STANWOOD – The departure of Stanwood’s finance director has spurred the resurrection of a long-vacant city administrator position.
Landy Manuel, Stanwood’s finance director, is leaving to take a job as assistant finance director in Monroe. His last day will be Thursday.
Since 1998, Manuel and Public Works Director Bill Beckman had been sharing the duties that a city administrator would normally handle. They took on that extra load after then-Mayor Matt McCune fired Gary Armstrong, the city administrator.
Manuel’s resignation prompted Mayor Herb Kuhnly to ask Beckman to become full-time city administrator. Beckman accepted, and the City Council approved the move in a 3-2 vote.
Manuel had been finance director for nine years. Kuhnly said he relied on Manuel for advice running the city.
“Losing Landy, that’s a big loss,” Kuhnly said. “I think that’s an excellent step for Landy. I certainly wouldn’t begrudge him moving on. I don’t like the idea. But with Mr. Beckman here, I know we’re in good hands.”
Manuel said he is leaving simply because the Monroe job is a better opportunity closer to his home in Bothell.
Manuel said reinstating the city administrator is a good idea.
“I think the city’s gotten big enough that they need it,” he said.”
Manuel said Beckman is a good choice because he knows the city well. He started working for the Stanwood Water Co. in 1973. When the city bought the company in 1986, Beckman was named the city’s water department manager.
In 1998, he became public works director.
“There’s a lot to say for institutional memory,” Manuel said. “It helps.”
The City Council split on approving Beckman’s new position, with Shelley Klasse and Cheryl Baker voting against it.
Klasse was unavailable for comment Thursday, and Baker was not reached.
City Councilman Gil Powell, who voted for hiring Beckman, said Klasse and Baker wanted to wait until they knew more.
“They wanted to see a more detailed job description of what the responsibilities would be,” Powell said.
For him, Beckman was the logical choice.
“It would be dumb for us to go out and hire a city administrator who knew nothing about the background,” Powell said. “That’s what we had in the past.”
Beckman said the new job would involve a raise but that he was negotiating his salary with the city.
Kuhnly said a search will begin soon for a new finance director. Beckman will continue as public works director indefinitely, at least until the city hires a finance director, Kuhnly said.
“We don’t have the HR (human resources) staff to take on too much at one time,” he said.
Reporter Scott Morris: 425-339-3292 or smorris@heraldnet.com.
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