Police Chief Clint Peters named interim Columbia Falls city manager

A familiar face in city government will run the day-to-day operations of Columbia Falls – at least for a little while.

The Columbia Falls City Council last week appointed Police Chief Clint Peters as interim city manager beginning July 1. Peters will fill in as current City Manager Susan Nicosia will retire June 30 after a distinguished career with the city.

The city is currently undergoing its second search for a city manager after initial finalist Dennis Stark did not pass a background check to the Council’s satisfaction.

Stark had a previous ethics violation when he was county commissioner in Lyon County, Nevada and was sanctioned $1,000 by that’s state’s ethics commission.

Now a second search is underway.

“Chief Peters will not perform all the city manager duties pursuant to state statue and city code, but he will ensure that citizen complaints and concerns are addressed in a timely manner and the city maintains the established working operations,” Nicosia wrote in a note to Council. “Chief Peters and I will review the required scope of the duties as acting city manager and will determine appropriate compensation for the time period in which he serves in that capacity.”

Meanwhile, a second round of applications for the city manager position have been received. A council committee is expected to meet with Deputy City Attorney Stephanie Breck in the coming days to complete a thorough review of the applicants before forwarding recommendations to the full Council for interview selection.

On Monday, Councilors Paula Robinson and Kelly King along with Mayor Don Barnhart agreed to sit on the committee. They will go over the finalist applications on June 25.

Peters is also retiring. He ends his tenure as police chief on Aug. 1 after more than 20 years in law enforcement.

Last week's meeting marked Nicosia’s final formal meeting with Council.

Council thanked her for her service.

“It’s been awfully darn interesting,” Councilor Mike Shepard said, noting he’s worked with a lot of city mangers over the years. "Obviously, you’ve been the best.”

Nicosia thanked Council as well.

“I love my job,” she said. “I love my city. I just need to spend more time with my family.”

Nicosia has two grown daughters that are getting married this summer, which weighed in on her decision to retire. She plans on starting a business as a certified public accountant specializing in assisting governments after retirement, so she could help the city in the future.