Bemidji City Manager David Minke officially submitted a letter of resignation to Mayor Richard Lehmann and members of the City Council on Wednesday. His resignation will be effective May 1.
Minke, 37, has decided to leave the city position which he has held since 2002 to take on a new role as assistant town manager in Castle Rock, Colo. The Castle Rock Town Council voted unanimously at their meeting on Tuesday to hire Minke.
As assistant town manager, Minke will oversee organizational services, which encompasses the finance, human relations, technology, facilities and risk management divisions, according to a news release from the Castle Rock Communications Department. He will essentially be third in command, behind Town Manager Mark Stevens and Deputy Town Manager Fritz Sprague.
The Castle Rock position pays an annual salary of $100,000. As Bemidji city manager, Minke currently earns $80,000 a year.
"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to focus on the finance and budget and human resources aspects of the community," Minke said of his new position, which he is slated to begin on May 24.
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Minke was chosen from a field of 215 applicants and five finalists who were invited to Castle Rock earlier this month for interviews and a job-related exercise, according to the news release. Following reference and background checks, Stevens - who will be Minke's direct supervisor - traveled to Bemidji for additional meetings with Minke and to meet with Bemidji staff, elected officials and community leaders. Stevens officially recommended Minke for the position on Monday.
"David is an experienced, outstanding leader and manager who is bright, energetic and talented," Stevens said. "We think David is a great fit with our organization and community and we are confident David will be a great addition and asset to our team."
Minke said discussions on hiring his replacement have not begun yet, but he plans to meet with Mayor Richard Lehmann in the near future to discuss Minke's transition and the hiring process for a new city manager.
"It just seemed premature to begin talking about (hiring a new city manager) until I had submitted my resignation," Minke said. "(Lehmann) and I are going to meet in the next few days. My job is to be as supportive of the council as I can in this transition."
In an interview last week, Lehmann said he was surprised to hear that Minke was considering a new position, but he wished him well.
"I hope it works out for David," he said. "I think he's done an excellent job for the city of Bemidji and I've enjoyed working with him. I wish him the best."
Castle Rock, which is located approximately 30 miles south of Denver, is a rapidly growing community. In 1980, it had a population of just 3,900, according to Castle Rock city Web site. Today, it has almost 40,000 residents. Minke added that Castle Rock is expected to grow by 5,000 residents a year until 2010.
"At this point in my career, having the experience of working in a dynamic and growing organization is exciting," he said.
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Though he is looking forward to taking on his new role in Castle Rock, Minke said he is thankful for the friends he has made and the experiences he has had in Bemidji.
"We're going to miss the people, our friends," he said. "I would like to thank everybody who was so helpful here on the staff. There are some very dedicated people here and they've been a pleasure to work with."
A graduate of St. John's University and Minnesota State University-Mankato, Minke lived in Colorado Springs, Colo., for four years while serving in the U.S. Army. He held city administrator positions in Princeton, Minn., and Glenwood, Minn., before moving to Bemidji.
He and his wife Christine have a 9-month-old daughter, Sarah.
