Mora City Council to interview second internal candidate for city administrator

The Mora City Council did not make a decision about the city administrator position after a second interview with human resources director Mandi Yoder last week.

According to the draft minutes from last week’s special meeting, a second internal candidate submitted an application for the role on Nov. 25.

The council reached a consensus to hold at least two interviews with the second applicant before making any decisions.

An initial interview with Yoder was held at the council's Nov. 18 meeting.

"I'm a firm believer in servant leadership, in regards to, like, 'I'm here to help you all do well, and do better, and to get you equipped to be the best that you can be," Yoder said during the interview.

After reaching a separation agreement with previous city administrator Glenn Anderson in June of 2024, Mora moved forward with a three-pronged approach to the administrator position, with Kohlgraf, City Clerk Natasha Segelstrom, and Hippen-Koch sharing administrative duties.

Public utilities general manager Joe Kohlgraf has been serving as city administrator in a temporary capacity after Mora accepted the resignation of treasurer Charles Hippen-Koch at a special meeting on Oct. 14.

Mora's employee labor relations committee met on Oct. 29, and reached the consensus to recruit from within and invest in the city's employees rather than seeking a contracted administrator or hiring a recruiting firm.

Mayor Jake Mathison explained his preference for hiring a city administrator internally instead of going out for a search during the initial interview with Yoder.

"You're not just investing in a long-term employee, you're investing in someone who has a vested interest in this community, who lives here," he said.