After receiving an offer for a City Manager position in Palmer, current Kenai City Manager Rick Koch renewed his contract in Kenai but at last night’s meeting some council members questioned the process taken.
Mayor Pat Porter explained the Executive Session which was scheduled on the agenda but became an open agenda item.
Mayor Porter: “It was a contract that we had with the City Manager, our current contract because we was evidently recruited by another municipality for wanting him to move to another municipality, so basically that’s what it was about. But he is going to be staying here in Kenai because he likes it so much.”
Koch is currently out of state but participated in that part of the meeting telephonically.
Koch: “I repeat my position before, if it is something that Councilman Boyle feels reflects negatively on me then I want to be in the meeting or I want it in open session.”
Council Member Mike Boyle was concerned that after Koch signed his renewed contract last week, this week’s Palmer City Council Agenda still showed him as a candidate for the City Manager position.
Other members of council said that after they asked Koch about the situation, it was a non-issue.
Boyle also stated that he thought the council was not properly notified of Koch looking at other positions while his contract was up for renewal.
