Forest Lake City Council ousts city administrator, hires interim replacement

The Forest Lake City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to end the city administrator’s employment.

A news release from the City of Forest Lake said the council ended Patrick Casey’s employment and appointed Kristina Handt as the interim city administrator.

The release did not specify why the council ended Casey’s employment, although documents show the decision was made during a special meeting on Tuesday where there was an annual performance evaluation for Casey.

Handt was the city administrator for Scandia before moving to the same position for the City of Lake Elmo from 2012 to 2023, the release added.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have someone of Kristina’s caliber to step into the role. Her expertise and unique, comprehensive understanding of Forst Lake is exceptional, making her an ideal steward during this time,” Forest Lake Mayor Mara Bain said in a prepared statement.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has reached out to the city for more information about the change and will update this story if a statement is received.