on Nov. 7 decided it would retain a headhunting search firm to help the Human Resources Department seek candidates by conducting a national search with regional emphasis. At the same time, the board signaled whoever became interim wouldn’t be considered for the post on a permanent basis.

The board today in a special meeting will interview representatives of four firms to find a consulting company that will help in the search. Today’s special meeting begins at noon in the Community Center’s Sierra Room.

Through mid-day on Monday, Works and two people outside city government had expressed interest in serving in the interim capacity. The others, who surfaced last week, are Robert Van Nort of Gardnerville and Tom Stone of Genoa.

Van Nort cited extensive credentials as a former city manager and interim city manager for communities in California and Idaho. Stone said he served as a county commissioner in Colorado’s Eagle County years ago, more recently as deputy director of the Nevada Rural Housing Authority.

Human Resources Director Melanie Bruketta said she is prepared to take communications of interest in the interim post until the board’s regular meeting Thursday. That meeting begins at 8:30 a.m., but the agenda item on choosing an interim city manager is set toward the end of the day’s workload.

Works has been deputy city manager since May. A nurse, the deputy city manager served from June, 2008 until last May as city government’s director of Health and Human Services. From October, 1999 to June, 2008, she was chief nurse/high school nurse with the Carson City School District.