Before anyone could even be interviewed, East Ridge cut its list of city manager candidates in half.
During a special meeting Monday, the East Ridge City Council settled on nine potential managers who apparently had a bachelor's degree in public administration, a necessity for the position based on the City Charter. After that meeting, interim City Attorney Hal North emailed those candidates, informing them they were still in the running and asking for copies of their diplomas. He wanted to make sure they held the proper degree.
A couple of them did.
At a City Council meeting Thursday night, North announced that the pool of candidates shrank to four. Despite what the council originally thought, five of those candidates did not have the proper degree.
And the pool might shrink more. Clarence Hulse, a consultant from Woonsocket, R.I., told North he will send a copy of his college transcripts because his diploma did not specify his major.
The other three candidates are Jim Coleman, of Lady Lake, Fla., Kenneth Creque, of Plymouth, N.C., and Chris Dorsey, of Pasco County, Fla. Dorsey was the Red Bank city manager from 2005-11 before its council fired him.
Most members of the City Council will interview the candidates through Skype next week. Councilman Denny Manning will not attend because he will be out of town. As the councilmen voted to meet next week, Manning had to urge several of them that he would not be upset about missing the interviews.
"I want all five of us involved," Mayor Brent Lambert told Manning on Thursday night. "I know it's being generous of you to--"
"I would rather the council go ahead and do it," Manning jumped in, "because I want it done as quick as we can get it done."
Contact Tyler Jett at tjett@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.