Saugatuck names finalists to replace Ryan Heise

Austin Metz, Holland Sentinel
Updated ·3 min read

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect the correct name of one of the finalists, Michael Sheahan.

SAUGATUCK — After the controversial departure of City Manager Ryan Heise, Saugatuck has narrowed down its search for a replacement to four candidates.

According to Mayor Lauren Stanton, there were 48 applicants for the position. The finalists include:

William Joseph, the former village manager of Paw Paw. He's also served as a city commissioner and mayor for Mount Pleasant. Joseph holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics and political science from Central Michigan University.

After the controversial departure of City Manager Ryan Heise, Saugatuck has narrowed down its search for a replacement to four candidates.
After the controversial departure of City Manager Ryan Heise, Saugatuck has narrowed down its search for a replacement to four candidates.

Joshua Eggleston, the city manager of Wayland for six years. Previously, he spent five years as city administrator in Durand, Wisconsin. Eggleston holds a master's degree from Cleveland State University.

Michael Sheahan, who's served in the United States Coast Guard for 21 years and is currently the officer-in-charge at the United States Coast Guard Station Niagara. He was operations manager at the United States Coast Guard Station Grand Haven from 2015 to 2019 and is currently enrolled at Troy University.

Ryan Cummins, currently interim city manager in Saugatuck. He joined the city in September 2022 as director of planning, zoning and project management. He is mayor pro-tem for his city of residence, Grand Haven, and has a criminal justice degree from Michigan State University.

Cummins was named acting city manager Tuesday, Feb. 6, after a special Saugatuck City Council meeting. There was no explanation given.

More: Saugatuck City Manager was paid nearly $100K in exchange for resignation

More: Saugatuck mayor said no decisions would be made in workshop — they were anyway

A release sent to media Feb. 27 announced Heise’s resignation, citing “personal reasons” and “opportunities for professional development."

Stanton also pointed to a planned relocation.

Less than two weeks later, The Sentinel reported Heise agreed to resign in exchange for nearly $100,000.

According to an agreement signed by City Clerk Jamie Wolters on March 4, Saugatuck agreed to pay Heise a lump sum of 10.25 months of his annual salary, or $98,650, in exchange for his departure.

Heise also received 144 hours of pay for unused vacation time, and will keep insurance benefits through Dec. 30.

Under his original contract, Heise was required to give a month's notice before resigning. Under the new agreement, that was waived.

More: Stanton statement comparing Heise resignation to former manager misleading

More: 'Critical need for transparency': Eight former Saugatuck mayors pen letter over Heise payout

Heise’s resignation came a year after he received glowing reviews from councilmembers during an annual performance review. According to city documents, he met or exceeded all expectations in all categories and was given a 10% raise.

According to a document provided in last week’s workshop packet, the city is willing to pay a salary of between $100,000-115,000 for a new city manager.

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Councilmembers are looking for a bridge builder throughout the tri-community, thick skinned, a problem solver who is articulate and driven, and someone who has established relationships with state officials to further Saugatuck’s interests, according to documents.

Candidate interviews begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 22. According to Stanton, if interviews go well, there could be a motion that evening to issue an offer.

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Saugatuck names finalists to replace Ryan Heise