During Thursday’s work session, deputy city manager Josie Bahnke summed up the situation to the city council.
“I wish I could say I’m happy to be here, but I’m really not," Bahnke said. "[It] feels a little like déjà vu from 18 months ago.”
At the end of April last year 2024 then City Manager Mike Tvenge retired from the position, so Bahnke stepped up to fill in as acting city manager on a temporary basis. Now, once again she is acting city manager after Randy Robertson’s last day in the role was Friday, Oct. 31. Robertson spent roughly seven weeks in the city manager job after emerging as one of the top applicants from a months-long recruitment process conducted by a Florida-based hiring firm, Colin Baenziger & Associates.
Bahnke said she would like to continue being just the deputy city manager, a position she has held for six years, in addition to stepping in as acting city manager at times. So she urged the council on Thursday to hire an interim manager as soon as possible.
“I think this is the most pressing issue at this time," Bahnke said. "This is an individual who would be brought on contract as a professional manager to handle all Council matters and legislation and meetings and also to assist in the recruitment of a new city manager.”
The Alaska Municipal League has created a short list of 14 interim city managers currently available within the state that could fill various city and boroughs’ needs, such as Kodiak’s.
City Mayor Terry Haines said one name from that list stood out to him, and that was Chris Hladick.
“We’re not hiring a city manager who’s going to stay in the position for any length of time. But literally someone whose job it is to help us transition," Haines said. "What we need is a Chris Hladick. This is what he’s been doing for years and years and years throughout Alaska.”
Hladick lists on his resume that he is currently consulting and mentoring the city manager for the city of Unalaska. He also spent time leading the state Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, as a regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency and as city manager for several communities across the state.
The Kodiak City Council, including the two newly elected members, Djuna Davidson and Sandra West, did not commit to offering Hladick the interim job. Instead the council is inviting all interested candidates to submit a letter of interest and resume to be considered.
City staff put out a request for submissions from interested interim city managers on Friday, Oct. 31. Interested applicants have until 4 p.m. on Nov. 10 to submit and the council plans to review all submissions during its work session on Nov. 13.
