With applications for Homer City Manager open until the position is filled, as of Monday, 49 people had applied for the job of the city’s top administrator. In response to a public records request from citizen activist Ken Castner last week, retiring City Manager Walt Wrede made publicly available the resumes and applications of city manager applicants. That information can be viewed during regular business hours at the clerk’s office.

Two weeks ago, Marvin Yoder was selected as interim manager. Wrede’s last day is Wednesday, and Yoder, a 22-year veteran of Alaska municipal government, starts Jan. 1. Under city code,  city managers must be appointed by the Homer City Council, and a resolution appointing Yoder will be on the council agenda at its next meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 12 in the Cowles Council Chambers, City Hall.

Of the 49 applicants, one is from Homer, 10 are from Anchorage and four from other Alaska cities. The rest are from the Lower 48, except for one who lives in Japan. Several applicants are current or former military. Many of the applicants have master’s degrees; some have doctoral degrees. Seven of the applicants are women. The minimum educational requirement is a bachelor’s degree. 

The City Manager Selection Committee next meets at 4 p.m. Jan. 14 in the conference room, City Hall. On the committee’s agenda is setting dates for the interview process and procedures for narrowing down the list of candidates, said selection committee chairperson and Homer City council member Francie Roberts. Roberts said the committee has not yet made its initial cut of applicants.