The City of Kodiak is scrambling to find both a new interim and a permanent city manager following Josie Bahnke’s announcement on Oct. 3 that she is stepping down as the acting city manager. This could slow down the city’s day to day operations significantly as one person tries to fill a two-person gap.
In a letter she submitted to the City Council, Bahnke said she plans to resume her former position as the deputy city manager on Oct. 25. She held that role for five years prior to becoming the acting city manager. Oct. 25 is when her 90-day appointment as acting city manager expires.
Bahnke did not respond to KMXT’s request for comment before the publishing of this story, but in a letter she submitted to the City Council earlier this month, she said, “I believe the time has come for me to resume my duties as Deputy City Manager, a role in which I can continue to support the city more effectively moving forward.”
Although Bahnke’s letter did not specifically mention it, the outcome of the ballot proposition from this month’s municipal election was likely a factor in her decision to step down.
City code requires that the city manager live within city limits and Bahnke doesn’t. The council asked voters to loosen that requirement through a ballot proposition on Oct. 2 and it failed. But had it passed, Bahnke and future managers could live within 12 road miles of city limits. She currently lives outside of city limits within the Bells Flats area.
So now, the council needs to fill the city manager position temporarily and more permanently. First, the council is soliciting letters of interest until the end of day Tuesday, Oct. 15 to see who might be interested in working as the interim manager.
Kodiak’s city manager supervises all city department heads and oversees everything from public safety to finances. That includes crafting a budget of roughly $50 million annually.
This Thursday, Oct. 17 the council is scheduled to hold a special meeting to review any letters of interest from prospective interim city managers.
As far as finding a permanent manager, Bahnke recommends the council hire a professional firm to help the local hiring committee, which some felt could expedite the hiring process.
“That instead of how we did it last time, that we would have a dedicated group or professional firm that would help us with that recruitment and would help the hiring committee through that process,” Bahnke said.
Before selecting Bahnke as the number one candidate to be the next full- time manager earlier this year, the local hiring committee of council members and Mayor Pat Branson trimmed down a field of roughly 15 applicants. Altogether the process took several months between when the position was first advertised to when Bahnke was selected as the final candidate.
The council seemed receptive to working with an outside firm this time around, and could act on Bahnke’s recommendation as soon as its next regular meeting on Oct. 24.
