Smolinski

It took about eight hours of questioning and an additional hour of deliberation Saturday, but at the end of it all it appears Alpena Municipal Council May have found its replacement for its retiring city manager.

After narrowing the field down to three and then a pair, council voted 5-0 to move forward with the potential hiring of Rachael Smolinski, the current Harbor Springs Downtown Development Director, who has ties to the Alpena area.

Contract negotiations will begin soon and if a deal is reached, Smolinski could begin her new job in early December. If hired she would become the first female city manager in Alpena.

Smolinski said she was over the moon when she learned she had been selected over the five other worthy candidates and she is excited to move to Alpena and get to work.

“I was speechless when I got the call, because this is a dream job for me,” Smolinski said. “Alpena is a great community and a great place to work and live.”

The decision on who to hire was not an easy one for council. It knew the importance of the hire and there was plenty of debate between the two finalist for the job. In the end however, all five decided maybe a voice and vision from someone from outside of the area will help take Alpena to the next level of growth and prosperity.

Councilwoman Cindy Johnson said choosing between all of the highly deserving candidates was difficult, especially when it was narrowed down to Smolinski and Alpena Planning and Development Director Adam Poll.

“The best of the best we’re in that room Saturday I think. Council had good debate, everyone was heard and we made a hard decision,” Johnson said. “Rachael seems to me to be a go-getter and done impressive things in Harbor Springs and those were also appealing to me. I think she is a good fit.”

Councilwoman Amber Hess agreed with Johnson that the candidates were top notch. She said there were a lot of attributes Smolinski had that she believed made her the right person for the job.

“We chose the candidate that we believe is the right fit and it came down to who we felt was the best qualified and experienced,” Hess said. “I’m impressed with the energy she has and will bring that to the position.”

During the interview each candidate was asked the same 18 questions each regarding everything from the city’s comprehensive plan, budget and various other topics. The candidates then had an opportunity to ask council questions about Alpena and the management position.

Mayor Matt Waligora said Smolinski showed him how badly she wanted the job and to learn more about Alpena before she even interviewed. He said she had reached out to and met key people from the chamber, DDA and Target Alpena to introduce herself and pick their brains before facing council. Waligora said she also took the time to read the city’s comprehensive plan, budget and other city plans and documents.

“She did her homework that’s for sure,” Waligora said. “She went out off her way to connect with our partners and others stakeholders and really worked hard to learn about us. She is a great overall pick.”

Smolinski, who will work alongside current city manager Greg Sundin for a few weeks if hired, said there will be a learning curve for her, but anticipates she will be able to get up to full speed quickly. To do that, she said, she will depend on city staff to help her.

“I am super impressed with the staff and am looking forwards to working with it,” she said. “It will be critical for me to come in, meet with everyone and have them help me. I’m not sure I’d be able to do this without them. We have an amazing team in place in Alpena and I’m just so excited to work with it.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.