KURT ULRICH. Ramsey Resident reports hiring of our new City Administrator.

Unless there is a change at some point soon, hopefully postponing any switch-over to beyond the 2008 elections and a new sitting 2009 council, Mr. Ulrich's position will change from City Administrator to City Manager - a change I disapprove of, favoring the weaker administrative head system -- stronger council system, that goes with having a "City Administrator" rather than a "City Manager." The last guy, to my thinking, had way too much actual power and used it unwisely, so that I hesitate to give the next guy more.

The October Ramsey Resident Newsletter, online and print versions, carry the lead page story on Mr. Ulrich - noting a formal reception Tues. Oct. 23, 3:30 - 5:30 pm, at City Hall. Some biographical background is given. Check the link for details.

Googling "Kurt Ulrich" gives much info about a German film actor named, surprisingly, Kurt Ulrich.

I then did a google = "Kurt Ulrich" minnesota

That, with Google or any other search engine, winnows the actor out of things.

I reviewed initial hits here [DNR days], and here [Mounds View days]. Generally uneventful stuff. The Mounds View strategic goals effort looks like the comparable stuff the Ramsey council and staff does that way. There shouldn't be much difference expected. "We want to give taxpayers the greatest possible bang for the buck, by having priorities ...". Proof is in the pudding. We wait. We see. I don't expect public data requests will be handled any less effectively than during the interim period - where responsiveness was exemplary from everything I saw. Public data law and open meeting law are our protections for having open government, in the sunshine, and it is always more an ideal to have fully open government, than an actuality day-to-day when officials having family land agendas always can be a complication. But the aim of public data and open meeting law is toward propriety.

And let's hope this guy puts the most interesting and crucial stuff on each meeting agenda at the start, so those attending or watching on TV need not watch a catalog of minutia before the real sausage gets made. That was a vexing thing with the last guy, and his use of last minute non-agenda'd things, handed out at the council table without copies for the citizen's copy table was an extreme and repeated insult. It insulted the council - not having advance time to think things over with the last-minute exercise repeated too often; and it was a general insult that citizen open meeting law rights were disrespected.

It is promising to have the search ended and I hope others agree with my thinking that the interim period with Heidi Nelson serving as lead administrator went well, and Ms. Nelson handled all I saw extremely well. I hope the new guy keeps that up. From all I see, he should work out better than the last one. Beyond faint praise, I expect Kurt Ulrich will do well. Again the planned welcoming session is:

Tues. Oct. 23, 3:30 - 5:30, Alexander Ramsey Room, City Hall.