Finalists for Poplar Bluff city manager whittled to three

The number of applicants for the Poplar Bluff city manager position has been reduced to three.

Poplar Bluff City Council members interviewed two applicants Tuesday night and three applicants Wednesday night during closed sessions at Three Rivers College.

"We officially now have three finalists," said Mayor Pro Tem Jack Rushin, who was chairman of the advisory search committee that recommended five applicants to the council.

"One of them will be arriving in town Friday," Rushin said.

The applicant will be interviewed by the council members in a closed session and taken on a tour of the city departments.

Steve Halter, president of the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce and a search committee member, will take the applicant on a tour of the city to view the commercial and industrial growth and the infrastructure improvement projects.

Plans for conducting a third interview with the other two finalists will be made later, Rushin said.

The advisory committee had reviewed applications from 57 people before deciding to interview 11.

No date has been set for making a decision, but Rushin said he hopes to complete the process in early August.