TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Councilor Linda Nishioka, Ward 1
SUBJECT:
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Motion from Councilor Linda Nishioka concerning a performance evaluation for the interim City Manager
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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MOTION:
I move that the City Council conduct a performance evaluation of interim City Manager Krishna Namburi and direct the City Attorney to distribute a performance evaluation form to each member of Council.
DISCUSSION:
The City Council appointed Interim City Manager Krishna Namburi on March 10, 2025. At that time, the Council voted to defer the recruitment process for a permanent City Manager until at least September 2025 (CITY OF SALEM - File #: 25-85 <https://salem.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7250820&GUID=E038A72D-553C-48EA-90EB-4B857F527D3E>). As that date approaches, the Council will need to determine whether to initiate a public recruitment process or consider a direct appointment. An evaluation of Ms. Namburi’s performance during her interim tenure will help inform that decision.
Under Council Policy A-6, Council is to conduct a performance review and salary-setting process for the City Manager using an approved evaluation form. The policy outlines a process in which each councilor completes the evaluation form, submits it to a third-party consultant, and reviews a compiled version in executive session before meeting with the City Manager to finalize the review.
Given that Ms. Namburi has served in the interim capacity for approximately six months, engaging a consultant may not be necessary at this time. Engaging a consultant could result in unnecessary expense and delay. In discussing this motion with the City Attorney, he recommended using the City Manager evaluation form that was used in 2023 (attached) with the City Attorney distributing the form to members of Council and providing a compiled version for Council’s review.
Each councilor would complete the evaluation form anonymously and submit it to the City Attorney, who would compile the responses into a single, summary evaluation document. The council would then meet in executive session to review the summary, determine any necessary revisions, and subsequently meet with Ms. Namburi to discuss the finalized evaluation.
If the Council approves this process, the City Attorney will distribute the evaluation form to all council members and request completed forms be returned by early September. The melded summary will then be prepared and presented to the Council at a September executive session. Council may then meet with the interim City Manager to discuss the draft evaluation.
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Attachments:
1. City Manager Evaluation Form - Council Policy A-6.