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PODCAST

City Manager Unfiltered

City Manager Unfiltered is a podcast by a city manager for city managers. I am your host, Joe Turner, and I’m on a mission to build a community for ambitious city managers. I want to provide you with the career tools and resources to help make you a better executive so you can rack up victories, polish your resume, dominate interviews, land your dream job, and win your contract negotiations. If you are a city manager looking to level up, check out my podcast, City Manager Unfiltered. Hit that

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All Episodes

42:31

Part 3: Conducting a Fire/EMS Needs Assessment with...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/05/07

This is the third and final installment of my three part interview series with Fire/EMS consultant Tim Nowak. The primary purpose of this series is to create an introductory primer and give local elected officials and taxpayers a 30,000 foot level overview of the major issues that must be considered when evaluating fire/EMS service in your communities.My hope is that city and county managers, fire chiefs, and other public sector executives will find our attempt to break this complex issue down into

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47:51

Part 2: Fire/EMS Staffing & Deployment Models with...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/04/30

This is the second installment of my three part interview series with Fire/EMS consultant Tim Nowak. The primary purpose of this series is to create an introductory primer and give local elected officials and taxpayers a 30,000 foot level overview of the major issues that must be considered when evaluating fire/EMS service in your communities.My hope is that city and county managers, fire chiefs, and other public sector executives will find our attempt to break this complex issue down into

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51:29

Part 1: Fire/EMS Operational & Organizational Models...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/04/23

This is the first installment of my three part interview series with Fire/EMS consultant Tim Nowak. The primary purpose of this series is to create an introductory primer and give local elected officials and taxpayers a 30,000 foot level overview of the major issues that must be considered when evaluating fire/EMS service in your communities.My hope is that city and county managers, fire chiefs, and other public sector executives will find our attempt to break this complex issue down into

en

58:42

Handling the Tsunami of Empty Churches with Rick...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/04/16

Richard "Rick" Reinhard is one of the leading experts when it comes to analyzing and repurposing church real estate in America. In this episode, Rick talks about the great emptying of churches and how this negatively impacts communities. In one of the undergraduate courses he teaches, he has referred to this epidemic as "spiritual brownfields." We talk about what can be done to convert and repurpose these decaying vacant or soon to become vacant structures and why city managers and local elected

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01:07:05

Mike Grabianowski: Don't Get Screwed on Your CIP...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/04/09

In this two part series, I interview Mike Grabianowski who has many years of experience monitoring and auditing construction projects. As an employee of Georgia Pacific, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, Mike was tasked with ensuring his company was not overbilled whenever it hired contractors to complete projects.These projects, which could exceed $100 million, were put under a microscope by Mike and his team and he's learned many of the "tricks of the trades" over the years. Now -- he's hung his

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59:33

Mike Grabianowski: Don't Get Screwed on Your CIP...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/04/02

In this two part series, I interview Mike Grabianowski who has many years of experience monitoring and auditing construction projects. As an employee of Georgia Pacific, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, Mike was tasked with ensuring his company was not overbilled whenever it hired contractors to complete projects.These projects, which could exceed $100 million, were put under a microscope by Mike and his team and he's learned many of the "tricks of the trades" over the years. Now -- he's hung his

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01:04:27

Let's Talk About My Night in Jail | Ep. 99

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/03/26

In the previous episode, I discussed the circumstances surrounding my arrest related to the performance of my duties as an assistant county administrator in FloridaIn this episode, I discuss my night in a Walton County jail. AAME JOB BOARD: The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/ SUPPORT THE PODCAST: Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter

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01:06:19

Let's Talk About My Arrest in Florida | Ep. 98

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/03/19

Two weeks ago, I drove across the country to turn myself in on an arrest warrant out of Walton County, Florida. I am facing two third degree felony charges related to carrying out my duties as the assistant county administrator.Though I am innocent until proven guilty and I am confident that I will prevail in court -- I also recognize that in the court of public opinion one is often seen as guilty until proven innocent. As someone who prides himself on being transparent and unafraid of facing

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59:54

From Police Chief to City Manager with Matt Jensby |...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/03/05

After a lengthy and successful career in law enforcement where he served as the police chief for the fastest growing community in Kansas, Matt Jensby had a desire to become a city manager and serve the public in a different way. In this episode, Matt talks about this transition and becoming the city manager for Kechi, a small community north of Wichita.He explains the significant differences between being a department head versus the leader of an entire organization and how much of an eye-opening

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01:19:57

Donald Duncan: Lessons from Hurricane Helene (Part 2)...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/02/26

Caldwell County Manager Donald Duncan and his team were about as prepared as one could be for a natural disaster the size and scope of Hurricane Helene. But even still -- there were lessons to be learned and shared in the aftermath of this storm.In Part 2 of this series, Donald talks about the personal toll this disaster had on him and his staff. We talked about survivors' guilt and how total destruction of the landscape and physical landmarks can cause mass societal depression. We also talked

