HELENA — A company led by a former Helena city commissioner is suing the city, claiming they’re not following open meeting laws as they look for a new city manager.
Brothers Maintenance Corporation filed a lawsuit this week in state district court. The company’s president is former Commissioner Andres Haladay.
As the city commission looks for a replacement for retiring city manager Tim Burton, they’ve created a “Manager Relations Committee” of two members – Mayor Wilmot Collins and Commissioner Sean Logan – to work on the search process.
The lawsuit says the committee’s meetings haven’t been announced, the agendas haven’t been public and the city hasn’t made the minutes of those meetings available. It says that’s a violation of the public’s right to know.
“Every day that the City violates the law, the City withholds public information relevant to the public’s observation and participation in this truncated process,” the plaintiff’s attorneys said in a court filing. “The City’s current proposes limited public participation starting in less than five weeks—Thanksgiving week. The public needs access to the Committee’s work while there is still a process to participate in.”
Haladay told MTN Thursday the lawsuit wasn’t intended to stop the city manager search, only to require leaders to provide more transparency. He said city leaders have previously promised an open process when recruiting new managers, but that the way they’re handling the process this time means the public hasn’t had a real chance to know what’s going on.
“I wish the city would do what it said it would do back in 2022,” he said.
A spokesperson for the city of Helena declined to comment on ongoing litigation.
The city did announce Thursday that their recruitment consultants will be holding a listening session next week to get input on what qualities and priorities people want from the next city manager. Communication and Management Services, LLC's meeting will be next Thursday, Oct. 30, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the Commission Chambers at the City-County Building. For those who can’t attend the meeting, CMS has opened an online survey which will be available through Nov. 4.
The city began accepting applications for the city manager position Oct. 10. Leaders are planning a first review of applications on Nov. 5. They have said they hope to fill the position by the time Burton retires at the end of December.
