What happened
- Special council meeting held at 9:30 a.m. on October 29, 2024 for city administrator interviews
- Mayor Doug Henke and Council Members Kim Helgeson, Molly Ryan and Mary Bailey present; Lee Sjolander absent
- Mike Humpal of South Central Service Cooperative facilitated, reviewing permissible and impermissible interview questions
- 45 minutes was allotted for each candidate interview
- Motion by Ryan, seconded by Bailey, to close the meeting at 2:00 p.m.; carried 4-0-0
- Closed session covered labor negotiations, wage and benefit packages, and the new administrator's responsibilities
- Council agreed as a body that one of the three candidates was most appropriate to meet Kenyon's needs
- Closed session adjourned at 3:13 p.m. on motion by Helgeson, seconded by Bailey; carried 4-0-0
- Mayor Henke publicly announced a candidate had been selected; Humpal directed to negotiate an employment agreement
- Meeting adjourned at 4:06 p.m. on a 4-0-0 vote
What was asked 6 raised · 4 settled
Every question, assignment, pending figure and unsourced claim from this meeting, quoted from the record, each checked against the county, census, listing, bid and budget data we hold.
The City Consultant Mike Humpal was directed to negotiate an employment agreement with the candidate and return to the city council for final approval at an upcoming regular or special meetings of the city council.
After closed-session interviews and deliberation, the council selected one of three candidates for city administrator.
The negotiation concluded and the agreement came back to the council on November 12 2024, where Resolution 2024-26 approving the city administrator hiring was adopted on a roll call of 5-0-0 with Bailey, Helgeson, Henke, Ryan and Sjolander all voting aye. Interim Administrator Boyles reported the contract was mutually agreed with a single change, extending the relocation period from one year and six months to 24 months. The recruitment itself was awarded to South Central Service Cooperative and Mike Humpal at $14,500 in July 2024, over David Drown Associates.
11.12.24_Council_Packet_And_Agenda; KENYON_BIDS.md · taken up again 2024-11-12
The City Consultant Mike Humpal was directed to negotiate an employment agreement with the candidate and return to the city council for final approval at an upcoming regular or special meetings of the city council.
The council agreed on a candidate but approval of the agreement was deferred until negotiations conclude.
Final approval came two weeks later, on November 12 2024, under Resolution 2024-26. The vote was a roll call of 5-0-0.
11.12.24_Council_Packet_And_Agenda · taken up again 2024-11-12
City Administrator Interviews Humpal reviewed questions with the city council, which should be asked of each of the candidates and the type of questions which should not be asked by anyone. He explained that 45 minutes is allotted for each individual.
Humpal explained the interview process and question guidelines to the council before interviews began.
The 45-minute allotment was used as described. The minutes state that Humpal reviewed which questions should and should not be asked, explained the 45-minute allotment, and that each of the interviews took place as explained. Across three candidates that is 135 minutes of interview time.
11.12.24_Council_Packet_And_Agenda · taken up again 2024-11-12
They also reviewed wage and benefit packages and details regarding the new city administrator's responsibilities. The city council as a body agreed that one of the three candidates was most appropriate to meet Kenyon needs.
Council deliberated on candidate strengths and concerns and agreed one of three was most appropriate.
Three candidates is confirmed by the deliberation minutes, which record the council agreeing as a body that one of the three was most appropriate to meet Kenyon's needs. At the $14,500 paid to South Central Service Cooperative for the recruitment, that is about $4,833 per candidate interviewed. The city's other hiring in the period drew comparable interest and then none at all: four qualified candidates applied for the police officer job in April 2025, and by September 2026 the reposted police position had no applicants.
11.12.24_Council_Packet_And_Agenda; 5-13-25_council_packet_updated; KENYON_BIDS.md · taken up again 2024-11-12
They also reviewed wage and benefit packages and details regarding the new city administrator's responsibilities.
Council reviewed wage and benefit packages and administrator responsibilities in closed session without stating final terms.
The only negotiated term that entered the public record is the relocation period, extended from one year and six months to 24 months. No wage figure, benefit package or duty list from the employment agreement appears anywhere in our holdings, and the approving resolution is recorded without terms. The executed employment agreement would settle it. The pay framework it sits inside is the Classification and Compensation Plan the council commissioned the same year, which sorts every city position into nineteen vertical grades.
11.12.24_Council_Packet_And_Agenda; 8-29-24_work_session
Motion carried 4-0-0. Mayor Henke stated for public information that one of the candidates has been selected by the city council.
