On Monday April 3rd residents will get a chance to mingle with five candidates before the Town Council decides who might lead Fort Myers Beach through its long rebuild. Chris Holly and Keith Wilkins are on a 6-month consulting contract that began shortly after the election when former Town Manager Roger Hernstadt resigned shortly before he was about to be fired.
In addition to helping organize a complete community rebuild, Holly and Wilkins are tasked with finding the next Fort Myers beach Town Manager. The community has taken a liking to Holly and Wilkins and they have agreed to stay on passed their 6-month contract to mentor the next manager if that’s needed. Wilkins did say that would have to be a delicate balance. “You have to be careful they are not working in your shadow.” Ultimately the Town Council will decide if that’s necessary.
The Town Council was supposed to see a list of the final five at its March 20th council meeting but that was pushed back to the 3rd.
If you want to meet the final five candidates and ask them questions, there is a meet-and-greet Monday, April 3rd at 8AM. Following the one-hour community meet-and-greet the council will hold one-on-one interviews with the candidates which they will then rank.
The goal is to have a new Town Manager in place by the middle of May. The salary is between $160,000 and $210,000.