The search for the new Lake Forest Park city administrator is coming to an end. Four final candidates attended a public reception on April 17 to meet city staff, council members and Lake Forest Park residents.
Among the final candidates are Larry Bauman, Deborah Broughton, David Cline and John Weidenfeller, all of whom answered questions about their individual backgrounds and chatted with residents about their impressions of a city they hope to represent.
“I think it’s an absolutely wonderful community that manages resources well,” Weidenfeller said. “When I started studying (Lake Forest Park) I couldn’t believe all that was going on here for a fairly small city.”
Weidenfeller is currently the business and finance manager for the King County International Airport. He has also served tenures in the cities of Bonney Lake as well as in Pierce and Snohomish counties.
City administrator candidate Cline has worked for the city of Burien in various roles including assistant city manager, since 2002. He spoke of the Lake Forest Park Towne Centre and Legacy Project and said he considers a key factor in his candidacy to be the city projects.
“It’s exactly what I feel my skills are best suited for,” Cline said. “I can commute by bicycle along the Burke Gilman Trail here, too.”
After serving as assistant to the director and branch executive for finance and administration with Seattle Public Utilities for more than six years, Deborah Broughton said she likes the size of the Lake Forest Park community.
“I really enjoyed (working in Seattle) but my original goal has always been to be a city administrator,” she said.
Currently the city manager for Snohomish, Larry Bauman’s 20 year career in city government also includes a tenure as Shoreline’s assistant city manager.
“I like the community,” Bauman said. “I think the spirit of volunteerism in the community makes it a lot more valuable to work as the city administrator.”
Finalists went through three interviews on April 18: One with a leadership team made up of city staff, another with council members and a third with Mayor Hutchinson. City staff and the council will make recommendations to Mayor Hutchinson and he will decide on one candidate to be approved of by the council.
“We’ve drawn some really strong candidates,” Mayor Hutchinson said. “It’s going to be a tough decision.”
A final decision is expected to be made by early next week, Mayor Hutchinson said.
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