Forest Lake to start second search for new city administrator

Mary Divine, Pioneer Press
·3 min read

The Forest Lake City Council recently parted ways with the search firm originally hired to find a new city administrator and is starting anew.

The contract between the city and David Drown and Associates, the firm that had been hired to find its new administrator, was dropped after city officials asked for more background check information and to arrange a second interview with top finalist Joe Gaa, former city administrator in Marshalltown, Iowa. The firm, which had presented a list of six finalists to the council in June, was paid $10,000 for its services. The original contract was for $24,000.

Council members decided to open a secondary search rather than go to one of the other finalists, said Mayor Mara Bain. On Tuesday, the Forest Lake City Council selected Stillwater-based Specialized Recruiting Group to lead the search; the contract is for $29,500.

Bain said the council wants to “take a more targeted approach” this time around. Specialized Recruiting Group will be asked to “build a much more specific profile for the city administrator and use targeted recruitment efforts to find ideal candidates instead of relying on job boards to market the position,” she said.

Specialized will be asked to find two to five candidates “who meet or exceed the profile” to bring forward for the council’s consideration, she said.

The interim city administrator position is currently being held by Kristina Handt, former Lake Elmo city administrator. Handt was hired in mid-January after the Forest Lake City Council voted unanimously to terminate former city administrator Patrick Casey’s employment contract and hire her as interim administrator and interim clerk. The vote came after a closed session to discuss Casey’s annual performance evaluation.

The council on July 8 approved an updated interim agreement with Handt to continue to provide services through at least Sept. 30, the final date a preliminary budget must be submitted by the city, unless the permanent position is filled before then, Bain said.

“We hope to have the new person on board as soon as possible,” Bain said. “We need this process to move as fast as it can as this is a strategic position that is mission critical to the city of Forest Lake.”

Mayor not running for re-election

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Bain, who is wrapping up her third term as mayor, said she has decided not to run for re-election.

“It is time to focus on other things personally,” said Bain, who served on the council for two years prior to being elected mayor. “I’m at a point in my career where I want to continue to focus on my day job.”

A change in leadership can bring a “fresh perspective,” she said. “There are always things that new people can accomplish, people who have fresh eyes and renewed energy. So much of what we do in city government is long term in nature, so there is always a benefit in having rotation in the leadership chair … and making sure that we are on the right path.”