The Dillingham City Council voted to fire City Manager Dan Decker at their regular meeting Thursday. The decision comes after Decker was arrested at his home and charged with misdemeanor domestic assault July 9.
Decker pleaded not guilty to the charge, according to early court documents, and his pre-trial conference is scheduled for Aug. 19. Decker’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
At the meeting, the council considered two resolutions: one to terminate Decker without cause and another to place him on probation while the case works its way through the court.
Several community members spoke prior to the vote, most urging the council to proceed with termination. Gorden Isaacs said that he has lived in Dillingham for 50 years.
“If he's an embarrassment to the city, that's cause to get rid of him. So, if in fact that's the case, are we embarrassed enough yet? I am,” Isaacs said.
The resolution to terminate Decker passed in a 5-1 vote, with council member Curt Armstrong casting the sole dissenting vote.
“I just think that Dan has done a fair job, and he hasn't been at it terribly long,” Armstrong said. “I still have nightmares about the city manager selection process, and I’m not looking forward to that again.”
Deputy City Manager Jack Savo Jr., hired earlier this summer, will serve as acting city manager until the council’s next special meeting, where the council will discuss how to move forward. During her comments, Mayor Alice Ruby proposed Aug. 14 as a possible date for that special meeting.
The council also introduced and approved a motion to make its meeting zoom links available to the public for livestreaming. That motion passed 4-2, with council members Steven Carriere and Curt Armstrong voting “no.” Council member Carriere said he voted no because he was not sure it was a legal motion being that it was introduced during the meeting.
Mayor Ruby requested that city staff present a report on the feasibility of streaming meetings at the next regular council meeting. In the past, city staff have said that low wifi capacity at City Hall has prohibited them from opening the link to the public.
The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
