Kenyon council considers options for interim city administrator

Despite having a contract on the table to hire a veteran administrator on an interim basis, the Kenyon City Council demurred in favor of opening up the position of interim city administrator for other candidates and potentially a lighter, more flexible contract.

After a free-flowing, hour-long discussion, councilors voted to table a proposed interim city administrator contract with Frank Boyles, who retired as Prior Lake’s city manager in 2019 after 26 years and has since held interim positions in Maple Plain and Nowthen.

In Nowthen, Boyles took the reins under particularly challenging circumstances. Not only the city administrator but all three administrative staff had resigned abruptly, pointing the finger at the mayor and one particular council member for creating a hostile work environment.

Following an interview with Boyles on April 19, which councilors indicated they generally regarded as a success, a special meeting was called for April 25, and a draft contract was quickly drawn up based on a model from the League of Minnesota Cities.

Approval of the contract would have allowed the council to quickly fill the now vacant seat of ex-City Administrator Mark Vahlsing, whose 11-year tenure came to an abrupt end after both sides mutually agreed on a parting of ways at a closed meeting April 1.

Along with fulfilling a city administrator’s traditional responsibilities, including oversight over an ongoing pay study and upcoming audit, the prospective contract indicated that Boyles would be expected to take significant responsibility in the process of hiring his permanent successor.

Under the draft contract, Boyles would have been hired as an independent contractor and compensated $100 per hour, plus mileage to and from his home. Expected hours would have run from 16 to 32 per week, including time worked during normal office hours at city hall and attendance at council and Planning Commission meetings.

As experienced and well regarded as Boyles may be, several members of the council expressed a desire to open up the role to additional candidates. Councilor Mary Bailey in particular expressed a desire to seek out candidates with deep local roots.

“While (Frank) seems like a really great person, I would rather have somebody local if possible just so they are invested in the community,” Bailey said.

In addition to having a deeper connection with the community, Bailey said that a local candidate would likely be more accessible for local community events or should an urgent matter arise at city hall, while minimizing potential mileage costs.

One potential such candidate could be Eric Hoversten, the recently retired city administrator of Mound, a relatively small Twin Cities suburb. After 22 years in the Air Force, Hoversten was hired to serve as Mound’s administrator and public works director from 2015 to 2023.

Hoversten and his wife are both southern Minnesota natives and recently moved back to the area after the opportunity arose to buy land. Mayor Doug Henke recently had the opportunity to chat with Hoversten about the situation and suggested he could be a strong candidate.

Given the importance of the decision, Bailey and other councilors expressed a willingness to exercise patience and examine all of the city’s options, even floating the idea of trimming back the position’s hours to minimal levels to save money.

Councilor Lee Sjolander, who briefly served as interim administrator himself while he was police chief, made a motion to accept the contract which ultimately died for lack of a second. While emphasizing the importance of settling on the right candidate, Sjolander said he also felt it would be a good idea to hire someone for the interim position.

“This is not a long-term commitment, this is a short-term commitment,” Sjolander said. “This is someone who can provide a fresh set of eyes on a couple of things and hopefully take some stuff off people’s plates when they need it.”

While praising the work done by Kyllo, City Clerk Holly Gudknecht, Police Chief Jeff Sjoblom and other department heads, Henke and a majority of the council appeared to agree with City Attorney Scott Riggs’s recommendation that a city administrator is needed and soon.

“Holly and Whitney have been doing the work that somebody else should have done for the last two years,” Henke said. “I do feel that we need an interim coming in to help with various tasks like the (pay) review, the hiring of a new administrator, that sort of thing.”