CITY SEEKS SEARCH FIRM FOR FIRE CHIEF

The City of Milwaukee has issued an Invitation to Bid for "a proposal for a vendor service contract for an executive search firm to recruit candidates for consideration for the position of Fire Chief for the City of Milwaukee Fire Department."
The request is dated June 2nd 2006, and bids must be submitted by June 27th 2006 at 2 p.m.
The four year term of William E. Wentlandt, Jr. expires this fall, and the request for proposal seems to indicate that a nationwide search may be undertaken. It sure makes it clear that Wentlandt will not be reappointed.
No previous "Chief of Fire Protection for the City of Milwaukee" has ever been an outsider. Instead, for the 131 years of the department's history, chiefs were chosen from those who worked their way up the ladder, so to speak.
The executive search firm will be judged on a number of criteria, including "Experience and success in recruiting well-qualified candidates for Fire Chief and other management positions in public safery and/or public service," and "qualifications and experience of personnel to be assigned tothis project and the ability of the firm to carry out the project," along with "proposed fees and expenses."
The city also asks bidders to state a cash discount they will accept for early payment for their services.
The city will also award up to 10 points in its proposal process for "use of a City Certified EBE Subcontractor."
--Michael Horne