James S. Tyree
The Oklahoman 

Steven Lewis, on yet another rainy day, inadvertently chose the perfect phrase when describing his first order of business as Norman's next city manager.

"My first responsibility will be soaking up the community as I join the staff down there," he said.

Lewis, the city administrator of Lee's Summit, Mo., was offered the city manager position early this week and verbally accepted it Thursday. The city has offered to pay him $145,000 per year plus expenses and a $5,000 signing bonus.

Interim City Manager Mary Hatley said an employment agreement was shipped overnight to him Thursday. If it's signed and returned by Tuesday, the Norman City Council could vote to approve the contract during a special meeting that evening.

If approved, Lewis would succeed Brad Gambill, who resigned Dec. 31 for health reasons.

The city manager contract is on the meeting agenda, along with the swearing-in of Cindy Rosenthal as mayor. A judge also is to administer oaths to returning council members Rachel Butler, Doug Cubberley and Bob Thompson and Councilman-elect Hal Ezzell.

"I'm deeply honored to have been offered the position in Norman," Lewis said. "I'm looking forward to joining the city staff and the mayor and council and citizens of Norman. Norman is interesting to me because of its quality of life and their dedication to becoming a high-performance city."

Lee's Summit is a suburb of Kansas City, Mo., with about 90,000 residents. Before becoming city administrator there in January 2004, Lewis spent nine years as city manager of Joplin, Mo.

Lewis does not plan to attend the Tuesday meeting. If the council approves the contract, Lewis said he will have 45 days to move to Norman.

Lewis was one of four finalists for the position. The others were Ronald Olson, deputy city manager of Arlington, Texas; Dean Kruithof, deputy city administrator of Fort Worth, Texas; and Michael Ashcraft, deputy city manager of Olathe, Kan.

Last week, the city council narrowed the list to Lewis and Olson, and decided Tuesday of this week to offer the job to Lewis.

Hatley and former Planning Director Richard Massie shared city manager duties for four months beginning Jan. 1 until Massie retired after 16 years with the city.

Hatley, who is the Norman city clerk, will remain as interim city manager until a permanent one is named.

Copyright 2007, The Oklahoma Publishing Company