The Mountlake Terrace City Council at its Thursday work/study session unanimously approved a contract to hire Andrew Neiditz as the city’s interim city manager.

Assistant City Manager Stephen Clifton has been serving as interim city manager since Scott Hugill announced his resignation Oct. 3 for health reasons.

Neiditz served as a city manager for the City of Lakewood from 2005-13 and was executive director of South Sound 911 from 2013-2020. He currently is a senior advisor for the Washington City/County Management Association, where he consults with local governments. In that role, he became familiar with the workings of the City of Mountlake Terrace, assisting the city council with its previous city manager evaluations.

Under the terms of the contract, valid for up to four months, Neiditz will receive a salary equivalent to an annual salary of $165,000, plus a $500-per-month vehicle allowance. He will start work on Monday, Nov. 7.  The contract can be terminated by the city at any time or can be extended if necessary, Clifton told the council.

The city has initiated a search through GMP Consultants to hire a permanent city manager.

Councilmember Bryan Wahl said that Neiditz is a good fit for the role, given his past work with the city council and his knowledge of Mountlake Terrace’s priorities.

Several councilmembers also thanked Clifton for his efforts to keep the city on track for the past several weeks, juggling both his assistant city manager and interim city manager duties. “You have done a fabulous job,” Wahl said.

— By Teresa Wippel