Poplar Bluff officials began the selection process Thursday for a new city clerk by interviewing four of the 12 applicants for the position.
City clerk Pam Kearbey, who has held the position since 2004, is retiring as of July 1.
Follow up interviews will be conducted Monday with some of the people interviewed this week. Information concerning when a decision will be made has not been released.
City council members held an open session meeting Thursday morning before beginning the first round of interviews. The interview process was discussed, along with rules for panel question and interview sessions.
“The first (interview) is to determine if the candidate has the job knowledge and the skill set for the positions,” explained personnel director Tim Edington. “For those candidates who pass the first round and move onto to the second, the second round is to determine if he or she is a good fit for the corporate culture that we want to cultivate in the workplace.”
Council members were cautioned not to ask questions of a personnel nature, such as age or religion. This would minimize the city’s exposure to equal employment and affirmative action violations, Edington said.
“At the end of the interview process today, we need to determine who we’re going to move on with,” he said.
Applications for the job were taken in March.
The job requires a bachelor’s degree in business or records management, public administration or a related field, according to the job posting. This can be substituted for two years of related experience. It can also be replaced with any equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience, with additional work experience.
The city clerk acts as custodian of official city records and oversees the accurate recording of minutes for city council meetings.
The clerk also signs checks for the city and is responsible for reviewing documentation for purchases, among other duties.
Council members Steve Davis and Robert Smith were absent.