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Former Hancock Mayor Barry Givens is the city council’s selection to be the new city manager.
Givens was chosen from four candidates who interviewed for the position on Saturday.
The decision to extend the offer to Givens was reached unanimously by the council, with At Large Councilman Joe Bauman having to leave before the vote was taken but first expressed his support for Givens.
The other candidates interviewed were Jill Murr, Robert Widigan and Matt Wiitala.
The consensus was that Givens would give the city the smoothest transition from retiring city manager Glenn Anderson and was best equipped to help lead Hancock in the future.
Mayor Pro-Tem Ted Belej says the council is confident they made the correct choice. “For Barry, he’s got ties to the community. He’s been here, he’s lived here and breathed it. He’s been a part of city government already. It was a no-brainer,” Belej said.
Belej was on the council when Givens served as mayor and says he displayed the leadership qualities the city is looking for.
Belej said, “He was a great leader and I recall specifically when we had the issue with the Swedetown Creek thing, how he went and told the subcommittees ‘you come back with a solution and not with more questions and we’ll pass it.’ The subcommittees didn’t, stuff never got passed.”
Givens’s employment is subject to a background check and a further reference review.
A committee made up of Mayor Lisa McKenzie, Councilman Paul LaBine and Belej will work out an employment agreement to be presented to the rest of the council and then to Givens.
