MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — The news of the City Council asking for City Manager Connie Fessler’s resignation shook Mountlake Terrace City Hall like an 8.7-magnitude earthquake.
Many city employees, the mayor and two other council members were in a mourning-like-state after the council voted March 23 to accept Fessler’s resignation. Fessler’s final day in the job is today, Friday, April 1.
Fessler said she is proud of the work she’s accomplished in the past eight and a half years.
“I came into a very difficult situation and worked through difficult issues. I feel I’ve left the city government in better shape than I found it in 1996,” Fessler said. “I have built a fabulous organization and am proud of what we have built together — my real sorrow comes that I’m not able to work with them any longer.
“I don’t regret anything in terms of what I’ve done.”
Although he voted to accept her resignation, Mountlake Terrace Mayor Jerry Smith said he was not in favor of letting Fessler go and there was no cause for her dismissal. He said the move was an unfortunate situation where a few council members had personality conflicts with Fessler.
According to Smith, the council decided behind closed doors in February by “majority consensus” to not renew Fessler’s contract. Fessler was told the next day, and she and the council have since been negotiating the $150,000 severance package.
In the agreement, Fessler waived her rights to file a suit against the city or individual council members.
“We argued a long time, very heated discussion, and it wasn’t an easy decision for all of us but it was for the ones who wanted it,” Smith said. “This is definitely a sad day.”
Tracy Richardson, a records clerk in the police department, said she was shocked and disappointed.
“I know what a good job she’s done for the city, keeping us out of the red with her financial plan when other small cities were struggling,” Richardson said. “She had all the departments working toward the same common goal — what could be wrong with that?”
Police clerk Sue Thornton said, “Citizens of the city need to see who’s representing them and what decisions they’re making. They need to see what’s going on.”
The city’s administrative services director, Scott Hugill, has been asked to act as the interim city manager for a period not to exceed 30 days. Hugill said he and other department heads will work as a team during the transition. Hugill temporarily acted as the city manager for the last two months of 2004 while Fessler took a health-related leave of absence. Smith said the city plans to hire the Prothman Co., a city government recruitment firm, to find a permanent replacement.
Hugill said the mood at City Hall is somber and many of the employees have said they feel they lost a close friend. “Connie’s been a terrific leader for our organization and she brought long-lasting benefits to the community,” Hugill said.
Fessler said it’s an awkward time.
“It’s a little tough around here,” Fessler said. “While many employees have talked or e-mailed me, a lot of people don’t know what to say, what’s appropriate.”
In a letter to city employees, Fessler wrote: “If I am to be remembered at all, I would like to be remembered as someone who touched your lives and made a difference. This organization is very special; don’t forget that…. Stay strong, be supportive of one another and remember our values. Thank you for letting me be part of it all.”
Fessler said it’s the nature of her profession to not stay long in one place. She resigned at her previous position as city manager of Forest Grove, Ore.
Police Chief Scott Smith said “I feel like I’m losing the captain of the ship. But right now (the executive leadership team), will be working as a team to continue to produce quality work and stay the course for the citizens, just like Connie would want us to do.
“The citizens of this city need to know they are losing a very dedicated, quality manager and the reasons for her departure are between her and the city council.”
Council member Jamie Gravelle wasn’t in favor of Fessler’s dismissal. “I have always had a good relationship with Connie,” Gravelle said.
A majority of the City Council, Angela Amundson, Michelle Robles, Douglas Wittinger and John Zambrano, said they feel the change will launch the city in an upward direction.
Amundson, Wittinger and Zambrano have said they wanted Fessler out of her position even before they were council members.
“Speaking only for myself, this issue with Connie Fessler … in fact is why I ran for council,” Amundson said on March 24. “I don’t like her management skills and I thought that I could make an improvement of Mountlake Terrace.”
Amundson said she believes with Fessler gone, “Citizens will be more willing to speak up again.”
The surprise to many, including Fessler, was the swing vote: Robles.
“Yes, I’m the fourth vote,” Robles said.
Robles said she didn’t feel pressure from the other three to vote against Fessler, she just thought the city needed a change.
“I have no problem with Connie … it’s not based on personality for me,” she said. “I have the utmost respect for Connie and think she is very good. I just thought the city needed to move on— we were starting to get stagnate ….”
Robles said she thinks of this as an “amicable divorce and I wish her the best.”
Wittinger and Zambrano declined to comment.
Fessler said while she knew she wasn’t on firm ground with every council member, she thought she had four strong supporters.
“But apparently I only had three,” Fessler said, “and that was a shock.”
Fessler said because she was a “change agent,” brought in to specifically make changes, she knew that she had already outlived her time at the city. “You could look at it like I was living on borrowed time,” Fessler said.
She said she considered leaving the city in 2001. “After we had new council members and the council became very contentious, I saw immediately there were newly elected people who distrusted city government, me and staff,” she said.
Longtime resident and active citizen Dave Mercer said he thinks it was time for a change.
Mercer said he would like to see the next city manager be more community-oriented and make themselves known to the community.
“It’s kind of sad that Connie has been here for almost nine years and a majority of the community probably doesn’t even know who she is,” Mercer said.
Mayor Smith said when Fessler first came to the city he wasn’t fond of her either.
“She fired some of my friends, but after being involved and seeing for myself all the hard work she’s done and the positive difference she’s made, I have nothing but respect for the lady,” Smith said.
According to Smith, among other things, Fessler introduced technology into the organization that has improved service and resulted in efficiencies. She also developed a financial plan which has allowed the city to remain financially stable. Also, a biennial budget was adopted for the city providing for long-term planning.
“Fessler played a key role in the city contracting for fire and emergency medical service with Fire District 1,” Smith said. “Effective January 2005, this contract assures continuation of quality service while saving the city a significant sum of money.”
After 32 years in local government, Fessler said she is going to take a long rest and not make any decisions.
“I’m going to go through the grieving process of what’s happened and think through what I want the rest of my life to be, not just career but personal, too.”
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