Arlene Fisher
By DAVID TELLER
Staff Reporter
Effective the first week of January, Arlene Fisher of Liberty Lake, Wash., will assume the responsibility of City Administrator for the city of Cheney.
Anxious to move forward, the Cheney didn't waste any time making a hiring decision, which came Thursday after Fisher, along with two other candidates, were screened from a pool of applicants.
They were invited to meet city employees, partake in a board interview, an employee forum and a committee meeting on Wednesday.
Diane Showalter said the city had already lost applicants because of the several months of delays due to the city's unsettled position on the residency requirement.
After the residency ordinance passed Oct. 23, Showalter asked the remaining applicants, “This is the decision, are you still an applicant?” They said they were.
Showalter said stood Fisher out.
“She just did such an amazing interview, her honesty and integrity were just so obvious,” Showalter said. “Her references were outstanding,”
The hiring decision was unanimous.
Fisher met with a large panel that included several employees. “The staff was delightful and I am excited to meet them. I really enjoyed the short amount of time I spent with them and this opportunity is incredible for me as a professional,” she said.
She was contacted and offered the position shortly after the interview and meeting in Cheney.
Fisher is currently the co-city administrator in Liberty Lake. She accepts the position in Cheney under amicable conditions in Liberty Lake despite the change with the newly elected mayor.
Her move to Cheney is purely because of the opportunity.
To learn more about the city, she attended a council meeting and said she observed the mayor and the council as a cohesive group. She could tell they are committed and really care deeply about the city.
She said she is very excited to get the position and get started, although she said there is no specific day slated for her to begin as Cheney's City Administrator.
Upon her arrived she plans to meet the community and get to know everyone. Fisher said she shares the mayor and council's vision for economic development. Her intent is to add to Cheney's team and be a “great player with a bunch of great people” at the city.
She said she is unfamiliar with things now, but knows there are a lot of big projects, referring to the water situation and the waste to water treatment plant, and is eager to get started.
Fisher describes herself as a detail oriented person. She has an extensive career in government service spanning 26 years. She has a master's degree in public administration from Eastern Washington University.
A news release from the city of Liberty Lake said she was instrumental in developing it into a full-service city. She oversaw a budget of $12 million, advised the mayor and council on a reserve account that now exceeds $1 million.
She also drove the purchase of the Trailhead Golf Course and community center, and helped open the city's library.
A state examiner's audit of the city's books has received high marks during her tenure.
Fisher said she plans to move to Cheney as soon as possible.
David Teller can be reached at [email protected]
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