-
Aspen City Manager Sara Ott hugs her family on Tuesday after City Council approved an employment contract making it official that she had the permanent job.
Carolyn Sackariason/The Aspen Times
-
Aspen City Manager Sara Ott shakes hands with Councilwoman Ann Mullins as Mayor Torre and Councilman Ward Hauenstein look on. The council on Tuesday approved an employment contract making Ott city manager.
Carolyn Sackariason/The Aspen Times
-
With her family and a roomful of city of Aspen employees looking on, Sara Ott officially became city manager Tuesday.
After council unanimously approved her employment contract, Ott shook the hands of the four council members present amid loud cheers and clapping.
“I’m looking forward to supporting the community, the council, the staff and reaching the Aspen Idea; that’s what we are here for and that is what we are charged to do every day,” she told council, adding that she is hitting the ground running and will be available to the community on Saturday at the Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to noon.
Ott’s contract sets her salary at $203,000. It also gives her a reimbursement of attorney fees up to $2,500 for negotiations with the city.
Ott had been interim city manager for the past eight months and prior to that, she was assistant city manager serving under Steve Barwick.
She beat out two other finalists who live out of state; a total of 64 people applied.
Councilwoman Rachel Richards said working in the City Manager’s Office for the past two-and-a-half years gives Ott a good primer to running the municipal government.
“For me, Sara has been chosen for her talents, her training, her professionalism and her intellect,” Richards said. “I think it’s fair to say that the council and the community have high expectations and I think we are going to be very well rewarded for that choice and those expectations. I think this is the beginning of a new chapter, a very exciting chapter for Aspen.”