With ambitious development plans but still without a police chief, Blaine took a major step in shaping its future Monday when longtime Bloomington city official Clark Arneson formally accepted an offer to become Blaine's city manager.
Blaine officials searched six months to find "an experienced manager with Minnesota ties," Mayor Tom Ryan said. They found their man in Arneson, an assistant city manager who worked in Bloomington the past 20 years.
Arneson, 54, who said he faxed a signed agreement to Blaine officials, must now await City Council approval of that contract. With a salary that can range from $114,000 to $147,700 -- more than the pay for similar positions in Edina, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Brooklyn Park and Minnetonka -- the Blaine job was considered among the most coveted in the region.
But the job does not come blemish-free.
Once considered the likely future home of the Minnesota Vikings, Blaine has had to adopt a Plan B mode after being spurned by the pro football team 14 months ago. This month, Police Chief Dave Johnson resigned to take over as executive director of CriMNet, a program run by the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension designed to connect 1,100 police and sheriff's offices, jails, prosecutors and probation agencies so they can share information electronically.
Team player
Rather than shy away from these challenges, Arneson challenged Blaine City Council members during his interview process, Ryan recalled.
"He was the only one who looked at the City Council and asked, 'How organized are you?'" Ryan said. "He stressed that he was a team player, who worked with elected people, the police department, with staff. And he asked the council, 'How strong are you?'"
