5.01 The City Manager.

   The Council shall appoint a City Manager who shall be the chief executive officer of the City. The Manager shall be chosen by the Council solely on the basis of his or her executive and administrative qualifications and need not, when appointed, be a resident of the City or the State. No member of the Council shall, during the time for which elected, be chosen as City Manager. The Manager shall be appointed for an indefinite term, but shall be removable at the pleasure of the Council. Before the Manager may be removed, he or she shall, if he or she demand, be given a written statement of the reasons alleged for his or her removal and the right to be heard publicly thereon at a meeting of the Council prior to the final vote on the question of removal, but pending and during the hearing the Council may suspend the Manager from office. The action of the Council in suspending or removing the Manager shall be final, it being the intention of this Charter to vest all authority and fix all responsibility for the suspension or removal in the Council. In case of the absence or disability of the Manager or a vacancy in the office of Manager, the Council may designate some qualified person to perform the duties of the office during the absence or disability or until the vacancy is filled.