City Manager Update

Jeez, they ain't exactly yelling, "stop the presses!" down at the Clinton Herald are they? Since Friday, near deadline there has been nothing in the local paper of record save one, hastily written story which was very short on details. Meanwhile, being owned by Gannett notwithstanding, the Des Moines Register is all over the story which has revealed some ham-fisted human resources management on both sides.

Koostra hired by Waukee City Councii albeit under a cloud of secrecy. Wha?

Waukee city officials on Monday hired a new chief executive and agreed to pay him $110,900 a year.

They did it without mentioning his name.

The 4-0 vote to hire Clinton's city administrator, Jeffrey Kooistra, was taken without discussion and came on the heels of a closed-door meeting earlier this month that drew criticism from open-government advocates.

Koostra also jumped the gun a bit in his resignation letter last Thursday, claiming that he had accepted the Waukee offer when in fact it was not official until yesterday's council meeting.

Kooistra wrote Thursday in his resignation letter, obtained by The Des Moines Register, that he had accepted the Waukee offer and expected to start work on Oct. 16. The letter was sent to Clinton Mayor LaMetta Wynn and council members. On Friday, one day after the letter was written, Waukee City Attorney Steve Brick said Kooistra was the choice for the job.

According to the contract approved Monday, Kooistra's first day in Waukee is Oct. 16.

Waukee Mayor Bill Peard said before Monday's official vote that Kooistra had not been formally offered the position in advance.

"I'm not quite sure why that was in the resignation letter," Peard said. "The job can't be offered until we meet and agree on a contract with Mr. Kooistra. We do know the law."

I can't think of a good explanation for this other than if someone in Waukee told Jeff that "it's a done deal, the Council meeting is a formality." Even if that was the case, it was unwise of Kooistra to tip his hand like that. The secrecy element has riled up Waukee residents and letting the story loose could have easily cost him the job.

Kind of a messy end there Jeff.