Council recommends interim city administrator after candidate interview; staff authorized to negotiate contract

The St. Helens City Council on June 29 moved to recommend appointing Christy Forsler as interim city administrator and authorized staff and the city attorney to negotiate a contract, following a public meet-and-greet and a council interview.

Forsler, introduced as a city administrator candidate, told councilors she is “a very people‑oriented person” with an open‑door policy and said she intends to partner with department directors rather than micromanage them. “I truly do lead that way,” she said, describing a collaborative leadership style she said has guided her work in several Oregon communities.

Councilors said Forsler’s experience and presentation at the in‑person interview weighed in her favor. Council praise highlighted her stated openness to staff, a solution‑oriented outlook and prior experience with community funding measures in Oregon. One council member noted Forsler led an operating levy in Dayton that passed by three votes, and Forsler emphasized transparency and community education as keys to passing ballot measures.

The council also discussed another potential interim put forward by an HR firm identified in the meeting as Lane Council of Governments (LG). Members raised reservations about that nominee’s lack of Oregon municipal experience in the firm résumé that was reviewed in the packet; several councilors said they preferred the local, in‑person candidate they had just interviewed.

After deliberations the council moved and seconded a recommendation to appoint Forsler and to authorize Gloria Butch, identified in the meeting as the city’s interim (appointed through July 1), together with the city’s legal department, to negotiate contract terms on the city’s behalf. The motion was carried by voice responses during the meeting and the council indicated it will finalize the appointment after contract negotiations; the record of individual roll‑call votes was not fully captured on the audio.

Council members also discussed next steps for recruiting a permanent city administrator. Forsler told the council that recruitment timeframes vary—advertising periods frequently run three weeks to a month and a full recruitment often takes four to six months—and that communities can choose from in‑house processes, recruitment firms, or mixed citizen/staff panels. The council said it will consider whether to interview the HR‑firm nominee on a possible Wednesday if availability can be confirmed.

Mayor Massie and councilors thanked staff for arranging the interviews and indicated the council may call a special meeting to finish contract work and related agenda items.

Editor’s note: The meeting audio and packet used several spellings for the finalist’s last name; in the packet and at the start of the meet‑and‑greet she was introduced as “Christy Forsler,” while later in the audio the motion referenced a similar variant. The council’s formal appointment and the contract documents will spell the appointee’s name as it appears in the contract.