College Place city administrator Mike Ristello to leave; outlines $102 million in grants and summer projects

Mike Ristello, College Place city administrator, said he will leave his post in about a month to become development services director for the City of Richland and outlined a slate of grant‑funded infrastructure, transportation and parks projects the city expects to pursue this year and next.

Ristello told attendees the city has secured about $102,000,000 in grants during his roughly nine years in office and listed completed and upcoming projects including water‑system work, wastewater lift‑station construction, sidewalks and Safe Routes to School projects. He said the council is likely to hire a consultant for a public search for his replacement and that an interim city administrator will serve while the recruitment proceeds.

The announcement matters because leadership will change while the city moves forward on multiple capital projects and grant programs, including a franchise renewal with Pacific Power, an assessment of municipal court services and several transportation grants tied to sidewalks, crossings and active‑transportation improvements.

Ristello provided a schedule of upcoming public meetings tied to those efforts, including a city workshop on Tuesday, July 1 at 5:30 p.m. and council meetings on July 8 and July…