Brad Ryan and Debra Schnabel at preliminary interviews with the assembly. (Emily Files)
If all goes as planned, there will be an offer on the table next week for Haines’ new permanent borough manager.
The two finalists are both locals. Brad Ryan is the borough public facilities director who is serving for the second time as interim manager. Debra Schnabel is the Haines Chamber of Commerce Director and a former assembly member.
Ryan and Schnabel will go through three interviews early next week: one with members of the public, one with borough staff and one with the assembly.
The process starts Monday morning (April 24) with staff meetings at the Sheldon Museum. Schnabel’s conversation with borough staff is scheduled from 9-10 a.m. Ryan’s is set for 10:30-11:30 a.m. The attendees will have a half hour after each interview to fill out feedback forms about the candidates.
Those meetings are open to the public, but questions will be limited to borough staff members.
The general public will have an opportunity to ask questions later Monday, starting at 5:30 p.m. with Ryan. Schnabel’s community meeting is at 7 p.m. Both will be held at the library.
The staff and community meetings will be moderated by Assembly member and personnel committee chair Margaret Friedenauer. People who want their questions to remain anonymous can write them down and give them to Friedenauer before the meetings or drop them off at the clerk’s office.
The assembly will review input from the community and staff members before its interviews with the candidates Tuesday (April 25). Those are open to the public as well. They begin with Ryan at 5:30 p.m. and Schnabel at 6:45 p.m.
After the interviews, the assembly may go into executive session to deliberate.
The assembly has already heard from many residents about the manager hire decision. More than 30 people have sent emails of support for one candidate or the other. A petition started by resident Dave Long in support of Ryan has gathered more than 150 signatures.
