Mitchel Hammes selected as next Lamar City Administrator at special Council meeting on September 29, 2025

Mitchel Hammes, new City Administrator for Lamar

Lamar City Council met in special session the evening of September 29 with a short agenda, the most important of which was the selection of Lamar’s next City Administrator.  The pool of candidates had recently been narrowed down to four, with three finalists visiting Lamar last week for the Meet and Greet event held at Tavern 1301.  The event allowed the public to learn more about the three candidates, ask questions and also participate by giving feedback to Council as to their candidate of choice.  At the September 29 meeting, Mayor Crespin wanted to thank Council for spending time performing extensive interviews as well as city employees who gave of their time doing tours of the various departments.  He also wanted to thank the community members who took the opportunity to attend the Meet and Greet and give their input.  After pausing the meeting for executive sessions (one for the selection of the Administrator, a second regarding PEP’s request for increased city funding for 2026 and a third regarding acceptance of money from the national opioid settlement), the meeting reconvened.  Crespin said “there was a clear winner” in announcing Council’s choice, which coincided with the choices presented by city staff and the community.

Mitchel Hammes was selected as the new City Administrator and will begin his position effective October 27.  The following is the bio provided initially by the city regarding Mr. Hammes’ qualifications and intentions.  We hope to have a personal interview with Mr. Hammes very soon so the community can get to know him better.

• Mitchel Hammes (Colorado Springs, CO) is a strategic, data-inspired leader with a strong background in municipal operations and problem-solving. Mr. Hammes is known for his initiative, accountability, and value-driven leadership. He is a confident communicator who builds rapport with stakeholders to drive results. His approach emphasizes responsibility, productivity, and integrity.

Other decisions coming from the executive sessions were that Council voted unanimously (with Councilman Brent Bates abstaining due to his employment by PEP) to postpone a decision until later in 2026 when the 2027 budget is being discussed.  Also unanimous was a decision to allow the city to accept monies from the opioid settlement.

By: Barbara Crimond