April 10, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes, Draft Corrected (Minutes)

**Executive Summary**

**Meeting Overview**
The Northport Village Council held a special meeting on February 27, 2025, to interview candidates for the Village Manager position. The meeting commenced at 10:00 a.m. with roll call, and the council members present included President Pro Tempore Cook and Trustees Dean, Cavendish, Harper, and Ager, while Trustee Ruble attended via Zoom. Village staff members also participated, including Clerk Joni Scott, Treasurer Diana Simons, and Village Manager Jim Dyer. The agenda was accepted with no additions or corrections and no public comments were made during the session.

**Candidate Interviews**
The Council systematically interviewed candidates: Dorando, Green, Marske, Moskovitz, and Ottenwess. Each candidate was questioned on various relevant topics such as their management styles, understanding of the Village Manager’s responsibilities, financial knowledge, leadership qualifications, and commitment to village regulations. Notably, candidate Ottenwess addressed his departure from a previous role as Traverse City Manager, contextualizing his past challenges and assuring the council of his current professionalism.

**Selection for Second Round Interviews**
Following the candidate presentations, an informal voting process led to the selection of candidates Douglas Durando and Jared Ottenwess for second-round interviews. This decision sparked a debate among council members, particularly with Trustee Dean advocating for Green and Moskovitz instead. Nevertheless, the majority favored Durando and Ottenwess, and a motion to invite them back for further interviews was carried with a vote of 4 yeas to 1 nay. The second interviews are scheduled for March 7, 2025, at 1:00 PM.