Haines Borough Manager Annette Kreitzer will leave her job in a month. The borough just started to advertise for the position. They discussed the matter at their last meeting.

Kreitzer told the assembly she has placed an ad in the Chilkat Valley News to seek applicants. This meets the minimum requirements of borough code. Assembly member Debra Schnabel suggested searching beyond newspapers.

Schnabel: “Our code is so antiquated it calls for a requirement to advertise in newspapers. But I really do go onto the internet, on job sites. So if anything, I think if we advertise with the Alaska Municipal League, and the Manager’s Association, for an interim manager, I think we are going to be far more successful.”

Mayor Tom Morphet said he has been looking at other venues. 

Morphet: “I’m kind of beating the bushes, been reading stories about managers, and seeing who all applied. And trying to notify people as much as I can, just from information I can find out about people who applied to be managers in other cities.”

Morphet said he has reached out to a half a dozen people so far, and three of them expressed interest. 

The assembly is seeking to hire a manager. But they would settle for an interim manager. That position would last from one to six months, possibly more. Anyone interested in this position should apply before July 19th. Manager Kreitzer said she has received two applications for the permanent position. No interviews have been scheduled yet.

Assembly members settled on a range between $120k and $140K as a start for salary negotiations. 

Assembly member Natalie Dawson stressed the importance of concrete numbers. 

Dawson: “I’ve talked with several recruiting entities, other city managers, HR departments at other cities and boroughs, and they all recommended that we have a salary range of some kind,  in our job postings, because otherwise most people just won’t apply.”

Dawson pointed out that the current manager’s salary of $130k, which was offered to her in 2021, would be equivalent to over $150k today adjusted for inflation.

The assembly voted to set up a subcommittee to assist the current manager in writing up a transition plan. The subcommittee will include mayor Morphet and assembly members Schnabel and Dawson. Dawson describes what is in a transition plan.

Dawson: “What do we need to know. That’s kind of what you do in a transition plan is; your leadership is leaving, what does your transition team or interim leadership need to know for the next three months. What are the most important things that you need to know.”

Dawson says that a well written plan can make for a smooth transition even if the new hire does not overlap with the outgoing manager. She submitted a draft transition plan to the assembly. When complete, the document should include information on various contracts, documented communication or where to find it, and a record of electronic devices that will be passed on from one manager to the next. 

Dawson: “Things that go into a transition plan are like, a table where you have each department listed, who is the department head, and what are their main responsibilities and how many staff do they oversee, and what are some upcoming topics that need to be discussed. So if the current manager is not there when an interim starts, that person can literally just look at a table and be like ‘oh, this is the department head for … finance. And ok, here is some dates of relevance coming up and what I need to be aware of.”

The new manager will work closely with the borough clerk. This position is currently vacant. Two applicants for the clerk job will meet with the assembly on Monday for a job interview.