By Sentinel Staff
City Public Works Director Michael Harmon has been filling in as acting municipal administrator the past few days while interim administrator Dave Miller is out on medical leave in Seattle, city staff said today.
Miller told the Sentinel from Swedish Medical Center today that he’s feeling better and plans to return home this weekend. He said he was medevacked out of town Tuesday after he had trouble breathing.
“I’m feeling pretty good, I really am,” he said this afternoon.
Miller, who also serves as Sitka Fire Department chief, said he has kept up with what’s happening at city hall through text messages and emails, and looks forward to getting back to work soon.
Harmon will serve as acting administrator until Friday, when he has a scheduled trip out of town. Jay Sweeney, the city’s chief finance and administrative officer, will take over.
Harmon said it’s important to have someone in the role, even temporarily, because of the day-to-day business that the administrator handles.
“The administrator executes many of the official documents for contracts, for agreements, change orders in contracts,” he said. “Pretty much on a daily basis there are a handful of actions. If there’s anything that comes up that’s unforeseen, emergencies, union negotiations, the hospital, the Assembly agenda (and procurement) are all under the authority of the administrator. ... A lot of disciplinary actions are under the administrator.”
The Assembly has approved a list of department heads to serve as acting administrator when the administrator is unavailable. Miller has served as acting or interim administrator since the Assembly fired Keith Brady in June.
