PORT ANGELES — Kent Myers was sworn in as city manager after the City Council approved his contract on Tuesday.
He will take over on Jan. 12.
Myers, 56, said he was ready to “hit the ground running.”
“Port Angeles is a town with its unique challenges and unique opportunities,” he said.
Myers, who comes from Hot Springs, Ark., where he served as city manager for 14 years, will be paid $150,000 annually and will be given about $17,000 for moving expenses.
His contract outlines his severance pay as six month’s salary and health benefits if he were terminated for any reason that was not for cause.
No severance pay in resignation
He would not receive any severance pay if he resigned.
He will have 80 hours of leave and will earn an additional 30 days of leave per year, which he would be entitled to upon leaving the city’s employment.
The city announced Myers’ selection last Wednesday.
Approval of his contract on Tuesday was 6-0, with council member Karen Rogers absent.
The president of the Washington Association of Cities, Rogers was in Seattle for association business.
Myers had announced in November that he would resign from the Hot Springs post, which he had held since 1994, on Dec. 31.
He replaces former City Manager Mark Madsen, who resigned effective Sept. 1 in July.
Madsen, who was paid $148,000 annually, cited “untenable, hostile working conditions” as the reason for his departure.
Madsen’s contract allotted him three month’s salary upon his resignation, which came out to about $37,000.
In September, the City Council hired Jerry Osterman as interim city manager for $12,000 per month.
Council praised Myers for his preparedness and desire for transparency.
“He seemed to travel with a high amount of integrity,” Deputy Mayor Betsy Wharton said.
“He spoke of a desire for transparency in public work, and I am really looking forward to working with him.”
Myers said he that looks “forward to working on many wonderful projects.”
He named the redevelopment of the former Rayonier, Inc., mill site, finishing the Eighth Street bridges and working with the National Park Service on the removal of the Elwha Dams as a few of those projects.
He said he and his wife selected Port Angeles because of its location.
“We both always loved the Northwest,” he said.
“We have enjoyed this part of the country and it really appeals to us.
“I have always felt strongly that if I enjoy the place that I live, I am more able to give 110 percent to my work and getting involved in the community.
“I am so impressed by everything here in Port Angeles. It is a wonderful community.
“I think I will enjoy it just as I enjoyed living in Hot Springs for the last 14 years.”
‘Impressed’
Council member Cherie Kidd said she was impressed by the degree to which Myer prepared for the interview.
“We had some very good candidates,” Kidd said, “but Kent had that special sparkle.
“He was the only candidate who brought his wife to town, and he spent a few days scoping us out and talking to various community members about what they were looking for out of city government.”
Council member Dan Di Guilio said it was Myers’ desire to be in Port Angeles that won him over.
“When we asked what one of the things he could improve was, and he said that it was his inability to sit still, that he always wanted to be out in the community and involved in the community,” Di Guilio said.
“He said that, rather than hold forums where the people come to us and tell us what they want out of government, in Hot Springs, he would spend his time in coffee shops listening to the community concerns, and what they think of how the government is running.”
Mayor Gary Braun called the hiring of Myers “a great opportunity not only for Mr. Myers but for this council.”
Several meetings
Braun said that about 80 people had applied for the job, and that the council met several times to narrow the search before selecting four candidates.
The other three candidates have never been named by the council.
Myers, who grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, also served as city manager in Casa Grande, Ariz., from 1989 to 1994 and in Converse, Texas from 1981 to 1989.
He has a master’s degree in public administration from Texas Christian University, and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Texas at Arlington.
The city of Hot Springs’ Web site lists Myers as being a credentialed manager by the International City Managers Association.
He and his wife, Dianne, have two sons, Lance, 21, and Kyle, 25.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
