38 apply for Poplar Bluff city manager job

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Poplar Bluff Advisory Search Committee is ready to tackle the big job of interviewing applicants for city manager.

"We have received 38 applications," city clerk Pam Kearbey said during a meeting late last week.

The job came open in early May, when the city council terminated the contract of former city manager Doug Bagby. Mark Massingham has been serving in an interim role since then.

Mayor Pro Tem Jack Rushin, the committee chairman, led the group in deciding on the questions to be asked applicants during the first interviews, which will be conducted electronically at Three Rivers College.

The committee decided to interview four candidates Tuesday night. Devin Stephenson, TRC president and committee member, made the arrangements.

Kearbey will contact four applicants to schedule the initial 30-minute interviews.

When the number of applicants is reduced, the committee will conduct one-hour interviews at city hall. The committee may have a third interview for finalists.

Committee members also have been busy reading resumes.

Sandy Walker, a committee member, noted answers to some of the questions "should be in the resume for the type of professional we are looking for."

"If doing a good job, we would like for a person to stay for a long time," Rushin said.

Jim Bailey, a committee member, said the city needs "someone with experience on incentives with all that is going on in our community."

Rushin said one applicant from Jefferson City, Missouri, dropped off his resume at a council meeting Monday night.

The committee then went into a closed session to discuss "the personal info of the applicants," Rushin said.