The Crookston City Council held a special meeting on Wednesday night to approve the contract with new City Administrator Amy Finch. The Council voted 8-0 to approve the contract.
City of Crookston Finance Director Angel Weasner said the starting salary would be $110,000 and include the standard city benefits. “The contract for the City Administrator will be a starting salary of $110,000 a year,” said Weasner. “It is effective as of today, September 9, and the expected start date is October 19. She will start with some vacation and sick time, so she has the ability to take time off as she needs. She will participate in PERA (Public Employees Retirement Association of Minnesota) and have the same health insurance contribution from the city as everybody else.”
The contract does not include special considerations like a cell phone or other equipment but will consist of a $2,500 moving allowance if Finch moves within city limits, explained Weasner. “The other biggest part of the contract is a moving allowance,” said Weasner. “She is moving up here, so she will be offered a moving allowance within a timeframe as long as she lives within city limits.”
Finch will get some credit for her experience with the City of Ottawa, KS toward vacation accrual, and then will follow the same structure as the rest of the city staff, said Weasner. “She will follow the same vacation accrual as everyone else,” said Weasner. “After one year, she will be bumped up and is getting some years of credit for her experience in her former city.”
The contract also includes a three-month severance package if the City Council terminates Finch except in an instance of illegal activity or malfeasance, explained Weasner. “There is not necessarily a probationary period,” said Weasner. “She will have a review after six months and then annually at the end of a calendar year like most city administrators as far as the severance package is as long as it’s not for illegal activity or malfeasance. It is a three-month severance package. That is effective immediately as long as the Council’s wishes terminate it. If she leaves by her own volition, it is a 45-day notice period.”
The Crookston City Council chose Finch as the next city administrator from a pool of four finalists on August 13. Finch will replace Shannon Stassen, who served as City Administrator from 2013-2019 before the Crookston City Council approved the separation requested by Stassen. Weasner has served as the Interim City Administrator since December 10, 2019.
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