The Mora City Council unanimously voted to amend city code for an organizational restructure to function without a city administrator at Tuesday’s meeting.
According to statute, Mora is required to have a city clerk and city treasurer, but is not required to have a city administrator.
The amendment separates the clerk-treasurer position into two positions. City staff tentatively plans to interview applicants for treasurer in September.
Public Works director Joe Kohlgraf was appointed as utilities general manager, a title previously held by the city administrator. The city will in turn hire a streets superintendent.
Mayor Jake Mathison said the new organizational structure will be an experiment.
"It's a decision that I don't think anyone here is taking lightly," Mathison said. "It's going to be an experiment to see if we can restructure this way and make it work. It's not typical; most cities have a city administrator."
Mathison added that, if the city searched for a new administrator, it would have been Mora's fourth in seven years.
"I feel confident in the people we have to perform those tasks," he said.
Administrative services director Natasha Segelstrom said the administrator position was not removed from Mora city code, should a future council pursue hiring one.
"Staff has worked with the city attorney to add language within the city code to address the city administrator vacancy and assign the coordinating duties of the city administrator when the position is not filled," Segelstrom said. "This allows the organizational restructure without removing the position from city code."
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