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01:10:24

Donald Duncan: Lessons from Hurricane Helene (Part 1)...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/02/19

Caldwell County Manager Donald Duncan and his team were about as prepared as one could be for a natural disaster the size and scope of Hurricane Helene. But even still -- there were lessons to be learned and shared in the aftermath of this storm.In this riveting interview series, Donald gives us a rundown of the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to disaster response and preparedness. He has also provided us with a checklist for you and your team to review. I guarantee you will come away

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50:21

Rob Boyer Faced Petition to Adopt Strong Mayor Form...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/02/12

In Illinois, Freeport City Manager Rob Boyer recently faced down a citizen's petition to move away from the council-manager form of government and revert back to the strong mayor form.Reeling from mismanagement and economic decline, Freeport abandoned the strong mayor form of government about a decade ago. Since that time, Rob and his two predecessors have done great work to turn the community around. In this episode, we discuss many of his and their accomplishments and how the residents and

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43:18

What Does AAME Advocacy for City Managers Look Like?...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/02/05

City managers deserve to have a professional association that will fight for them and help communicate their narrative in an environment where the deck is usually stacked against them. In this week's episode I wanted to unpack some various advocacy efforts the American Association of Municipal Executives is currently engaged in on behalf of city managers. Not only are we engaged in direct advocacy on behalf of individuals, but we are also working to educate the public so that they have a better

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56:27

James Freed: Life After Victory Over ICMA | Ep. 92

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/01/29

Last September after mounting pressure, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) finally capitulated and settled the James Freed lawsuit a month before it was scheduled to go to trial. In this episode, we catch up with the Port Huron, Michigan city manager and see what life is like after his huge victory.Hint: Lots of vacations with the wife. ROTFLMAO! We also discuss the failures of his state association, the Michigan Municipal Executives, and discuss the feelings of abandonment

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01:08:23

Jeff Cantrell: Blindsided by Separation Due to Weak...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/01/22

When Jeff Cantrell uprooted his family and relocated for a city manager job in central Kansas, he never dreamed it would all come to an end two short years later. He was leaving Chanute (pop. 10,000), a Southeast Kansas town, for Hutchinson (pop. of 40,000) and replacing a well-respected manager who was retiring after holding the seat for 17 years. It seemed like a no-brainer next step in the progression of Jeff's career. In this interview, we talk about how his poorly constructed contract allowed

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01:09:59

Economic Development the Right Way with Kevin Phelps...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/01/15

City Manager Kevin Phelps and his team in Glendale, Arizona have put on a clinic when it comes to leveraging economic development. Since his arrival in 2016, the city has figuratively backed up the Brinks truck and filled their bank accounts with cash.Residents pay lower property taxes per unit of valuation today than they did when he took over. And the number of employees in Glendale today is lower than a decade or so ago. In this episode, we talk about Kevin's philosophical and practical approach

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50:38

City Detect is Revolutionizing Code Enforcement with...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/01/08

Join Gavin Baum-Blake, Co-founder and CEO of City Detect, on City Manager Unfiltered, where he discusses how AI and computer vision technology are revolutionizing urban management.With a background as a US Army veteran, an attorney, and an entrepreneur, Gavin brings a unique perspective to the ethical application of cutting-edge technology in tackling urban challenges like blight, housing decay, and illegal dumping. Discover how his leadership is shaping smarter, safer, and more sustainable cities

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01:28:55

Joe Turner Interviewed by Yucaipa City Manager Chris...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2025/01/01

Yucaipa City Manager Chris Mann invited yours truly, and Calimesa City Manager Will Kolbow, to sit down for an interview on the Yucaipa 360 podcast. The three of us discussed a variety of issues and subjects related to the city management profession and local government. This episode is a rebroadcast of that interview for my audience of listeners. Chris and his team in Yucaipa are really raising the bar when it comes to local government communications and the dissemination of information through

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45:46

The Shared Administrator Experiment in Connecticut |...

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2024/12/25

Three small towns in Connecticut are seeking to share an administrator -- the first time that something like this has ever been attempted according to the organization conducting the recruitment.Joining me on the podcast to discuss this innovative approach is Alex Torpey from the Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston. This shared administrator will be tasked with helping the cities of Canterbury, Chaplin, and Pomfret while technically being

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52:43

City Manager Wanted: Columbia Falls, Montana | Ep. 86

City Manager Unfiltered ·

2024/12/20

Stale, boring recruitment brochures are played out and offer little value for candidates seeking their next city or county manager opportunity. Many of them contain boiler plate language or rehash text used in a previous announcement for a different community. Isn't it time we re-imagine what a public sector executive recruitment should look like? City managers are in an incredibly risky and volatile line of work. Resignations and terminations hurt their spouse and children.They can be financially

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