And then there were two, again.
Another finalist for the Baxter city administrator position withdrew his name from consideration.
Kevin C. Flanagan, Fairfield, Iowa, is no longer seeking the Baxter position. Flanagan's decision came on the heels of another candidate withdrawing his candidacy. Patrick Antonen, Centerville, Iowa, withdrew his name last week after accepting another position. Antonen's withdrawal prompted the council to add a third candidate to the interview list. The third candidate, Mark Winson of Las Cruces, N.M., was among those in the top list by two council members.
Now Winson and the council's other top pick, Michael Rietz, are the two finalists to be interviewed by the full council.
• Winson is currently the special projects manager for Las Cruces, which has a population of more than 101,000. Winson earned a master's degree in strategic leadership from Mountain State University in Beckley, W. Va., and earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota.
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• Rietz is the city administrator for city of Barnesville. Reitz has a master of arts and public administration from Hamline University in St. Paul and a law degree from Hamline. Barnesville has a population of more than 2,563.
Kelly Steele, assistant city administrator, has been serving as acting administrator since the end of April. Gordon Heitke, former city administrator, retired this spring after seven years on the job.
Meet the candidates
The candidates will be in Baxter today for a meet-and-greet session with the public beginning at 4:45 p.m., July 28, at city hall. Following the public session, the city council will meet with the finalists for dinner at about 6:30 p.m. at Prairie Bay, 15115 Edgewood Drive, Baxter. The meeting will take place in the banquet room at the restaurant and is open to the public.
Friday, the Baxter City Council will conduct interviews with finalist candidates beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Baxter City Hall. The council meeting will continue in a working lunch as council members deliberate. Candidates will also have the ability to tour the city with staff members Friday.
