Eustis commission moves to begin search for next city manager; staff to issue consultant solicitation

EUSTIS, Fla. — Following the city manager’s announced departure, the Eustis commission on Dec. 12 gave staff consensus direction to begin the early steps of a consultant‑assisted recruitment for a new city manager and to prepare interim continuity measures.

Context and timing: Commissioners stated the manager had provided a 90‑day notice and flagged March as the likely transition window. Several commissioners stressed the importance of operational continuity and recommended that department heads continue reporting through existing channels while the search runs.

Search process direction: Commissioners asked staff to prepare an RFP/solicitation to hire a consultant to support a national search and suggested the consultant would conduct stakeholder interviews, help craft the job profile and run candidate outreach. Commissioners emphasized they would expect a deliberate process — possibly several months — to find a permanent replacement and discussed the option of appointing an in‑house interim executive to maintain stability in the meantime.

Consensus and next actions: While the workshop is a non‑action forum, commissioners gave staff direction to draft the consultant solicitation, circulate a draft to commissioners for input and proceed with the procurement process so the search can start ahead of the March transition. Commissioners also asked staff and legal counsel to evaluate interim appointment options and any pension/contract implications for internal candidates.

The commission agreed to continue discussing the recruitment timeline in January and to move quickly to engage a consultant so the city can mount a thorough search without disrupting ongoing priorities.