By Mila Besich Lira
Copper Basin News
After the unexpected resignation of Kearny Town Manager, Gene Green, the council appointed Town Clerk Anna Flores as the interim town manager. Green had been employed with the Town of Kearny for close to a year and resigned due to needs in his family.
Flores assumed the duties of interim town manager during a special meeting in early January.
The council also voted to approve Adam Perlman from the Ray Federal Credit Union who volunteered to assist Flores two hours a day. Flores will be compensated at $30 per hour and will be given a $360 monthly allowance for the use of her personal vehicle and cell phone. Flores will continue the duties of Clerk and Manager until a new manager can be hired.
The Town will be utilizing the services of the League of Cities and Towns to conduct a search for a new town manager. The League is waiving many of the fees associated with the search because this is the town’s second search in two years using the services of the League. The cost to the town for the search is around $600. The Town is requesting a that applicants be a non commuter and not be nearing retirement. The council is hoping to conduct interviews within the next few weeks and have a manager hired quickly.
Following the closure of the Bank of the West branch in Kearny, the Town of Kearny has decided to move their banking business to the Ray Federal Credit Union. The council is also preparing for the 2014-15 budget and has voted to hire Pat Walker Consulting to prepare the budget. The cost to the town for the budget preparation services are $9,500. This is the third year Walker will prepare the budget.
The Kearny Town Council meets on the third Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. in the Kearny Town Hall.