Mayor Henke publicly announced that a candidate had been selected but the minutes name no one.
At the meetingOnly that one of the candidates was selected.
No document in our holdings names the candidate at the point of selection or approval, not the October 29 2024 announcement and not Resolution 2024-26. The person who holds the job is Administrator Lehner, who appears running administrator updates in every packet from 2025 through September 2026. A first name and the executed agreement would close the gap. The city's difficulty filling posts did not end there: the administrative assistant position had to be reposted in early 2026 after the selected candidate declined the offer.
11.12.24_Council_Packet_And_Agenda; 3-10-26_Council_Packet_Updated
Decisions 3 motions
| Motion | Moved / seconded | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Close the meeting at 2:00 pm | Ryan / Bailey | 4-0-0 |
| Adjourn the closed session at 3:13pm | Helgeson / Bailey | 4-0-0 |
| Adjourn meeting at 4:06 pm | Helgeson / Bailey | 4-0-0 |
Who did what
| Person | At this meeting |
|---|---|
| Doug Henke Mayor | Called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. and announced publicly that the council had selected a candidate for city administrator |
| Kim Helgeson Council Member | Moved to adjourn the closed session at 3:13 p.m. and to adjourn the meeting at 4:06 p.m. |
| Molly Ryan Council Member | Moved to close the meeting at 2:00 p.m. for labor negotiations discussion |
| Mary Bailey Council Member | Seconded the motions to close the meeting, adjourn the closed session and adjourn the meeting |
| Lee Sjolander Council Member | Absent |
| Eric Hoversten Also present | Attended the meeting |
| Frank Boyles Interim City Administrator | Attended the meeting |
| Mike Humpal South Central Service Cooperative; City Consultant | Reviewed interview questions with the council, explained the 45-minute interview format, and was directed to negotiate an employment agreement with the selected candidate |
| Holli Gudknecht Administrative Assistant | Signed the minutes |
Organizations named: City of Kenyon, South Central Service Cooperative
Said at the meeting
Humpal reviewed questions with the city council, which should be asked of each of the candidates and the type of questions which should not be asked by anyone.
Minutes (record of Mike Humpal's remarks) · minutes, verbatim
The city council as a body agreed that one of the three candidates was most appropriate to meet Kenyon needs.
Minutes · minutes, verbatim
Mayor Henke stated for public information that one of the candidates has been selected by the city council.
Mayor Doug Henke · minutes, verbatim
The City Consultant Mike Humpal was directed to negotiate an employment agreement with the candidate and return to the city council for final approval at an upcoming regular or special meetings of the city council.
Minutes · minutes, verbatim
Full packet text (0k characters)
The minutes
Official minutes as adopted, from 11.12.24 Council Packet And Agenda; text extracted from the PDF.
Council Meeting was duly held in the City Council chambers at 9:30 a.m. on the 29th day of October 2024.
- Present
- Mayor Doug Henke, Council Members Kim Helgeson, Molly Ryan, and Mary Bailey
- Absent
- Lee Sjolander
- Also present
- Eric Hoversten, Interim City Administrator Frank Boyles, Mike Humpal-South Central Service Cooperative
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Henke at 9:30 a.m.
City Administrator Interviews Humpal reviewed questions with the city council, which should be asked of each of the candidates and the type of questions which should not be asked by anyone. He explained that 45 minutes is allotted for each individual. Each of the interviews took place as explained.
At the conclusion of the interviews, Motion by Ryan seconded by Bailey to close the meeting at 2:00 pm. Motion carried 4-0-0.
Discuss Labor Negotiations and Parameters of an Employment Agreement for the New City
Administrator The city council reviewed their perspectives on each candidate considering strengths and concerns.
They also reviewed wage and benefit packages and details regarding the new city administrator's responsibilities. The city council as a body agreed that one of the three candidates was most appropriate to meet Kenyon needs.
Motion by Helgeson seconded by Bailey to adjourn the closed session at 3:13pm.
Motion carried 4-0-0Mayor Henke stated for public information that one of the candidates has been selected by the city council. The City Consultant Mike Humpal was directed to negotiate an employment agreement with the candidate and return to the city council for final approval at an upcoming regular or special meetings of the city council.
Adjournment
Motion by Helgeson second by Bailey to adjourn meeting at 4:06 pm. Motion carried 4-0-0.