Oak Creek will readjust its hiring priorities after Town Administrator David Torgler announced his departure earlier this month.

Torgler was hired as an interim town administrator in 2020 before taking the job full time in 2021. He is now taking a new job in Cedaredge with a goal to be closer to his family.

“We are saddened to lose you, David, but we so respect your reasons for why you are moving on to Cedaredge to be closer to home and be with your wife, and we have to acknowledge the things you have accomplished since you have been here,” Mayor Melissa Dobbins said at a Town Board meeting July 2.

Dobbins noted that Torgler “catapulted” the town to “astronomical achievements” that include leading major developments for the Sheriff Reservoir among other growth-related leadership.

“Thank you for your service to us, David,” said Dobbins.

Torgler’s departure creates another major job opening for Oak Creek after the town’s former police chief, Ralph Maher, stepped away from his position before an independent investigation found he acted “unprofessionally” during a January performance at an all-male entertainment show hosted at the Colorado Bar.

In addition to hiring a new town administrator and police chief, Oak Creek is also seeking to hire a deputy clerk.

The town had contracted Colorado Springs-based KRW Associates to search for a new police chief earlier this year, but after the Town Board meeting earlier this month, the decision was made to prioritize filling Torgler’s vacant position ahead of hiring for the police chief.

“These two positions need to work very close with each other, and the chief works under the town administrator for the Town Board. … We would advise that you do your search for the town admin (and) clerk first and then follow that up,” said KRW Associates Managing Partner Lorne Kramer.

“It’s going to work better in the long term for the town by doing it in this order,” he added.

Town Board members agreed to shift the priority to find a new town administrator who would also serve the role as town clerk, and would pay KRW Associates the $13,000 already approved to search for a new police chief.

Kramer, along with KRW Senior Associate Mark Collins, explained to town board members that the search for a candidate to fill the role of town administrator and town clerk would likely be challenging and could take more than six months.

“It will be a challenge. I want to disclose this: Last year we recruited and successfully placed a town administrator and a clerk in Hugo, Colorado,” said Kramer, referring to a “very small community in the northeastern part of the state.”

“It was a successful placement, but it is a challenge because it is a unique position, quite frankly, most administrators or those people with a background as an admin, do not have the skills required of a clerk,” he added. “Vice versa, you have a situation where you have some very successful clerks in the Rocky Mountain Region, but they don’t have experience as a town administrator or a manager.”

Collins said the search for a new town administrator and clerk could take between six and seven months and that the search for a new police chief would be initiated after the process started.

He noted that the combination of a town administrator and clerk title would make it more difficult to find qualified candidates.

“David’s position right now is a rare beast,” said Collins. “It’s because you have so many things going on as your town admin and then to be the clerk as well; that is just a full boat.”

In the meantime, Oak Creek officials are actively looking for an individual to fill Torgler’s spot on an interim basis given the effect that the vacancy has on the town’s day-to-day operations.

Dobbins said Monday she was “hopeful” she and other local officials would be able to interview at least two candidates this week for the interim role.

As Torgler explained, his multi-faceted role requires someone who will be able to fulfil a clerk’s duties that include preparing for public meetings and producing agendas along with providing documentation of those meetings and running elections.

On the administrator side, Torgler noted a bevy of tasks facing the position that include working to update the town’s comprehensive land use plan and codes while working on regional transportation and climate action plans.

Other tasks include preparing emergency operations and plans in the event of a disaster and performing administrative interactions with other municipalities and the county.

“David, are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Town Board member Bernie Gagne asked after hearing the challenges posed to the town with Torgler’s decision to relocate.

Torgler laughed and accepted the praise over his work in Oak Creek. He also noted his gratitude to his colleagues and board members as he charted out priorities for the town in the coming years.

“I was part of a much bigger team and having the people on the staff and the board that I was able to work with and keep things moving forward,” said Torgler.

“This town has got so many opportunities, the housing, that is our next big thing, that and finishing up Sheriff (Reservoir),” he added. “Thank you all for working with me during my time here. I really appreciate it.”