City Administrator Mark Gorman, speaking with the assembly at his evaluation, on April 22, 2015. (Rachel Waldholz/KCAW)
The Sitka Assembly gave City Administrator Mark Gorman and City Attorney Robin Koutchak high marks at their annual evaluations on Tuesday night (4-21-15).
And while a good evaluation usually means a pay raise, both of Sitka’s top officials declined to take any more salary, in light of next year’s unusually tight budget.
Administrator Mark Gorman asked to have his evaluation held in public, and he asked not to be considered for a raise, given this year’s budget shortfalls.
Assembly members said they are pleased with how Gorman has run the city since taking over in October 2013. Michelle Putz was on the assembly when Gorman applied for the position.
“I think you’re doing a really great job, I’m thrilled that we hired you,” Putz said. “I think the community has been very happy on all sides…folks have not gotten ahold of us to say, ‘I don’t like what’s going on,’ — and we heard a lot of that before, so I appreciate that.”
Five assembly members were present: Deputy Mayor Matt Hunter, Ben Miyasato, Steven Eisenbeisz and Tristan Guevin, along with Putz. Mayor Mim McConnell and Aaron Swanson were absent.
Assembly members praised Gorman for going out of his way to communicate with both the assembly and the public, and for being open to new ideas, no matter the source.
“We have had our differences in how we see things,” Eisenbiesz told Gorman. “What I appreciate is that I always get an answer back. It might not be the answer I’m looking for, but it’s an answer that supports your decision with reasoning behind it, so that I can do my further research as well, and we can have the dialogue to come to a middle ground.”
Miyasato said he appreciates that under Gorman, the city has had a good working relationship with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. And Putz said she’d made a point of speaking with city employees before the evaluation.
“I heard that you have been a good motivator for the staff,” she said. “I think they appreciate the fact that you don’t just talk the talk, but you walk the walk. And so your hard work is setting a great example for your staff.”
But she said she’d like the city be more proactive about the budget, so that conversations about proposed cuts or revenue can happen earlier in the year, instead of being rushed through in the spring. She also asked Gorman to consider delegating responsibility to a larger range of deputies within the city.
Gorman, in turn, thanked assembly members. “I am really, really fortunate that I have come into this position with an incredibly supportive assembly,” he said. “I feel that I enjoy a very strong working relationship with each of you, and that’s really essential.”
The assembly voted 5-0 to give Gorman a satisfactory evaluation — since that was the highest option available, Putz said.
Putz: I move to give Mr. Gorman a very high, way above satisfactory, whatever you need to put in there…[[laughter]]
Eisenbeisz: I believe satisfactory is sufficient…
Putz: I’ll take satisfactory, if that’s all I can give you. Satisfactory performance appraisal…
Meanwhile, City Attorney Robin Koutchak requested the assembly go into executive session for her evaluation. She said that some of the things she wanted to discuss were covered by attorney-client privilege.
“It’s good to be able to talk and tell my bosses exactly what’s going on with certain cases that can’t be discussed publicly at this point,” Koutchak said.
The assembly met in executive session for about forty-five minutes. When they opened the meeting to the public again, Hunter gave a summary, saying that as a whole, the assembly is satisfied with Koutchak’s performance. He singled out her work on marijuana legalization and the financial crisis at Sitka Community Hospital. Assembly members voted 5-0 to give her a positive evaluation.
Both the administrator and attorney contracts require that any salary adjustments take place along with the evaluations, each April.
In addition to asking that he not be considered for a raise, Gorman also asked not to be included in the upcoming 1.5% cost of living increase currently budgeted for non-union employees. His pay will remain the same, at $125,000.
Koutchak also did not ask for a raise above her current pay, of $123,240. But the Assembly will consider including her in the 1.5% cost of living increase, if that increase remains in the budget.
