Hayden seeking new city administrator

HAYDEN — Stefan Chatwin is no longer Hayden’s city administrator.

Chatwin, who worked for the city since 2009, submitted his letter of resignation effective Wednesday.

“He is just looking for something else. He wanted to go in another direction,” Mayor Ron McIntire said.

Recently, the city has been fighting a legal battle that could potentially cost the city millions of dollars. The suit, filed by the North Idaho Building Contractors Association, questions the method the city uses to collect sewer capitalization fees from developers to use toward the expansion of its wastewater treatment facility.

The Idaho Supreme Court has sided with the contractors association in that case, and remanded the issue back to the district courts to resolve. A hearing on that case has been scheduled for February. If the contractors prevail, the city could be forced to refund more than $3 million it has collected since that program started.

Even more recently, the city has been criticized for neglecting to update its impact fee system, which is required by law.

When asked if those were factors in Chatwin’s decision to resign, McIntire simply reiterated: “I just think he was looking for a change.”

McIntire said the city was preparing to post the job opening on Friday.

Hayden will be seeking to refill the contracted position, which pays in the range of $95,770 to $117,845.

“We will be asking individuals to please submit their desired salaries as part of the application process,” said Vicki Rutherford, the city clerk and human resources director.

When asked for a copy of Chatwin’s resignation letter, Rutherford said that information is protected because it is a personnel issue.