Superior’s Human Resources Committee is laying the groundwork now to replace City Clerk Terri Kalan when she retires in the fall.
The panel approved an updated job description and authorized the city to begin the hiring process.
“We are hoping to move fairly quickly on starting the process of hiring the next city clerk,” Mayor Jim Paine said. “I don’t know how long that process will take … I like to take my time on those kinds of things.”
Paine said his goal is to ensure the city doesn’t go without a clerk.
In addition to administering the office, the city clerk is responsible for council agendas; minutes and recordkeeping for the common council; drafting legislation; voter registration; election administration; and issuing more than 40 city and state licenses, in addition to other duties.
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Paine said he included a couple policy changes in the new job description. One would require the new city clerk to coordinate recollection, recording and maintenance of agendas, minutes and files for committees of the council, the Police and Fire Commission, and the Civil Service Commission.
“That’s kind of what the clerk does now, but we’re hoping to create more uniformity around the city around the preparation of agendas,” Paine said. He said the city clerk would create a system for more uniform preparation of agendas.
The other centers around elections. It would require the clerk to conduct voter outreach as well as outreach to prospective candidates to educate them on the process of running for office.
“I think that most election officials and administrators would agree that’s part of the job, but that wasn’t clear in the job description,” Paine said.
Councilor Jenny Van Sickle said she would like to see an emphasis on innovation and technology involved in the role, as well as eliminate the perception of bias where elections are concerned.
Paine noted that the county’s clerk is a partisan seat.
“There’s only so far we can go down that road,” Paine said, noting it might be better to take steps to protect the integrity of elections.
Van Sickle made a motion to amend the job description by adding a line that reads the clerk will “make every effort to reduce the perception of bias to protect the integrity and results of local, state and federal elections under (their) supervision.”
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The committee accepted the recommendation Monday, April 19, before adopting the new job description.
The committee also approved hiring a new city clerk as well as filling any vacancies if hiring is done within the office.
The council will consider the proposal when it meets May 4.
