Staff recommends City Council select one of the four recruitment firms that have expressed interest in handling the City Administrator recruitment process. The four recruitment firms are listed below and their proposals are attached:

• Clear Career Professionals
• Colin Baenziger & Associates
• GMP Consultants
• Strategic Government Resources (SGR)

This recruitment process is expected to take at least 12–14 weeks once the firm is selected and work begins.

Due to Chris Kukulski's retirement, the City Council will need to review and revise the City Administrator job description, if needed.  In addition, City Council will need to hire an Executive Recruitment firm to lead the recruitment process for the next city administrator.  Selecting the right firm is essential to ensuring the City attracts a highly qualified candidate who aligns with the City's strategic direction, organizational culture, and long-term priorities.  Given the importance of this hiring decision, the City Council should have a clear understanding of the firm's capabilities, track record, and alignment with the City's organizational needs. Some key elements for City Council consideration include:

• Review the firm's history of successful placements and reach out to client references.  
• Understand the firm's approach to finding, screening, and evaluating candidates.
• Evaluate the breadth and depth of the firm's network, including national reach, as well as their ability to engage candidates who may not be actively seeking a new role.
• Evaluate the experience level of the firm's team that will lead the recruitment process.
• Review the firm's fee structure, payment schedule, and any guarantees regarding candidate placement or search continuation.

The recruitment process is expected to take 12–14 weeks, once the firm is selected and work begins. City of Billings Purchasing Procedures, PROCUREMENT THRESHOLDS, section B.1.5 states: Contracts for architectural, engineering, land surveying, software, consultant, and miscellaneous professional contracts, for which the fees are estimated not to exceed $49,999.99 may contract for those professional services by direct negotiation.  Therefore, the City is not required to conduct a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) process.     

City Administrator Chris Kukulski retired from the City of Billings on May 29, 2026. The current job description has been attached and is available for City Council review. 

In addition, the City Council will be hiring an Executive Recruitment firm to lead the recruitment process for the next city administrator. Please see a summary of the four recruitment firms in the FISCAL EFFECTS section of this memo.

Please see the following summary of the firms' recruitment experience, fee structures and guarantees:

Clear Career Professionals: 

• Established in 2022, with a regional office in Polson, Montana. The position would be advertised on The Clear Voice podcast, which is distributed across LinkedIn, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and is embedded in all job announcements and email outreach.
• The $20,000 fixed-fee structure includes all services and expenses, including graphic design for the recruitment brochure, position podcasts, national and statewide job postings, background verifications, and consultant travel.  
• Travel, meals, and hotel costs for finalists are not included.
• Guarantee: If the selected candidate leaves the position for any reason within the first 12 months, then the firm will conduct a new recruitment at no additional cost to the City.

Colin Baenziger & Associates:

• Established in 1998, and has conducted over 420 recruitments with over 250 for City and County Managers.
• The $34,500 fixed fee includes all consultant travel costs and recruitment expenses.
• Travel, meals, and hotel costs for finalists are not included.
• Guarantee: If the selected candidate leaves the position for any reason within the first 12 months, then the firm will conduct another search to find a replacement.  The city will only be charged for expenses.

GMP Consultants: 

• Established in 1999, and has conducted over 450 local government searches.
• The $24,000 fee for professional services includes consultants' services that are required to conduct the recruitment. 
• Additional expenses are submitted at actual cost with no markup. (Job boards, direct mail announcements, and background checks are estimated at $4,875)
• Travel, meals, and hotel costs for the consultant and finalists are not included.
• Guarantee: If the selected candidate leaves the City for any reason within the first 18 months, then the firm will conduct another search to find a replacement. The city will only be charged for expenses.

Strategic Government Resources: 

• Established in 1999, and has conducted over 450 local government recruitment searches.
• The position is advertised in SGR's Servant Leadership e-newsletter, which reaches 35,000 subscribers, and on their website, reaching 20,000 visitors per month.
• The executive recruiter has over 30 years of experience in local government, including serving as City Manager.
• The $26,919 fixed fee and up to $2,500 in advertising costs, with a not-to-exceed fee of $29,419, inclusive of two (2) onsite consultant visits up to 3 days each.
• Travel, meals, and hotel costs for finalists are not included.
• Guarantee: If the selected candidate leaves the City for any reason within the first 12 months, then the firm will conduct another search to find a replacement.  The city will only be charged for expenses.

City Council, City employees and City of Billings' residents.

City Council may:

• Select from one of the firms listed to lead the City's recruitment process to find the next City Administrator;
• Request additional information or explore additional recruitment firms who did not respond initially; or
• Request that the City's Human Resources Department handle the recruitment.