By Dennis Box

The Maple Valley Reporter

A new city administrator, Leonard Smith, was hired during Thursday night’s meeting of the Black Diamond City Council.

The hiring capped a busy week, which began Sept. 25 with the termination of former administrator Gwendolyn Voelpel.

During Thursday’s meeting Loren Combs, the city attorney, stated Voelpel “wanted to look for employment elsewhere and the city felt it was important to find someone who could step right into her shoes. That was the reason this has come with such urgency.”

Mayor Howard Botts appointed Smith as the replacement and, following an executive session, council members unanimously offered their approval.

According to the resolution confirming Smith’s appointment, he will be paid $9,626 per month.

Following the meeting, the 62-year-old Smith said he has been with Pac West Engineering in Fife for the past 13 years. Smith said he had previously been a city engineer in Corvallis, Ore., and during the 1980s he was city administrator in Tumwater, Wash.

Smith, an engineer and surveyor by profession, was born in Missouri and raised in Sacramento, Calif.

Botts provided the following written release after the meeting concerning the change of city administrators.

“The former city administrator advised the city that as part of her career path she felt it was time for her to start looking for a new position. The city felt that this is a critical time for the city due to the pending master plan development applications so it was important to get a new city administrator that the city knew would be able to stay with the city through this critical time.

“The former city administrator’s last day of employment was Sept. 25, 2009, and the city is pleased to have hired today Leonard Smith as its new city administrator. Leonard is a professional engineer that has previously served as a city administrator, and has worked for the city as a consultant, helping the city update its regulations.”