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Former Marco City Manager Bill Moss received a commendation from the city for distinguished service at Monday night’s council meeting, as well as a visit from Jolly Old Saint Nick, who arrived with Mrs. Claus to deliver a stocking and a miniature tree to Moss to help him decorate for the holidays.

LESLIE WILLIAMS / Eagle staff

Former Marco Island City Manager Bill Moss accepts a Christmas tree from Santa and Mrs. Claus at the start of Monday night's regularly scheduled council meeting. Moss starts his transition to Naples this week, working between the two cities for the month of December, while he acts as a paid consultant to Marco Island and Interim City Manager Tony Shoemaker.

After the lighthearted start to the regular meeting, Interim City Manager Tony Shoemaker presided over his first session in that role at Marco Island’s City Council Monday, as Moss stepped into his role as a consultant while he transitions to Naples as that city’s manager.

Shoemaker will be in place as the city looks for Moss’s replacement, a process that will not start in earnest until City Council elections reveal in January the new make-up of the seven-member council.

During Monday’s earlier special-called session, council selected search firm The Mercer Group, the same firm that helped the City of Naples gather applicants — including Moss — for the position of city manager.

Council comments during the selection process singled out Mercer over Colin Baenziger and Associates, mostly, it seemed, because Mercer had already been through the advertising and application gathering process for the Naples search.

“The Mercer group placed the Naples City Manager, so it seems like they would already have a hot list of candidates,” said Councilor Rob Popoff.

Additionally, said Councilor Terri DiSciullo, the firm has an edge over its competitor because it is a national company, and might have a wider perspective on precedent set in hiring managers in other cities across the U.S.

Mercer representative and former Winter Haven City Commissioner Tom Freijo will conduct the search, starting with interviews with Marco City Council members to determine the concerns and culture of the new board. Council has expressed concerns that hiring a manager based on the attributes of the current council could set up a skewed perspective of the city if the nature of the council shifts considerably come mid-March when the new council takes place.

That means the search cannot officially start until February, with Freijo placing ads after interviewing the council, and the council narrowing candidates after taking office in March.

In other business, Marco Island City Council is moving tentatively toward purchase of a property that would be used in expanding the city’s north water treatment plant.

By a unanimous vote, council authorized the city to gather two appraisals of the lot, located at 773 E. Elkcam Circle, before entering negotiations with the property owner.

Public works staff requesting the property purchase estimated the value of the parcel at $1 million, but the council questioned that number given the stagnant real estate market and the lot’s proximity to the wastewater treatment plant.

“I think it’s a good idea to have this,” said Council Chair Mike Minozzi. “But we don’t have to have it, and I think we should use that in our negotiations — and we should negotiate for a price that is more in line with today’s market.”

The lot, located next to the north treatment facility, would be used to expand space for construction staging, and add a facility for lab tests and personnel areas.

Public Works Director Rony Joel said plans for that building were originally slated for the south facility, but said his staff feared negative response from the people living in that highly residential area. The north facility is surrounded by commercial buildings.

Additionally, the city continues forward with plans to form a special assessment district to raise funds for city fire and rescue services, a contentious plan that has residents concerned that the city will use the move to spend beyond the cap that was written into the charter upon incorporation.

Council members spent the better part of an hour discussing the item and attempting to assure residents that a referendum would be necessary to spend beyond the limit, and the city would reduce property taxes by at least a portion, if not equal to the funds raised through the assessment.