The Pacific City Council voted on Monday to approve the appointment of Amy Stevenson-Ness as city clerk and personnel manager.

After a brief executive session, the five-member council – Katie Garberding, John Jones, James McMahan, Gary Hulsey and Clint Steiger (Tren Walker and Joshua Putnam were excused absences) – voted unanimously to approve Stevenson-Ness.

Stevenson-Ness previously worked for the City of Milton as the deputy city clerk for six years. Before that she was an office assistant in the city clerk’s office in Tacoma.

“I have the experience to move forward with this position,” Stevenson-Ness told the council. “I’m confident that my experience working in the clerk’s office in Tacoma, as well as my experience as the deputy city clerk of Milton, will be a good fit for the City of Pacific. I am more than ready to come on board and I’m eager to join the team.”

McMahan and Jones questioned Stevenson-Ness about her lack of experience dealing with personnel issues and collective bargaining, as well as her lack of certification as a city clerk, but said they were confident the administration would help her attain those.

“I think we all have confidence in her ability to do the job, and particularly her ability to fill in those skills that she acknowledges she has room for improvement,” McMahan said. “I look forward to working with her and have full confidence in the mayor and her staff to get the job done.”

“This position needs to be filled on a permanent basis,” Hulsey said. “She is well qualified for the clerk position, with the exception of her certification, but that would be an administrative issue to follow-up on.”

The City of Pacific has been without a city clerk since former mayor Cy Sun fired Patty Kirkpatrick on Feb. 26. The previous city clerk, Jane Montgomery, was also fired by Sun in July of 2012.