POULSBO — For the second time in less than a year, a current city staff member has been tapped to fill a department head vacancy.

In a 3-3 decision with Mayor Donna Jean Bruce breaking the tie, the Poulsbo City Council conferred with the appointment of Accounting Manager Nancy Lien as the new finance director April 7. Lien will take over the position shortly after returning from leave April 19.

The job is being vacated by Donna Bjorkman, who is retiring after serving as Poulsbo’s finance director for 14 years.

Lien was among a bank of about 15 applicants for the position, six of which were interviewed. The hiring team consisted of Bruce, Deanna Kingery of human resources, Councilman Ed Stern as Finance/Administration Committee chair and the finance directors of Tukwila and Port Angeles.

After the bank of interviews, which was conducted at the end of March, Lien was the unanimous choice of the committee.

“It was the finance directors from the outside agencies that spoke most strongly for her appointment rather than those of us who know her work,” Stern recalled of the interview process. “In fact, I waited until they had shared their thoughts to give my opinion, so they wouldn’t be colored by my comments.”

But the Poulsbo representatives also felt Lien was the right person for the job.

“I think just for me, it was because she’d been in many sections of the finance department and sort of worked her way up the ladder,” Bruce said. “She’s definitely familiar with all of the jobs in that department.”

“Her experience and presentation were technical, to the point and spot on with the needs, concerns and future direction of where the city needs to go, financially,” Stern added. “The other applicants approached things in a more general fashion or had less experience.”

Though Lien was the unanimous choice of the hiring committee, council members clashed Wednesday night over concurring with the nomination. Poulsbo’s code is clear that council must take a vote to concur with such a suggestion and Councilman Jeff McGinty asked that the vote be held for one more week to allow council members time to look over Lien’s qualifications. McGinty also wished Councilman Dale Rudoph to be present for the vote on the new department head.

“I wasn’t prepared to vote on this tonight,” McGinty told fellow council members.

But Stern and Councilwoman Kathryn Quade voiced concerns about waiting. Stern commented that the finance director job was of such vital importance to the city’s function that he didn’t want to delay.

“And council members do miss meetings from time to time,” Quade commented, referring to Rudolph’s absence. “I don’t have a huge problem delaying the vote another week but I don’t think we need to.”

McGinty, Councilman Mike Regis and Councilwoman Connie Lord were the dissenting votes. Bruce broke the tie by approving the concurrence. Stern said he felt the incident didn’t reflect council’s feeling about Lien’s appointment, only the council members’ desire to hold off on the vote.

“I think that vote was reflective of how information was handled or not handled, not of the product,” he commented.

Sidebar:

National search planned

for Public Works Director

At its April 7 meeting, the Poulsbo City Council unanimously approved a more than $13,000 contract with Waldron & Company of Seattle to conduct a national search for Poulsbo’s next Public Works Director.

The search will replace John Stephenson, who has announced his intention to retire June 1. Stephenson, who has been with the city for about nine years, was previously Poulsbo’s City Engineer.

Under a city hall reorganization that took place in March, Stephenson was named interim Public Works Director and a search for a permanent department head was initiated.

Other decisions at the April 7 meeting included:

•Making a budget amendment repaying a $600,000 loan from Public Works’ water fund to its sewer fund for the State Route 305 Central Interceptor and Central Collection System improvements, which will not proceed in 2004

•Approving of an added half-time staff person for the Engineering, Planning and Public Works Departments, which will be paid for by direct charges to CIP projects and developer deposits

•Setting a public hearing on the Caldart Heights Planned Unit Development and Preliminary Plat Application for 7:15 p.m. May 5.

•Appointing Gale Kirsopp for the Poulsbo Police Department’s community police advisory board