Lawton City Council to look at city manger applications

Members of the City Council will meet in special session Thursday to discuss applicants for Lawton city manager.

The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. in the auditorium of Lawton City Hall, Southwest 9th and C.

Discussions about city manager applicants will be conducted in executive session, as council members move forward with plans to replace former City Manager Michael Cleghorn. Cleghorn resigned in March and City Attorney John Ratliff was designated by the council to serve as interim city manager until a permanent replacement is found.

Council members voted in June to hire the Texas-based company Strategic Government Service to recruit a new city manager. The agreement specifies the firm would conduct initial screening and review of applicants before compiling a list of semi-finalists for evaluation and interview, as well as do the comprehensive background checks, then selection and evaluation of finalists. Council members said in June they didn’t know how long the selection process would take, but Strategic Government Services outlined a 15-week process to get from advertising the position to face-to-face interviews.

The executive session also will include an update on pending action filed by former city employee Julie Magness, who filed suit against the City of Lawton in August for wrongful termination.

Before the executive session begins, council members will discuss a job description and recruiting process for the city clerk, who is one of four city administrative heads who work for the council. The council is seeking a replacement for long-time City Clerk Traci Hushbeck, who will retire later this year.