Lewiston’s new city administrator, Bryan Kaenrath, meets the public Thursday at a reception at the Lewiston Public Library. Kaenrath said he intends to shake up the status quo and address the city’s issues head on. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — The City Council approved the contract for new City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath following a public reception Thursday during which Kaenrath said he intends to shake up the status quo and address the city’s issues head on.

The former legislator and administrator in Saco and Waterville will start May 5, more than a year after former City Administrator Heather Hunter resigned.

Kaenrath, 40, was chosen following a lengthy search that saw the council readvertise the position in October.

In the city’s initial announcement of the hire, city officials touted Kaenrath’s track record in economic development and his focus on public engagement and transparency — something that Lewiston residents told officials they’d like to see in the new administrator.

During a public “meet and greet” at the Lewiston Public Library prior to the council meeting Thursday, Mayor Carl Sheline said Kaenrath’s ability to connect with people through neighborhood meetings and open office hours “set him apart” from other candidates.

Kaenrath told those at the reception that among his top priorities will be economic development, public safety and downtown revitalization.

“We cannot tread water, there’s no time for that,” he said. “We need to take some of these challenges head on, and look at fundamental change and fundamental progress in many areas. I know it takes grit, it takes leadership and it takes vision.”

He said an important part of revitalization work is creating “a real sense of hope, optimism and momentum in the community.”

“You can’t manufacture that, you can’t buy it somewhere,” he said. “Creating that sense of momentum and optimism is huge. People want to be on something going up, not something going down.”

The council voted 6-0 to approve the five-year contract, with Councilors Susan Longchamps and Tim Gallant absent, and Sheline voting. Kaenrath with receive an initial salary of $180,000.

Kaenrath signed a similar five-year contract in Waterville in 2023, and according to the Morning Sentinel, some councilors were caught off guard by Kaenrath’s announcement that he was moving on to Lewiston.

Prior to the vote, Sheline said Kaenrath’s hire begins “a new chapter for Lewiston, one that I know will be marked by collaboration, growth and success.”

“Lewiston is a city of resilience and resourcefulness,” he said. “We are built by hardworking people with a big heart. Bryan’s plans to strengthen our economic vitality, revitalize our downtown, and expand public outreach align with the aspirations of the council and our community.”

According to Kaenrath’s contract, in addition to his base salary and annual cost-of-living adjustments, he will be entitled to a $2,500 increase in his annual salary on his first year anniversary, “should he obtain an overall satisfactory or better evaluation.”

The contract also stipulates that Kaenrath will receive a $400 monthly allowance for automobile expenses and the associated costs of a cellphone for city business.

Kaenrath grew up in northern New Jersey and spent family vacations in midcoast Maine. He graduated in 2006 from the University of Maine with a degree in political science, and served as a Democrat in the Maine House of Representatives from 2006-14, representing Portland and South Portland.

Brian O’Malley, who has been serving as acting city administrator since Hunter’s resignation, will remain as deputy city administrator.

Former Administrator Heather Hunter resigned in the spring of 2024 following weeks of controversy stemming from a temporary closure of DaVinci’s Eatery, the departure of former Code Enforcement Director David Hediger, and concerns from staff and the public over the work environment at City Hall.

In late May 2024, the council signed a separation agreement with Hunter that paid her six months salary at $76,771. A subsequent report on a complaint made by Hunter upon her resignation shed new light on the internal conflict at City Hall.

In June, the City Council hired Don Gerrish, of Eaton Peabody Consulting, to lead a search for a new administrator. During an early public forum, residents said they want the new leader to be trustworthy, support city staff and provide a sense of urgency to solving Lewiston’s most pressing issues, including violence.

Lewiston’s new city administrator, Bryan Kaenrath, meets the public Thursday at a reception at the Lewiston Public Library. Kaenrath said he intends to shake up the status quo and address the city’s issues head on. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal