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Vandalia council approves emergency ordinance to hire Kurt Althouse as city manager
Summary
The Vandalia City Council unanimously approved an emergency ordinance authorizing Mayor Richard Herbst to sign an employment contract with Kurt Althouse for city manager. During council comments, Kurt Althouse described a program using blue envelopes to help drivers on the autism spectrum communicate with officers.
The Vandalia City Council on Dec. 16 approved an emergency ordinance authorizing Mayor Richard Herbst to enter into an employment contract with Kurt Althouse for the position of city manager.
Councilwoman Dugan moved to approve Ordinance 24-26 as an emergency, and Councilwoman Abelotis Weaver seconded. The council voted unanimously, 7-0, to adopt the ordinance, with Mayor Richard Herbst announcing the vote in favor.
The ordinance text presented at the meeting described the action as authorizing the mayor to enter into the employment contract, set the salary, and declare an emergency to make the appointment effective immediately. The council opened and closed a public hearing on the emergency ordinance but recorded no public comments during that brief hearing.
Why it matters: The emergency designation accelerates the contract process for the city manager role and makes the appointment effective without waiting for the standard waiting period that would apply to a non-emergency ordinance.
In council comments following the vote, Chief Kurt Althouse — identified in the meeting as the appointee and pictured in council remarks as the city’s police chief prior to the appointment — described a community program he helped implement. Althouse said the program started from a resident’s suggestion and uses blue envelopes that drivers on the autism spectrum can present to law enforcement to indicate they may “exhibit some behaviors that are unusual or different.” He said the envelopes include a seal and instructions for officers and drivers and that the initiative had received positive feedback and media attention in the region. “It was a simple ask,” Althouse said, adding that the program has spread to neighboring communities and that staff had received positive responses on social media.
No changes to the ordinance language, salary level, or contract text were announced at the meeting. The vote was recorded in the official roll call as 7-0 in favor.
Council action and next steps: The mayor was authorized to execute the employment contract under Ordinance 24-26. The council did not discuss additional implementation steps or provide a timetable for when Althouse would assume duties under the new contract during the public meeting.
The meeting adjourned after council members delivered seasonal remarks and holiday acknowledgements.
