After meeting in a closed session to discuss “the preliminary consideration of allegations or charges against an individual subject to its authority,” the Forest Lake City Council voted on Monday night to part ways with interim city administrator Kristina Handt.

Kristina Handt (Courtesy photo).

City officials would not confirm that Handt was the subject of a complaint, and a Data Practices Act request to determine if any complaints have been filed against Handt was not completed prior to deadline.

But the council voted 5-0 at a special council meeting on Monday night not to renew Handt’s interim agreement and exercised its 30-day notice. Handt’s last day would be Nov. 1, unless she decides to leave earlier. She did not return a phone call or email seeking comment.

City Clerk Jolleen Chaika, who has been with the city since April, was named acting city administrator until a permanent city administrator is hired. The council also appointed a subcommittee, consisting of Mayor Mara Bain and council member Leif Erickson, to oversee and guide Chaika in her appointment as acting city administrator.

Chaika, who has 24 years of experience in county and local government, previously served as city clerk in Lino Lakes and as a victim/witness coordinator for Washington County.

Handt also withdrew her name from the search for a permanent city administrator. She was one of three finalists for the position.

The other two finalists are Jon Radermacher, former city administrator in Little Falls, and Shawn Metcalf, former city administrator in Hastings, Neb.

Radermacher, the former city administrator in Madison, Minn., served as the city administrator in Little Falls until June, according to his LinkedIn profile. The Little Falls City Council placed Radermacher on an unpaid suspension in May “following his performance review that took place in closed session for about two hours as part of the May 6 City Council meeting,” according to an article published May 17 in the Morrison County, Minn., Record.

Metcalf was placed on paid administrative leave in September because of “a confidential personnel matter” and was terminated by the Hastings City Council on Sept. 23, according to the Hastings Tribune.

City Attorney Amanda Johnson said at the meeting that the consultant hired by the city to lead the search, Karl Amlie of Stillwater-based Specialized Recruiting Group, would search for additional candidates.

“Hopefully, Karl can find a few more candidates within the next two weeks,” she said. “The two current finalists that you have already selected would also be invited to just sort of reconfirm their intention to their desire to be considered, and then, hopefully, before the end of October, we would have a meeting where council could reselect finalists.”

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Handt, who previously served as city administrator in Lake Elmo and Scandia, did not attend the special meeting. Bain praised Handt during the open session portion of the meeting for helping the city “make nice progress in a number of important areas.”

Among her accomplishments: helping reorganized the city’s administration department by hiring a city clerk and creating an administrative services director position, incorporating parks into the city’s public works department, making progress on code enforcement and helping improve the city’s long-term budgeting tools.

“We are substantially through our 2025 budgeting cycle,” Bain said during the meeting. “We still have fourth quarter to go, and we’ve made nice progress.”

Bain said Tuesday that she could not comment further.