Hayden selects new city administrator

The city of Hayden will get a new city administrator after a nationwide search and multiple interviews. 

Around 20 candidates applied from across the country and were pared down to three finalists, and from those Lisa Ailport was awarded the position. 

“I’m just really excited to get to work up there,” Ailport said. “I need to get in and understand where the heartbeat is of that community. I appreciate them giving me the chance to test my wings.”

Ailport has five years of experience as the city administrator in Bonners Ferry, and has spent years as a county planner working on a comprehensive plan for Bonner County. 

“We first of all looked for candidates who had city administrative experience,” Hayden Mayor Scott Forssell said. 

The two other finalists were from Wasilla, Alaska, and Irvine, Calif. 

“We felt that we wanted the best person,” Forssell said. “If we had to move them from California or Alaska, we were still going to get the best person. It was a factor, having experience on revising a comprehensive plan was a plus."

Ailport's knowledge of North Idaho culture added to her appeal as a candidate, along with her other qualifications. 

She’ll commute roughly 45 minutes to work from northern Sandpoint and listen to books on tape about leadership, she said. 

Ailport will spend this month tying up loose ends in Bonners Ferry before she starts in her new position Dec. 4. 

“I really want to get down there and get established and help the mayor in the new transition,” Ailport said. “I’d rather do it when we’re relatively slow. I should be able to get out and get a sense of where the community is at and where the staff is at.”

December is usually a quiet time for cities so it’s used for goal setting, and she really wants to be a part of that process. 

Forssell and city staff will assist her in the transition to Hayden, with the goal of having her settled in before Jan. 9 when Alan Davis takes over as mayor and Tom Shafer is installed as a council member. Davis and Shafer were elected to the positions Tuesday.  

“She will have a month and a half experience before the new mayor is sworn in,” Forssell said. “Our hope is that given the month and a half lead time that she has, she will be able to assist the new mayor in the various facets of Hayden government.” 

Previous Hayden City Administrator Brett Boyer left his position after the city budget was complete and before things slowed down slightly for the holiday season for a smooth transition. 

“We have been accused of trying to rush this appointment before the change of administration with the mayor,” Forssell said. “And that is simply not true.”

Some public comments in city council meetings suggested the process was secretive and conducted behind closed doors. 

“Who will be Hayden’s next administrator?” said Hayden homeowner Theresa Roth during a city council meeting in October. “No members of the community will be able to see what questions are asked and how they are answered. We can’t help but wonder, ‘why so much secrecy from the administration?’”

The interviews were conducted in special council meetings during executive sessions as personnel matters per Idaho Code 74-206. 

“Personnel matters do not need to be splashed across social media,” Forssell said. “The city runs its administration regardless of who is the mayor and who is on council. Our desire was to fill this administrative role as quickly as possible.”

Boyer’s last day at work was in mid-October, and gathering applications took a few months. Forssell said that if the city council members had waited for the new mayor and councilman to be sworn in, it could’ve delayed hiring an administrator up to five months.

“Which just makes no sense whatsoever," he said.

Forssell will spend the next two months helping Mayor-Elect Davis transition into his new role, and aiding Ailport, with the hope that everything will go smoothly for the city after Jan. 9. 

“I will give him as much help as he asks,” Forssell said.