The City of Ketchikan is in the process of hiring a new manager.
That position includes overseeing city government operations, like putting together council meeting agendas and communicating public needs. But the city manager is also responsible for overseeing local utilities, like wastewater and electricity.
Ketchikan mayor Bob Sivertsen says this is a big job.
“Ketchikan is very unique in the fact that we own and operate a lot of our governmental infrastructure, and some of it, is not the norm for communities today,” Sivertsen said.
Sivertsen says he knows the new hire won’t have experience with everything this job entails — like the ins and outs of working with city-owned utilities. But they will have other valuable experience, like in city regulatory requirements.
“So we’re looking for somebody that can come give us a fresh look, maybe help us be more efficient at what we do and manage the affairs of the city,” he said.
Sivertsen says between city government and Ketchikan Public Utilities, there are over 300 employees the new manager will oversee, and says taking on the job requires a long-term commitment.
“I’m looking for somebody who wants to come up and take on the reins here in the city of Ketchikan, and live and retire here, actually,” he said. “I mean, that would be the goal, and we’ve had managers that have done that.”
City Clerk Kim Stanker said they have been looking for a new manager since Delilah Walsh stepped down in February. There were originally over 40 candidates for the position, Stanker said, but that has been narrowed down to two. They will visit Ketchikan this week for city tours and final steps in the interview process. Those two candidates are Steve Dahl, who has city manager and administrator experience in small Oregon towns; and Keith Morey, who has experience in community and economic development in Utah.
Both candidates will be at the Ketchikan Public Library Friday evening at 6:30 for a candidate forum that will be open to the public.
The City Council special meeting and public candidate interviews are this Saturday at 10 a.m. at City Hall. After the interviews, the council will enter executive session to deliberate. Stanker said they may or may not take action to select a candidate.
