By JAYSON JACOBY

Stephen Brocato is sick but happy.

Brocato has the flu, but he also has a new job: Baker City manager.

Brocato, who has lived in Baker City since 1999, said this morning that he accepted the top job at City Hall after meeting with Mayor Jeff Petry and Vice Mayor Andrew Bryan on Friday.

Brocato’s starting date has not been set, but he said he plans to move into his office at City Hall before March 1.

The only matter pending is a background check, andquot;which I have no concerns about,andquot; Brocato said this morning.

The City Council voted 6-0 on Thursday afternoon to offer the job to Brocato, a former executive for a company that leases containers to ocean shipping firms.

andquot;I’m excited,andquot; Brocato said this morning. andquot;It all happened in five days.andquot;

And five days in which Brocato was feeling less than healthy.

His bout with the flu, he said this morning, andquot;has been pretty debilitating.andquot;

Despite his illness, Brocato impressed the City Council during his one-hour interview on Tuesday night.

The City Council initially planned to interview five of the 89 candidates who applied last fall to replace City Manager Jerry Gillham, who resigned Sept. 1.

Brocato isn’t one of those five candidates, but councilors decided prior to their Tuesday meeting to add him to the interview list.

Brocato was the last of the six candidates the City Council interviewed; the interview took place from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday.

The City Council voted 7-0 that evening to offer the job to Sandra Zaida, the community development director for Klamath Falls.

Zaida declined the Council’s offer on Thursday.

Like previous city managers, Brocato will not have a contract, Petry said this morning.

Brocato’s starting salary will be $94,000 per year.

The city, in advertising the vacancy, listed a salary range of $84,000 to $96,000.

Gillham’s final salary was $82,548.

Petry said he thinks Brocato deserves a salary near the top of the range the city advertised, even though Brocato has not worked in city government.

andquot;The salary depends on experience, and he has plenty of it,andquot; Petry said.

Brocato worked for The Cronos Group from 1986 to 1999. During his tenure with the company he supervised six vice presidents, 25 managers and 100 employees spread among the company’s 21 offices in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia, according to his resume.

Brocato, who owns a pair of ranches in Baker County, earned a bachelor of science degree in biology from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1975, and a master’s degree in business administration/finance from Loyola University in New Orleans in 1980.

Brocato said that although he has not worked as a city manager, he believes his experience in managing employees in a publicly held company has prepared him for his new job.

He said he’s accustomed to getting the job done, whether his constituents are taxpayers or stockholders.

andquot;The difference between citizens and shareholders in my mind is minimal,andquot; Brocato said. andquot;To me this position, as city manager, is very similar to the president or CEO slot in a company.andquot;