Federal Way city leaders are expected to abandon their do-it-yourself approach Tuesday night and move toward hiring a search firm to find a new city manager.

The City Council may change course in response to criticism from the Federal Way Chamber of Commerce last month about what its chairman called “the seeming lack of transparency and community involvement” in selecting a new city manager.

Hiring a search firm would cost more money and take more time. Mayor Jack Dovey said a new city manager might not be on the job until January instead of August as he had hoped.

Chamber board chairman Dan Altmayer challenged the council about its selection process June 16. A week later, a council committee unanimously recommended asking for proposals from search firms.

“The council took it to heart,” Dovey said. “Our public and our chamber has asked to have more input in the start of the process. So we’re going to give them more input.”

The City Council moved swiftly to fill the opening created when it terminated City Manager Neal Beets on May 5. The council selected Police Chief Brian J. Wilson as interim city manager. Wilson has said he won’t apply to be the permanent city manager.

Even though the selection of a new manager is likely to be delayed, “the good news is Brian Wilson’s doing a heck of a job,” Dovey said.

The city had placed ads in local newspapers and had 84 applicants by the council’s May 22 deadline. A council panel narrowed the pool to 12 candidates. Dovey said the council planned to schedule gatherings for the public to meet a handful of finalists once they were selected.

Altmayer said the chamber wants an open process from the beginning.

“We want an opportunity to let the city know the kinds of traits, qualities and characteristics that we believe a city manager should have regarding economic development and support for the business community,” he said.

Altmayer said the chamber’s chief executive officer, Tom Pierson, has applied for the city manager opening. But his application had nothing to do with the chamber’s stand, Altmayer said. Pierson said he doesn’t plan at this point to reapply for the job.

Dovey said his preference would have been to continue with the council’s original selection process – without hiring a search firm. He said he doesn’t believe the council failed to be open or transparent.

The council let Beets go, paying his benefits and buying out the remainder of his three-year contract that was to expire July 31.

The total price tag, including six months’ severance pay required by the contract, was $126,917.43.

Dovey said the city paid $22,000 to the search firm used in Beets’ selection.

At the end of his first year on the job in Federal Way, Beets received a lukewarm evaluation from the City Council that hired him. He was meeting expectations, but needed to improve his relations with the City Council and his organizational leadership. In July 2008, the council gave Beets the same evaluation as in 2007.

Steve Maynard: 253-597-8647 steve.maynard@thenewstribune.com