DEMOREST — The Demorest City Council has named a sole finalist for the position of city clerk.
Kim Simonds, who has served as interim city clerk since the departure of City Clerk Marlena Simmons, will be named city clerk sometime after the required 14-day announcement period required by state law.
“We opened up the position and duly advertised the position for city clerk,” Mayor Rick Austin said after Tuesday night’s meeting.
The sole finalist announcement followed a lengthy closed session at the end of Tuesday night’s meeting.
Austin said the city received numerous qualified resumes for the city clerk position.
“City council has been spending the past two weeks going through those resumes and picking through them quite extensively,” Austin said.
The council discussed with City Attorney Joey Homans the requirements of Georgia statute that the city release the names and all information in the city’s possession about up to three people classified by the city as finalists for the job at least 14 days prior to voting to make the appointment.
As a result, the city’s available applicant pool diminished.
“After discussing both Georgia law and what’s required of us in terms of notification, and reviewing the fact that a number of those applicants had requested anonymity in this process, this city council is required to name at least one finalist,” Austin said.
Austin said the permanent clerk duties will be added to Simonds’ assigned duties, as they have been since she was named interim city clerk.
“It is in addition to the duties that she’s already accomplishing,” Austin said. “She was hired originally to help us in terms of the normal day-to-day operations inside the city office. She has proven to be invaluable in that position. She brings with her a skillset that is extraordinarily strong in that position. Her resume for the city clerk portion of it was strong as well, strong enough that the council felt like it would be appropriate to name her as sole finalist.”
