BLOOMINGTON - Finalists to be Bloomington's next city manager started interviewing on Monday with the City Council. The council met in executive session starting at 5 p.m. Monday at the Minor Myers Jr. Welcome Center at Illinois Wesleyan University.

They conducted the first of three interviews scheduled for this week.

Two more interviews, one today and one Wednesday, also are scheduled to be at the Bloomington university.

Mayor Steve Stockton said the city's search is progressing, but he would not comment specifically on the executive session or its purpose.

"Certainly, we are trying to move quickly on getting someone hired," Stockton added.

The council is working under a deadline of having a new city manager start the job in January. The council is trying to provide some transition time between the new city manager and outgoing City Manager Tom Hamilton.

Hamilton is one of several city employees who signed up for an early retirement program offered this year by the city.

Stockton said a last day for Hamilton has not been set more specifically than sometime in January.

Hamilton's departure and the city of Peoria's search for a city manager are two reasons the council needs to keep the search moving as quickly as possible, Stockton said.

Last week, Peoria announced it was suspending its search after its finalist accepted a job at another city.

"We are out there competing with a lot of other cities," Stockton said. "Someone could make a better offer and we could lose someone."

A list of finalists for the job has not been released. Previously, Stockton said the names will not be released to protect the confidentiality of the candidates.

The City Council met in a windowless conference room in the basement of the Myers welcome center. The room is a stark contrast to the conference room at City Hall, which is on the main floor of the building and has floor-to-ceiling glass on all four sides.