Forest Lake fires city administrator — and hires interim city administrator let go by Lake Elmo

In a special meeting Tuesday night, the Forest Lake City Council fired the city administrator and then unanimously voted to fill the position with Kristina Handt, the former Lake Elmo city administrator.

Handt will serve as interim administrator "until the completion of a City Administrator search and a new City Administrator has been appointed by the City Council," according to a statement from the city.

The city gave no explanation for the dismissal of City Administrator Patrick Casey. Mayor Mara Bain said in response to a question about Casey's firing that it was a personnel matter.

"I can only say the council decided to move in a different direction, so we terminated Patrick's contract," she wrote in an email.

In November, Handt was unexpectedly let go from her duties in Lake Elmo, despite a positive job review, after she raised questions about the city's ability to provide clean drinking water for a new elementary school.

Frustrated school supporters targeted her on social media amid the debate, and the Lake Elmo City Council voted 3-1 to not renew her contract. The lone 'nay' vote came from Council Member Lisa McGinn, who immediately resigned her position in protest over the council's treatment of Handt.

Lake Elmo has faced a series of water problems, from toxic pollutants in the groundwater to restrictions imposed by a 2017 court order meant to protect nearby White Bear Lake. The city's water woes have been the subject of DNR decisions, a special act of the Legislature and, most recently, a closed session of the Lake Elmo City Council.

Handt has 15 years of experience in municipal administration, working in Lake Elmo since 2012. She was also the city administrator for Scandia and the village administrator in Luck, Wis.

"We are incredibly fortunate to have someone of Kristina's caliber to step into the role," Bain said in a statement. "Her expertise and unique, comprehensive understanding of Forest Lake is exceptional, making her an ideal steward during this time."