Rock Creek council debates combining Clerk and Treasurer roles; interim administrator favors shorter workweek

Council members discussed promoting Interim City Administrator and Deputy Clerk Ashley Rauschnot to a combined Clerk/Treasurer position and asked her to consult the City Attorney about statutory requirements and the process for combining the roles. The council proposed a 90‑day probationary transition and agreed to revisit the arrangement at the end of that period.

There was disagreement over whether the position should be full‑time and salaried or remain hourly. Council Members Sam Christenson and Nancy Rys said they supported making the position salaried (exempt) and including dedicated training and development hours. Rys raised concerns about hiring externally, saying it may be inappropriate for Rauschnot to train a newly hired supervisor, and suggested postponing an external forensic audit because it might be completed internally.

Addressing the council, Ashley Rauschnot said she believes the duties could be completed in “approximately 30 hours per week.” She said she would prefer either a 30‑hour schedule with increased hourly pay or a salaried position rather than a 40‑hour requirement due to family obligations and her assessment of the workload.

Dan Saumer noted the council will discuss a possible retroactive pay increase for the Interim City Administrator at the next meeting and encouraged members to prepare options. The session ended with a motion by Don Ramberg, seconded by Dan Saumer, to adjourn at 6:45 PM; the motion carried with all ayes.

Next steps: Ashley Rauschnot will consult the City Attorney on combining positions; the council will take up retroactive pay and revisit the structure after the proposed probationary period.