FeedsNew city manager talks continue
Negotiations between the city officials and the potential new chief administrator are apparently ongoing.
Interim City Manager Reid Charles said he’s not sure what the status is of talks between Ann K. Capella, the woman who will likely be the new city manager sometime during the next few weeks, and city officials.
Capella – who has worked in government administration for nearly 15 years – will replace outgoing manager Joyce Parker, if she agrees to accept the position.
Bill Lawrence, city personnel director, was unavailable for comment Tuesday afternoon.
However, representatives from the city of Durango, Colo., said that Capella was not working for the city any longer, and further attempts to reach her were unsuccessful.
Broad experience
The city has released information about Capella’s background in government.
In Durango, Capella oversaw the revision and updating of the city transit map, and the procedure to handle public complaints. She also participated in a subcommittee that oversaw the design of a new transit center.
Prior to accepting the transit post in September 2007, Capella served as the town manager of Minturn, Co. Minturn is a small historic town located between the major cities of Vail and Beaver Creek. While employed by Minturn, Capella reorganized the city staff – which nearly doubled in recent years.
Economic activity in the community also led to the hiring of new staff, attorneys and consultants, and doubled revenues. She held that position from 2003 to 2007.
From 200 to 2003, Capella served as the county executive officer of Imperial County, Ca., which has a population of 145,000 residents. In that position, she helped to complete an $11 million dollar international border infrastructure project.
Capella also held positions with Walworth County, Wi., Livingston County, Il., and the Tax Research Conference of Sioux City, Ia..
She last worked in Detroit in 1992, when she was a faculty assistant at Wayne State University. In Michigan, she held positions with Detroit Edison, the Wayne County Commission and the City of Southfield.
Prior to her excursion into government, Capella worked in the quality control department of General Motors Canada.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in local government from the University of Windsor, and a master’s degree in public personnel management from Wayne State.
Transition coming soon
Finding a city manager was a rough process compared to the one the city undertook in 2004, when Parker was hired.
A process that was expected to take only a few weeks was dragged out by nearly three months after the initial choice for the position – Fred Zorn – accepted another position.
The city was informed about a week after the interviews that Zorn had accepted a position as the deputy manager of the City of Southfield.
Second choice for the position, former Eastpointe City Manager D. Wayne O’Neal, did not receive enough support from the council to allow for an offer of employment amid concerns that he would ask to be paid the top pay for the position, which is $105,000 per year.
A second round of interviews produced three candidates – one of whom was Capella.
As manager, Capella would oversee all departments and report to the seven-member council. The city of Inkster employs about 130 people.
