After a nationwide search, the Federal Way city council will decide in the next week or so which of five men will be named the next city manager.

As of press time, the city council members were in a "huddle" to make the final decision.

"I can't say anything at this point," said councilwoman Jeanne Burbidge. "We are fortunate to have such good candidates and it will be a tough decision."

The vacancy, temporarily being filled by one of the candidates, Derek Matheson, pays more than $125,000 per year and carries plenty of responsibility.

The city manager is in charge of the city's financial plan, preparing the biennial budget and providing "management direction and coordination of all city departments and activities, in accordance with policies and direction of the city council," according to a city-issued job description.

"The council has done a very good job with treating me like all the other prospects, so I honestly don't know how it stands right now," said Matheson at city hall last week.

Besides Matheson, the four other finalists are Neal Beets, Robert Fishman, Richard Fursman and David Niemeyer.

On June 16, the city held a community forum and reception for the candidates. They were taken on a community tour and were interviewed the next day by city staff, council members and community leaders.

Neal Beets is the city manager for Roseville, Minnesota, a city roughly half as large as today's Federal Way population.

Beets holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Maryland, and a J.D. from Arizona State University College of Law. He was the city attorney in Mesa, Arizona before moving on to Minnesota.

Beets said he was unavailable for comment about the pending decision.

From 2000 until April of this year, Richard Fursman was the city manager of Maplewood, Minnesota. According to an article in the Pioneer Press, a newspaper in Minnesota, "a newly seated city council terminated his contract." Mayor Diana Lorgrie of Maplewood has stated on the record that "the dismissal was not for cause, but because we do not have a meeting of the minds."

Fursman has a B.A. in economics from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota and a M.A. in urban and regional studies from Minnesota State University at Mankato. He is also a doctoral candidate in organizational development at the University of St. Thomas.

"I had a great time visiting!" enthused Fursman last Thursday in a telephone conversation. "I was really impressed with the community, the city staff and council. It's a 'wait and see' now, I'm trying to be patient," Fursman said.

Fursman said he had been to the Northwest before when visiting his brother, who was stationed here as a base sub-commander.

"If I am hired for the position, I will still visit Minnesota because I have older children in college here. But it would be a new adventure for me," said Fursman.

Fursman served as city administrator in three other Minnesota cities prior to his job in Maplewood.

Both Beets and Fursman are also under consideration for the same job, city manager, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The two men interviewed there last Thursday.

David Niemeyer is the city manager in Des Plaines, Illinois, a city of 58,000 near O'Hare Airport, where he oversees a staff of 450 and an annual budget of $125 million. Niemeyer has a B.A. in political science and a Master's in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University.

According to a press release issued by Mary McDougal, the human resource manager of Federal Way, Robert Fishman is currently vice president of ventures and commerce for 21st Century Systems in Honolulu, Hawaii. However, a representative said last Thursday that Fishman "was no longer with the company;" they did provide his direct cell phone number.

When asked about his current employment, Fishman refused to comment and said he "would defer from media comment unless I get some indication" that he will be hired in Federal Way.

Elaborating on his impression of the community during his visit, Fishman said, "It was very pleasant, very warm and hospitable. You could sense optimism in the air."

"There are challenges of growth, and I'm pleased to be a finalist. The council has a choice between high-quality candidates of different schools of management."

Fishman's management style has come under fire in the past. During his tenure as chairman of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), the Hawaiian State Legislative Auditor issued a report highly critical "of the HTA's waste and mismanagement of state funds," said State Senator Donna Mercado Kim of Hawaii.

"Take a look at the [February, 2002] audit. It states 'we found weak and ineffective management and operational leadership at the HTA' and that there were possible indications of serious ethics issues," Senator Kim told the Federal Way News last Thursday via telephone from Hawaii.

Kim recommended closer scrutiny of Fishman's performance at his various jobs in the past.

The final candidate, Derek Matheson, has worked in the Federal Way city manager's office since 1995, and stepped up to serve as Interim City Manager after David Moseley resigned in January of this year.

Matheson graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in political science and a Master's in Public Administration.

"I thought the interview process was very thorough and provided plenty of opportunity for the community to advise the council," said Matheson after the final interviews. "I'm pleased with how I performed and feel I set forth a strong case for myself."

What's the most important skill required for the job?

"Communication. With the council, city employees and the public. I surely believe that communication skills are 90% of what makes a great city manager," Matheson said.