Roseville

Runner-up is right for Roseville

By Sara Kandel
C & G Staff Writer

ROSEVILLE — Council approved a contract for the new city manager at the Feb. 14 regular City Council meeting.

The man they picked was Scott Adkins, the city supervisor in St. Clair. Adkins wasn’t their first choice, though.

“The motion by council was to offer a contract to (Chris) Wilson, and if that didn’t work, we would offer to Adkins,” outgoing City Manager Steve Truman explained.

And that’s exactly what happened. A contract couldn’t be reached with Wilson, the current city manager of Beverly Hills, so Roseville went with Adkins.

Adkins had impressed the council during the interview process, and it came down to two hours of discussion at a Feb. 7 special meeting for the council to choose between him and Wilson. While he didn’t come out as the first choice, they were especially impressed with Adkins’ answer to one question: what he wanted in a contract with the city.

“When the council asked what he was looking for in a contract, he answered, ‘Let’s give it a year and see if you like me and I like you,’” Truman said. “He did not request a severance package either. He will have a one-year contract with the city, and at that point, they will review his contract and go from there.”

His one-year contract includes a $94,000 salary and a $400 per month vehicle allowance, as well as three weeks paid vacation, and health insurance and sick time in congruence with the current and future contracts of the Roseville Supervisors Union AFSCME Local 1917.

Adkins, 44, wasn’t everyone’s second choice. Mayor Pro Tem Robert Taylor and Councilman Bill Shoemaker voted against the decision to pursue Wilson before Adkins.

“I’m very happy about it,” Shoemaker said. “He was my first choice, and I think he’ll do a great job. He’s real hands-on, and I think he’ll be involved in many things in Roseville and completely buy into being a Roseville person and support the city as he does now up in St. Clair.”

While the other four on council had first opted for Wilson, all of them maintained that Adkins was a very close runner-up and will do a great job in Roseville.

“I think it’s great that Adkins accepted the contract,” Mayor John Chirkun. “He seems like a young, energetic guy. Before the interview process, he had a chance to come down and look at the city’s master plan. He has a degree in planning. He said that he thought the city has a great a plan and that there is a lot of opportunity in Roseville.”

While council is confident that Adkins is the right man for the job, everyone says they’ll miss Truman, whose last day is March 5.

“I told Scott he has some big shoes to fill,” Chirkun said. “Steve has been in this community for 30 years, and he knows the ins and outs of everything here. We will miss him, but I think Scott is up for the job.”

Adkins has been the city supervisor in St. Clair since 2002. Before that, he was the city manager in Vassar, Mich. He worked a number of years as a firefighter and has served with fire departments in Bath Township and Vassar, and the fire and police departments in Huron Township.

He is a member of the Michigan Municipal League, SEMCOG, the International City Manager’s Association and many other local and national groups.

Adkins, who lives in St. Clair, said he’ll eventually be looking into moving into the community and that he is looking forward to working in Roseville, as he sees much potential and possibility here.

“I think there is a lot of opportunity in the city,” said Adkins, who has experience in economic development. “There are a lot of places, such as some spots along the Groesbeck corridor. Roseville has great residential neighborhoods and a great historical district. There’s a lot of potential here.”

Adkins says he’s going to jump right into everything in Roseville, but his first step in doing that is to take some time talking to employees in all departments and council to gain a greater understanding of what they want and need to see happen, and to begin outlining with them the process of making some of the goals outlined in the city’s master plan into reality.

“People say, ‘Dive in and get your feet wet,’” Adkins said. “Well, I’m going to dive in and get my whole body wet.”

Adkins was in Roseville Friday, Feb. 17, just a few days after council approved his contract, to work with Truman, get to know the department heads and gain a better understanding of the issues facing the city.

He will take over as city manager on March 6, but says he plans on coming in a few more times before that to help make the transition as smooth as possible.
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Sara Kandel at skandel@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1030.