City manager search narrowed down to 2.

Robert Splane, left, and Joseph Erickson

City manager search narrowed down to 2.

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.

HART — The search for a new city manager has been narrowed down to two candidates — interim city manager and former city council member Robert Splane who is a tech support analyst for JSJ Corp. in Grand Haven and owns West Coast Integration, LLC in Hart and Joseph Erickson who is the village manager for Ontonagon in the Upper Peninsula since 2012, said Hart Mayor Vicki Platt.

Former Hart City Manager Lynne Ladner left her employment with the city, which she said was prompted by the city council not renewing her contract. Her last day was May 7, and she has accepted another position in Florida.

Ladner was hired in 2018 when long-time Hart City Manager Stan Rickard retired from the position.

The position, which is in the salary range of $85,000-$105,000, has been posted on various web sites, such as LinkedIn, the Michigan Municipal League, Indeed and the City of Hart, said Mayor Platt.

Splane was appointed by the council as interim city manager, April 27, and he has resigned from his council seat due to a conflict of interest. He had been on the council for the last several years.

A subgroup of Platt and council members Jim Evans and Catalina Burillo interviewed four candidates from a field of 31 applicants. The subgroup recommended to the full council to move forward with second interviews of Erickson and Splane, said Platt. Those interviews are expected to take place within the next two weeks, and will be conducted by the full council.

The city manager search process has been conducted under the guidance of City Attorney Mark Nettleton of Mika Meyers in Grand Rapids, said Mayor Platt.

“We are very excited for the new direction Hart is going in,” she said. 

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