Commerce Council to hire interim manager

The council met with Berry for two and a half hours on Feb. 1, reaching a general agreement to be formalized Monday. The council meets at 6:30 p.m. in the Commerce Room of the Commerce Civic Center.

“He outlined his strategy and his philosophy,” said Bryant. “I think it went well for everyone.”

Berry recently served as interim manager for Camilla and has done the same for Elberton, Monticello, Moultrie and Cairo.

He will charge the city $5,000 a month and will live in the city in his travel trailer, according to Bryant.

Bryant retires June 30.

“He said there’s a good chance we could have somebody on board by then, but if we don’t he can work through July and August and the first part of September,” Bryant said.

Berry’s first step will be to interview each city council member individually to get an understanding of what each wants in a city manager in terms of qualifications, experience, etc., according to Bryant. Then he will meet with the council as a whole to try to form a consensus.

At the same time, Berry will review the Commerce city charter to see if any changes are needed.

Berry will next create a job description and post the job on various professional websites and in professional magazines and newsletters. Bryant said he expects the ads to begin running in March or early April.

According to Bryant, Berry is the only regular interim manager in Georgia, but the Georgia Municipal Association is showing an interest in providing that kind of service.