Minutes - Council Work Session - 01/13/2026

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conducted in-house recruitments in the past and invited Council's input, noting that there was no clear preferred option at this time. Councilmember Specht asked whether there was an option for Mr. Linton to return on a temporary contract basis to fill the role for a few months while a permanent City Engineer is recruited. City Administrator Hagen explained that Mr. Linton, a recently retired employee, would not be able to serve as the City Engineer. He noted that the current City Engineer is capable but that the City’s long-term plan is for that individual to focus on Public Works to implement newly adopted policies and better integrate maintenance and engineering functions. He added that while the strategy remains sound, staffing challenges have delayed implementation of the plan developed several years ago. Councilmember Riley acknowledged the City’s past success with in-house recruitments but stated that, given the lack of success in recent efforts, it may be appropriate to consider using a professional search firm. He noted that changing market conditions may require a different approach and suggested modestly increasing the salary above average if necessary to attract candidates. He also asked staff whether recruiting for a Public Works Superintendent position might be easier than recruiting for a City Engineer. City Administrator Hagen stated that staff have discussed alternative staffing options but are not recommending changes at this time. He reiterated that the existing plan for Bruce's transition into Public Works remains appropriate and noted that additional options could be reconsidered if future recruitment efforts are unsuccessful. Councilmember Olson expressed concern about the cost of hiring a recruiting firm but acknowledged the need to take action. He stated a preference for continuing recruitment efforts in- house while remaining open to other options if necessary, noting a reluctance to incur significant additional expense. Mayor Heineman asked for clarification on the terms of using a recruiting firm, including the timeframe for identifying qualified candidates, the payment structure if a suitable candidate is not found, and the City’s financial obligation if the recruitment process does not produce results or is discontinued early. Administrative Services Director Lasher stated that, based on her understanding, the City would only be responsible for the initial one-third payment to the recruiting firm if qualified candidates were not presented for interview, and the process would not advance beyond that payment. Mayor Heineman asked when the second one-third payment to the recruiting firm would be due. Administrative Services Director Lasher stated that the second one-third payment would be due upon presentation of qualified candidates who meet the minimum requirements. Mayor Heineman sought clarification on whether the second one-third payment would be triggered upon receipt of qualified applications or upon the interview stage. City Council Work Session / January 13, 2026 Page 4 of 8