Gig Harbor is getting a new city administrator with a familiar face. Here are her plans
When Gig Harbor city administrator Linda Kelly resigned last month due to an unforeseen illness, Mayor Tracie Markley named Katrina Knutson interim city administrator as the city reviewed next steps.
Markley announced her intention to promote Knutson at the end of the June 13 council meeting. She let the council know that a contract will be on the June 27 agenda for their approval. They’re still negotiating the details of that contract.
“We knew this was a role that required a really unique knowledge base and skill set, including familiarity with our city history and stakeholders throughout town, along with knowledge of our past to inform our future,” Markley told The Gateway the next day. “This is a role that needed a deep understanding of Gig Harbor, of city policy and requires the trust of our staff and elected officials.”
Knutson, who had been the city’s community development director, is the fifth person in four years to hold the city administrator position.
The mayor went on to say: “When I initially selected Katrina for the role, I knew she would provide continuity and consistency for the city, while we considered an executive search firm. Over the past month, it became quickly apparent that not only was Katrina adequately qualified over all those really unique categories, she was exceptionally qualified, and really the perfect fit for the role — she comes into the role with the trust of all parties and the knowledge base that it would take anyone else quite a while to come up to speed on.”
Knutson, 40, holds a bachelor’s degree in community and environmental planning from the University of Washington. She will graduate with an executive master’s of Public Administration in December from the University of South Dakota.
Knutson said she was able to prove under pressure that she has the city’s best interests at heart and conducts herself with trust, integrity and collaboration during her time as interim city administrator.
Plans for the city
In the first 60 days as the permanent city administrator, she said she hopes to accomplish two things.
“First, I want to be able to spring forward a plan for staff retention, recognition and appreciation that fosters healthy city organization,” Knutson said.
She said she wants the city to retain its qualified staff and figure out what needs to be done to ensure that they are keeping staff engaged and feeling that their work is meaningful.
“Second, I’m working with the finance director on a 2-year budget,” Knutson said. “The city has been under an annual budget and we’re looking at it in a different way this year. We’re working on providing goals for the next few years and celebrating our department’s successes. A two-year budget will lead us into funding capital projects, parks projects and even planning projects.”
Knutson expects to put this two-year budget before the council for approval in September.
Knutson has lived in Gig Harbor for almost 18 years and worked with the city for seven. Prior to employment with the city, Knutson worked as a senior planner for Kitsap County. She started with Gig Harbor in 2016 as the city’s first parks manager, became interim planning director in August of 2018, and was promoted to community development director in December 2018.
“I absolutely love the people that work here and the customers that we serve,” Knutson told The Gateway. “I see a real need right now for stability with the amount of city administrators the city has had. I believe I have the skills, knowledge and ability to create and sustain that stability to allow for staff to conduct the much needed work that our citizens expect.”
“She’s incredibly well-loved and trusted throughout the city because she has those deeper relationships with staff and really understands issues,” Laura Pettitt, Tourism and Communications Director for the city, told The Gateway. “We’re very happy with the selection of Katrina as our new city administrator especially when she has built that trust.”
This story was originally published June 15, 2022 at 11:41 AM.
