Osseo Hires Former Council Member As Assistant City Administrator
The Osseo City Council has approved the hire of an assistant city administrator. The approval, however, didn’t come without passionate discussion at the Nov. 12 council meeting.
In a 4-1 vote, the city council approved the hire of Alicia Vickerman, who served on the city council before resigning in July. Tuesday’s meeting included accusations of cronyism.
Osseo City Council Member John Hall brought up qualifications for the job and whether the city would pay for her schooling.
“We’re paying someone $100,000 a year, plus benefits with no experience in planning to be the city planner, no experience as assistant city administrator to be an assistant city administrator, and if something happens to [Osseo City Administrator Shane Mikkelson], then that person is then the city administrator,” said Osseo City Council Member John Hall, who voted no.
The assistant city administrator job description can be found on page 33 of the Sept. 23 city council packet.
An HR committee, which includes Mayor Duane Poppe and Osseo City Council Member Mark Schulz, and City Administrator Shane Mikkelson selected Vickerman out of an initial pool of 11 applicants. Vickerman was one of two finalists for the job.
“When we go through a process like this, we really need to be introspective into what the city needs at that time,” said Schulz. “People can evolve, everybody that we’ve ever hired has evolved. I believe Alicia is exactly who our city needs.”
Vickerman stated this summer she was resigning to pursue professional opportunities. That opportunity ended up being working for Osseo.
Council Member Juliana Hultstrom said Vickerman told her this was her “dream job.”
“I believe that you deserve your dream job,” said Hultstrom, becoming emotional speaking to Vickerman in the audience. “I believe Osseo deserves to see you rise in your dream job.”
Alicia Vickerman at a previous city council meeting
Mayor Poppe said the job is bigger than zoning and planning, which he said some in the community “are hung up on.”
“There’s more to this job than just planning and zoning. It’s bigger than that,” said Poppe. “I feel she’s the right person at the right time to bring us to where we need to be going forward.”
