Dillingham City Council appoints Daniel Decker as acting city manager

Dillingham has a new acting city manager. The city council has voted unanimously to appoint former city clerk Daniel Decker after the city’s previous acting city manager, Kimberly Johnson, did not renew her contract, which ended on March 15.

The change comes after months of discussion on how to fill the position and with whom. At February’s city council meeting, the resolution to override a prohibition period that barred any former elected municipal official from holding the position for one year after ending their term failed. Johnson had resigned from her role on the city council last June.

The resolution to appoint Johnson as the city manager was then moved to the consent agenda so that it could be discussed at a later date.

At February’s meeting, the council also voted to cancel the contract that the city held with the firm Pearson Consulting, which was tasked with finding candidates for the city manager role. A January 4 memo from Pearson shows that the firm had completed its first stage of the process, sourcing candidates for the job, and had two stages, screening candidates and selecting a manager, to go.

At the March 14 meeting, Mayor Alice Ruby said that a former Dillingham city manager, Rose Loetta, was willing to consider taking the role temporarily. Ruby said she encouraged the council members to have a conversation with Loetta because of her experience in the role.

Council Member Steven Carriere put forward a resolution to appoint the city’s then-clerk, Decker, as the acting city manager until the city could find a permanent replacement.

Council member Bert Luckhurst said Decker had been working with Johnson and had the pulse on city affairs. Decker said he was willing to take the position.

At a special meeting on March 19, The council unanimously voted on a resolution to appoint Decker to the city manager role for up to one year. The council also appointed Jon Sorenson as the new city clerk, with Decker saying he would train Sorenson.

Get in touch with the author at christina@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.