Council stumped by questions

Published 5:00 pm Monday, June 16, 2014

The Astoria City Council seemed a little toungue-tied Monday night when a citizen presented a list of questions about the hiring of the new city manager that nobody could seem to answer.

Through stutters and stumbles, the council was able to answer a few questions before Mayor Pro Tem Arline LaMear finally intervened.

I think you have some great questions and I think we really dont know the answers or at least I dont have the answers right now, she said. (Mayor Willis Van Dusen is on vacation. LaMear was elected by her fellow councilors as the council president in January.) But we would be happy to get back to you and also the community at large to answer these questions.

The questions posed by Doris Queener regarded the replacement of former City Manager Paul Benoit who left earlier this year for the city of Piedmont, Calif.

Brett Estes, community development director, has been filling his shoes as the city manager pro tem. He is a candidate for the job. The application deadline was June 1.

I have started coming to council meetings because I felt I need to educate myself about how city government works, Queener said. But I am also concerned that we have city government that operates with transparency. So I have some questions for you this evening.

Queener began by asking who is in charge of collecting the applications. After a long pause, she said the council could either answer or put her off, the latter she said was her expectation. LaMear said she didnt have the answer and looked to Estes who answered that the mayor and city manager secretary Julie Yuill was thought to be collecting them.

Among Queeners questions, she asked about the city manager salary, listed as up to $115,000 on the job description, and questioned what the benefits package would be worth. Recently, the City Council approved a payout to Benoit in exchange for the clause in his contract that required the city to cover his medical insurance for five years following his retirement. After LaMear and Estes both were without answers, Estes called on interim Finance Director John Snyder, who answered that the contract allowance for five years of medical coverage following a retirement ended in contracts after 1991.

My understanding is that there is sort of a standard contract, Snyder said.

Queener also asked about community involvement in the selection process and when she could expect her questions to be answered, to which Estes said he had no comment as he is a candidate. LaMear said she will make sure time at a future meeting for answers would get scheduled, because I do think theyre very important questions.