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CITY OF CORTEZ
123 ROGER SMITH AVENUE
CORTEZ, CO 81321 |
Drew Sanders
City Manager
123 E Roger Smith Ave,
Cortez, CO. 81321
dsanders@cortezco.gov
Memorandum
To:
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CORTEZ CITY COUNCIL
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From:
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DREW SANDERS, CITY MANAGER |
Date:
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July 16, 2024
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RE:
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Executive Search and Recruitment Services Bid
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| BACKGROUND |
The City of Cortez is seeking to recruit a Director of General Services and a Library Director. A previous attempt to fill the Library Director position was not successful even after receiving 18 applications. Additionally, the retirement of our General Services Director has left a vacancy that is not easy to fill. As a result, we are seeking the services of a professional firm to help us find qualified candidates that will meet the needs of these key positions. |
| DISCUSSION |
A bid was put out for recruiting firms to help us with this process; we received 16 bids with costs as high as $70,270. After reviewing the bids, there were seven companies whose bid amounts came in under $50K who were vetted and scored. Scoring was based upon 5 factors to include: cost, value, aggregate recruiting experience, government recruiting experience, and experience in Colorado. The scoring matrix is attached to this agenda item for reference.
Of the seven companies vetted, Colombia Ltd. of Colorado Springs, scored a 23.5 out of the possible 25 points. The next highest score was a 17 that was earned by a Colorado company known as Comcentric Inc. In the opinion of staff, Columbia Ltd. stood out amongst the other bidding organizations in all areas except cost. The Columbia Ltd. bid documents were very clear and concise. The company plan and associated costs were plainly laid out and easy to understand. One item that was stated in the Columbia Ltd. bid documents, which no other scored company clearly mentioned in their documents, was the fact that Columbia Ltd. factored in at least two on-site visits to Cortez to handle these selection processes. On-site visitation was unclear in the Comcentric packet so I reached out to them for clarification. I was told they could send someone if we wanted them to, but had planned to handle the recruitments virtually. This was followed up with an email sent the following day indicating they were happy to send one or more recruiters to Cortez. Comcentric did not provide any documentation that they are indeed a certified company in Colorado, in contrast to Columbia Ltd. who provided a document and made that fact very clear. Additionally, the scope of services offered by Comcentric is unclear, including additional costs that may be incurred. The cost estimate for Comcentric (who state their cost is based upon 18% of successful candidate base salary) is $39,600, while the cost for Columbia Ltd. is $45,000.
The lowest bidder in this process is Charter Oak based in New Haven, CT ($18,600). However, the Charter Oak bid documents did not appear to account for all expenses that may be incurred, including any recruiter travel, and there is a suspicion that hidden costs may be incurred. Ultimately, Charter Oak scored a 9 out of a possible 25 points. |
| RECOMMENDATION |
It is my belief that it is expressly necessary for any firm selected to perform recruiting services to make the requisite trips to the City of Cortez for face to face preparation meetings with staff members if we are to have a successful process for these positions. Furthermore, it is not acceptable in my judgment to handle candidate interviews with decision makers virtually since there is an incredible amount of non-verbal information lost when interviews are not face to face.
Ultimately, the City of Cortez has a history of successful recruitments using Columbia Ltd. (four within the past three years), including a successful dual recruitment like we are requesting now (Parks and Recreation Director and Public Works Director). Columbia Ltd. knows the City of Cortez, understands our history including some of our darkest hours with our financial system, and we are assured of a stable process with no surprises. Even though the cost for Columbia Ltd. is higher than some of the other rated bidders, this appears to be an example of getting what we pay for in quality. Staff therefore recommends that Council authorize the selection of Columbia Ltd. |
| MOTION |
If agreed upon by the City Council, a possible motion would be:
I move that the City Council accept and approve the bid from Columbia Ltd. for recruiting services for the Director of General Services and the Library Director, and grant authorization to City Manager Drew Sanders to negotiate and sign contracts for this purpose. |
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