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GROVES — The search for a city manager in Groves will cross a couple of important checkpoints next week.

The Council will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, where they will go into executive session to discuss and consider qualifications and a range of compensation for the office of city manager.

It is not known if council will make any decisions during the special meeting once members reconvene in open session.

Council will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday at City Hall to listen to executive recruitment candidates either through Zoom or in person as they answer questions regarding the city manager search.

No decision will be made Thursday night.

Interim City Manager Lance Billeaud said the city has been contacted by four executive recruitment search companies who will give presentations at the Thursday meeting.

Billeaud believes the process will go smoothly and added this is the same process the City of Beaumont recently used in their bid for a new city manager.

“It went well for them and I think it will go just as well for us,” Billeaud said.

There is no set timeline for the hiring of a new city manager at this time.

Former city manager D.E. Sosa submitted a separation agreement to the city in December, leaving after two decades as city manager. His final day was Jan. 3.

Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Lance Billeaud was appointed interim city manager in late December, and began serving in the role on Jan. 4.

Cost estimations for an executive recruitment company range from $17,000 to $30,000, according to a information presented at a previous council meeting.

Council hopes to make a decision on the hiring of a recruitment company in the following weeks.