Members of the Soldotna City Council will consider at their Wednesday meeting whether or not to appoint Public Works Director Kyle Kornelis as interim city manager.
Kornelis, if appointed, would take over the role from current City Manager Stephanie Queen, who will leave the city on April 28, until the arrival of incoming City Manager Janette Bower on May 15. As city manager, Queen can appoint an interim manager to serve in her absence, however, city code requires a vacancy in the city manager’s office to be filled by the city council.
Queen wrote in a memo dated April 26 that Kornelis serves in a city manager capacity regularly and receives a stipend for that role. If appointed, Kornelis would officially serve from April 29 to May 14.
Soldotna City Council members in early March approved a contract with Janette Bower, who currently serves as the city manager of Seward. That contract runs through May 2026 and describes an initial salary of $165,000 per year.
Bower emerged as a finalist candidate after the city kicked off its recruitment process late last year. Queen announced last November that she would not be renewing her contract with the city.
The action memorandum that would install Kornelis as interim city manager is currently on the city council’s consent agenda. Unless it is removed from that agenda, the memorandum would pass without council discussion.
Wednesday’s Soldotna City Council meeting will be streamed live on the city’s website at soldotna.org.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
