By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
YACHATS – Yachats’ new city manager will start on Valentine’s Day.
The Yachats City Council and soon-to-be manager Heide Lambert of Waldport hope it will be a long love affair.
Councilors voted unanimously Friday to offer Lambert a contract with a Monday, Feb. 14 starting date. Lambert told YachatsNews later Friday that she plans to sign the contract — and had indicated that to Mayor Leslie Vaaler.
“I’m looking forward to going to work for the city of Yachats,” she said.
Lambert’s hiring ends a nearly year-long saga and search for a city manager to replace Shannon Beaucaire, who left last April for a job in Carlton shortly after a new mayor and two councilors took office. There have been two interim managers since, including Katherine Guenther who has served as the city manager and planner since May. The council’s previous finalist, Gretchen Dubie of Yachats, withdrew her application in December when Vaaler and Councilor Mary Ellen O’Shaughnessey opposed offering her a contract.
Lambert, who is currently the executive director of CASA of Lincoln and Tillamook Counties, was one of three finalists in September, but withdrew when she felt she could not leave CASA during a staffing and budget crisis. That passed, she said, and approached councilors this month to see if they would reconsider her application.
Councilors interviewed her again last week, and scheduled two online community meetings, a session with four commission chairs, and a pizza lunch with staff. O’Shaughnessey conducted final background checks this week.
“The background checks really provided good information on who she is,” O’Shaughnessey told the council during a special meeting Friday. Those included comments that she was “tough and good,” trustworthy, a leader, an innovator and very organized.
O’Shaughnessey said the commission chairs and staff supported her hiring as well.
Councilor Anthony Muirhead said he was pleased that the council could find a local candidate. But, he said, “This candidate is going to need our support and the community’s support.”
Lambert appears to be “a good fit for what we need in our city manager now and going forward for many years,” Vaaler said. She was pleased that Lambert has strong contacts throughout Lincoln County and appears able to make city staff “feel comfortable while holding them to high standards.”
Lambert’s two-year contract carries a salary of $90,000 a year plus the usual retirement and medical benefits, 20 days of vacation a year, a raise of up to $5,000 after a nine-month evaluation, and three months severance should the city part ways with her.
Lambert told YachatsNews that her biggest priority is to sit down with staff, including Guenther, “to see where we need to start on the many pressing issues” facing the city.
“I want to be approachable but to balance that with getting going on important tasks,” she said.
That starts on Valentine’s Day.
Below is a story published Thursday, based on Lambert’s interviews with the public this week.
By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
YACHATS – She’s traveled the world with the Blue Man performance group, handled performance video at the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Wash., operated her parents’ vineyard and hop farm and run the restaurant at Rogue Brewery in Newport.
But since marrying and starting a family, Heide Lambert has worked for four nonprofits, including Seashore Family Literacy in Waldport, Neighbors for Kids in Depoe Bay and for the past two years as head of CASA of Lincoln and Tillamook Counties.
Now the Waldport resident is the lone finalist to become Yachats’ next city manager as soon as next month.
Lambert re-emerged as a manager candidate two weeks ago when she reached out to Yachats council members saying she would like to re-submit the application she withdrew last fall when she was one of three finalists but felt she could not leave CASA because of staffing and budget issues. That’s now changed and she asked if the Yachats council wanted to finish the interview process rather than regroup and hire a search firm to complete the city’s drawn out and anguished search for a new city manager.
Councilors jumped at the chance, quickly holding an executive session interview with Lambert last week.
This week Lambert spent parts of three days answering questions during two hour-long online meetings attended by 45 residents, met with four commission chairs, then had a sit-down with city staff on Wednesday.
The city council has scheduled an online executive (closed) session for 10 a.m. Friday to be followed by a special (open) meeting where they are expected to offer a contract to Lambert, pending more formal background checks.
On some issues
Here is a synopsis of topics and responses from the two hours Lambert spent Monday night and Tuesday morning answering questions from the public.
Staffing issues: Clearly city hall’s biggest, immediate issue. Lambert said her approach would be to talk to current staff, councilors and commissions to get their views and needs, get an idea of daily or weekly tasks and responsibilities and try – eventually – to “bundle those tasks into positions.” What were previous positions “and are they still relevant?” “This will take a little bit as we get our footing …” but look for flexibility, lots of conversations and “I would want to have a happy team at city hall and people who want to be there.”
Grants: Lambert said she had extensive experience writing grants, starting in college, then in her early nonprofit work seeking foundation grants and more recently applying for state and federal aid. “I feel very confident in my grant writing and reporting.”
Waldport experience: Lambert sent two years on the Waldport Planning Commission and the past year on its city council. (If she became Yachats’ city manager, an international manager’s association’s code of ethics would ask her to give up her Waldport position.) When asked what she has learned from Waldport City Manager Dann Cutter, Lambert said that his “job is not easy.” A good manager, she said, is willing to admit mistakes, is approachable and knows he or she does not have all the answers. “I do not want to be that person who says it can happen only one way.” “I’m not coming with all the answers, but will work with people toward solutions. I’m the one who can keep us on the path and out of the weeds.”
Dealing with conflict and/or difficult people: “People are difficult when they feel like they’re not being heard.” Lambert said she is approachable and willing to listen, to let people talk and vent and hopefully de-escalate any issues. “Conflict happens. It can be healthy. Communicate. Talk about it and work through it.”
Code enforcement: A difficult problem not only in Yachats but Waldport as well. Lambert said she would be committed to finding answers to enforcement issues, but clear communication with the community and education would be the initial focus. “I know how frustrating it is to not have code enforcement … and to make planning decisions with no enforcement.”
Her goals for herself and Yachats: “To get everyone to work together, to build consensus …” “I will feel successful when we meet our goals.” Yachats is “missing some glue. I’d like to be that glue.” “We need a leader in city hall to help” the council and commissions “to harness all this wisdom and advice.” “Choices do empower folks … and together we decide the best way forward and then continually reassess to keep on track or change.”