Orland interviews administrator finalists

Four finalists were recently interviewed for the Orland city administrator’s position, and it is time for background checks to be performed.

Interim City Administrator Joe Riker said Orland City Council members interviewed the top candidates last weekend.

However, a job offer will not come until after the finalists have been “vetted” through  contacts with their references and other background information, he said.

Riker said he expects a possible appointment of a new manager by the end of September or early October.

Orland advertised the position during the spring in national trade magazines, on the Internet and in regional local government publications.

The ad campaign netted 19 responses from across the United States, Riker said. That list was narrowed to the top six and at least one applicant reportedly found another job, Riker said, so the pool went down.

The majority of the applicants were from California, but some were from out of state, he said.

Riker retired June 30 after six years of working in Orland, but he agreed to stay on as interim city manager until his successor is named.

A brochure extolling Orland’s small-town charm and its surrounding agricultural heritage was created to advertise the position by Creative Composition of Orland.

The brochure also listed the desired qualifications and educational backgrounds for applicants.

City staff and council members did an initial screening earlier this month before narrowing the field down, Riker said.

The city also planned to have city staff and a committee of community members also interview the final candidates.

A starting date for the new administrator will be decided once an offer is made and accepted, he said.

In the meantime, Riker is working under an interim, part-time contract until everything is settled and his replacement is on board.