Kelso may keep interim city manager
Sunday, November 23, 2008 6:00 AM PST
By Amy M.E. Fischer
Printable version
E-mail this articleDenny Richards, Kelso’s interim city manager, was expected to run City Hall for a few months until a permanent city manager was hired.
But five weeks after picking Richards for the temporary manager job, the Kelso City Council is looking at keeping Richards for the long haul — and Richards is interested in staying.
Friday, Mayor David Futcher said City Council members are getting along so well with Richards, they’d like to see him hired as the permanent city manager to replace Paul Brachvogel, who resigned Oct. 24 to become the Cowlitz PUD’s attorney.
After talking it over with Richards, Futcher on Friday asked the headhunting firm the city hired to “hold off” on the permanent city manager search while the council further explores the idea, he said.
“Denny has fit in real well. ... He’s a great communicator, he’s got loads of experience, and his background in the police department is very attractive to us as we’re going through this transition,” Futcher said, referring to the city’s search to replace Police Chief Wayne Nelson, who retires in March.
The council first met Richards on Oct. 21 while interviewing interim city manager candidates selected by Prothman Group, a Seattle search firm. Richards, a former Gig Harbor police chief with 28 years’ experience in law enforcement, seemed to win over the council with his friendly attitude and sense of humor. In the last year and a half, Richards has taken on interim roles as city administrator in Long Beach, police chief in Sultan, Wash., and administrator in Jefferson County.
Richards, who grew up in Vancouver, said he feels comfortable in Kelso and would be happy to stick around. He’s been knocking on doors and shaking hands with business owners, and he finds the city staff enjoyable to work with, he said.
“I like the feel of the town and I like the people,” Richards, 64, said Friday. “I don’t know if I can put it into words. I’m from a blue collar family. My dad worked at Alcoa. My uncles worked in the paper mills and at Alcoa. ... I like it here.”
He describes his bosses — the city council — as “just the nicest bunch of folks. They’re good people, and they all seem to have Kelso in their hearts.”
Now that he’s closer to home, Richards finds himself bumping into old friends in the City Hall lobby. And he’s figured out that Councilman Gerry Malella, a former Kelso High School swim coach, is the same competitive swimmer he went to high school with years ago in Vancouver, he said.
Richards has a bachelor’s degree in public administration from The Evergreen State College and an associate’s degree in criminal justice. He has served as a patrol division commander with the Vancouver Police Department, city manager of Fircrest, Wash, and performed administrative duties for the cities of Sammamish and Battle Ground.
The next step will be to draw up an employment contract between himself and the city, Richards said.
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