City Manager to Resign; Council Appoints Interim Manager and Starts Search

Grand Blanc City Council accepted the resignation of City Manager Wendy Jean-Buhrer and appointed Christina Irwin as interim city manager until a permanent replacement is hired.

Jean-Buhrer presented a written resignation and asked the council to approve updated time off and permission to purchase her city-issued laptop. The council approved her time-off request—May 21–26, 2026, plus two additional days in April—and authorized the laptop purchase contingent on a fair and reasonable price. The resignation is effective June 1, 2026. The motion to accept the resignation and honor the two requests was made by Chris Carr and supported by Andy Nyquist; it carried.

The council then appointed Christina Irwin as interim city manager. The appointment motion, made by Andy Nyquist and supported by Norm Williams, passed. Separately, the council approved a $1,500 monthly stipend for the interim manager beginning June 1, 2026; that motion was made by Chris Carr and supported by Christ Douglas and carried.

Council also approved a formal recruitment process to fill the city manager position. A motion by Chris Carr, supported by Andy Nyquist, set an application window through May 1, 2026; a committee to be chaired by Chief Lipe will review applications, hold first-round interviews by June 1 and final interviews by July 1. The recruitment motion passed 4–1. The minutes do not specify which council member cast the lone dissenting vote.

The council’s actions create a short transition timeline: an interim manager in place as of June 1 and a target to select a permanent manager following the advertised application and interview schedule. The minutes do not include details about candidate qualifications, committee composition beyond the chair, or the price negotiated for Jean-Buhrer’s laptop.