Topeka officials in talks with search firm that may help find next interim city manager

Topeka's mayor and city council got help from the Keller, Texas-based search firm Strategic Government Resources in 2017 as they picked Brent Trout to be Topeka's city manager.

City of Topeka staff are now negotiating with SGR about its potentially contracting with the city to help the mayor and council find a new interim city manager, city communications director Gretchen Spiker said Tuesday.

The city already has an existing contract with SGR to help place personnel in other key positions in Topeka's city government, she said.

If both agree that SGR will help the city find a "long-term interim city manager," the mayor and council will consider approving the contract involved in a public vote at one of their regular meetings, Spiker said.

Applicants from both inside and outside Topeka's city government will get a chance to be chosen to fill the interim manager's job to replace Richard Nienstedt, Mayor Mike Padilla said.

How long is the current interim city manager willing to stick around?

Nienstedt and Padilla answered questions at their weekly news conference Tuesday at City Hall about steps being taken to replace Nienstedt, 71, who said when he was hired last June that his job would only be temporary.

Though the mayor and council had earlier discussed potentially needing to replace him by the end of September, Nienstedt said Tuesday he is willing to stay in office as long as the mayor and council need him and want him.

Meanwhile, the mayor and council are talking about finding a new interim city manager, Nienstedt said.

More: 'I really don't feel we need a national search firm' for city manager in Topeka, councilman says

What's the city of Topeka's history with SGR?

SGR in 2017 aided Topeka's mayor and city council with a search that ended with their voting unanimously to choose Trout as city manager.

Trout held that position until he left effective Dec. 31, 2021, to become county manager for Harnett County, North Carolina.

No search firms were involved when Topeka's mayor and council voted 7-3 on Dec. 14, 2021, to hire city chief of staff Bill Cochran to replace Trout on an interim basis until a permanent city manager was hired.

The mayor and council chose Topeka-based Kansas Professional Services in March 2022 to help them conduct that search, which resulted in the hiring last September of Topeka's last city manager, Stephen Wade.

When Wade became city manager, Cochran returned to the chief of staff's job, which was discontinued when he retired effective Dec. 2.

The mayor and council voted 10-0 last month to fire Wade for reasons that haven't been made public.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Efforts are underway to find Topeka's next interim city manager