Stephen W. Driscoll, City Manager, has proposed organizational changes in the City Manager’s Office to include appointment of Neil Krutz as Assistant City Manager.

Under the Sparks City Charter (NRS Chapter 470), Section 1.080 Appointive positions, “2.  Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, the City Manager shall appoint heads of each department.”

The City of Sparks Council utilizes pay resolutions to define salaries and benefits for unrepresented employees not covered by Collective Bargaining Agreements under NRS 288.  These Resolutions identify the members to be recognized by a particular work group and are approved by the Council as to the details and financial implications.

The City of Sparks has traditionally promoted from within for its executive positions starting with the City Manager working down through the executive management team and then further downward in the city’s middle management/professional services ranks.

Additionally, executive management employees are appointed by the City Manager, per the City Charter, and the employee is offered an Employment Agreement defining the terms, conditions, salaries, and benefits of the position being offered.  As the contract for an executive employee’s annual financial costs exceed $50,000 per year, the City Council is required to approve such contracts.

The City Manager has offered the position of Assistant City Manager to Neil Krutz pending the approval of an Employment Agreement by the City Council.

Neil Krutz holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree and Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, all earned at the University of Nevada at Reno.  He is recognized by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) as a Credentialed Manager Candidate, having demonstrated a combination of education and local government experience, adherence to high standards of integrity, and a commitment to lifelong learning and professional development.  He will be fully credentialed on August 1, 2016.  Neil is also licensed as a Civil Engineer in Nevada and California.  In addition to earning these degrees, certification and licensure, Neil Krutz taught a number of engineering courses at the University of Nevada at Reno over a period of six years.

Neil began working for the City of Sparks in 1997 as a Civil Engineer, and has steadily advanced with the organization.  In 1999, he made the move to management as Engineering Manager, followed by a steady progression of titles and duties which included Community Development Director in May 2005 and Community Services Director in April 2011.  He was promoted to his current position of Deputy City Manager for Community Services in January 2012.  His current responsibilities include Community Development, Public Works, Parks Maintenance, Waste Water Reclamation, Economic Development and Redevelopment services.

Neil served on the City Management negotiation team for negotiations with the city’s collective bargaining units in the 2015-2017 contract negotiations, having also served on prior negotiating teams for OE-3 discussions.  He brings a combination of recent experience and ongoing coursework to bear on this critical city function.  In June 2014 he completed the Harvard Negotiation Institute:  Mediating Disputes program, offered by the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.  In March 2013 he completed the Driving Government Performance Program, offered by the Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Over the years, Neil has served on many of the Interlocal Committees including Regional Transportation Commission, Truckee Meadows Flood Management Authority and Northern Nevada Water Planning Commission and currently chairs the Joint Coordinating Committee for the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility.

1. The City Council may approve the Employment Agreement for Neil Krutz as the Assistant City Manager, as presented by staff.
2. The City Council may not approve the Employment Agreement for Neil Krutz as the Assistant City Manager, as presented by staff.
3. The City Council may choose not to approve the Employment Agreement for Neil Krutz as the Assistant City Manager, but may provide other direction to City staff.

I move to approve the Employment Agreement for Neil Krutz as the Assistant City Manager.