LEWISTON — When Bryan Kaenrath recently spoke to a crowd of mostly adolescents at Tree Street Youth, he didn’t look entirely out of place.

At 40, Kaenrath has already served in the Legislature and managed several municipalities. But his youthful energy has been apparent during a series of meet-and-greet receptions leading up to his start as city administrator — receptions he plans to continue.

The idea, he said, is to bring City Hall to neighborhoods that don’t often interact with public officials, hear resident concerns, and build trust in local government.

“The public has to believe us — that we are a group of people who can lead the city forward through these challenges,” he said. “They need to see we’re not some faraway government. The decisions are happening here. Your voices are being heard and taken seriously.”

Kaenrath (pronounced “cane-wrath”), who was hired in February after a lengthy search, said confidence in local officials is part of what will build momentum for Lewiston, and can hopefully help it shake off its image as a struggling former mill town.

Julia Sleeper, executive director of Tree Street Youth on Howe Street, said Kaenrath “taking steps to get to know the community this early is a clear indication of his leadership style.”

That style appears to be bringing new energy, optimism and transparency to City Hall.

“His willingness, as well as desire, to reach out to constituents and ask, ‘How can I help?’ is already appreciated by many,” Ward 5 Councilor Eryn Soule-Leclair said.

“I didn’t come here to sit in an office and build my pension,” he said. “There’s a real opportunity to transform a city here, and to be part of that is really exciting.”

PUBLIC SAFETY

As of Tuesday afternoon, Kaenrath had 111 meetings on his schedule for the coming days — one-on-one talks with business owners, city staff, elected officials and more.

At least one of the meetings is with Lewiston’s public safety officials. It’s likely to be the first of many. Kaenrath said the No. 1 concern and priority from residents and officials alike over his time getting acclimated has been for public safety.

“It’s been public safety over and over,” he said. “People love the city, and love the downtown but they don’t always feel safe coming here. And that’s a tough thing to hear.”

He said the complicated and converging issues of gun violence, homelessness and substance use need to be addressed in order for the city to focus on economic development.

“If we want downtown revitalization and economic development, we need to get past the hurdle of people outside the city or outside the downtown who don’t want to come here,” he said. Lewiston’s negative reputation has been “built up over a number of years that we need to start unraveling and reversing,” he said.

Kaenrath believes there is “a lot more right than wrong” in Lewiston, but it’s not talked about often enough. He said he chose to come to Lewiston because he sees an opportunity to usher in “serious positive change” in a city that is on the cusp.

Ward 1 Councilor Josh Nagine said Lewiston needs to be “a safe and inviting community that people desire to visit and businesses want to invest in” and he’s confident Kaenrath “will find great success moving the needle in this direction for the city.”

‘STARS ALIGNED’

Kaenrath was only two years into a five-year contract in Waterville when he made the decision to leave, which surprised some officials there. He said he wasn’t looking for a job at the time, but believes the “stars are aligned” in Lewiston, which he said has assets that other communities don’t.

He pointed to the hundreds of housing units in the pipeline, especially the nearly 400 market-rate units planned for the former Continental Mill at 2 Cedar St. That project alone would put potentially a few thousand people within easy walking distance of the downtown.

He also believes that despite the city’s challenges, there is “energy and optimism,” particularly among young people he’s talked with.

Kaenrath said he’d like to get Lewiston a series of “small wins” in order to establish a sense of momentum. Asked for specifics, he pointed to a small pocket park project during his time in Waterville that was relatively inexpensive, but received a lot of praise.

He said building momentum is mostly psychology. He wants to achieve things that will get people talking about how “Lewiston is really turning around.”

“You want to be recognized as a place that’s on its way up and not on its way down,” he said.

Kaenrath pictures a more robust arts district along Lisbon Street, and growing City Hall’s relationship with Bates College.

Mayor Carl Sheline said he’s already had multiple meetings with Kaenrath, and is excited to “move quickly on a number of issues including public safety, city beatification, and economic development.”

Sheline said the addition of the new administrator caps a “dynamic team at the city” that includes Nate Libby, director of economic and community development, and Jon Connor, the code enforcement director who replaced David Hediger.

Brian O’Malley, who has been serving as acting city administrator since Heather Hunter’s resignation, will remain as deputy city administrator.

“Together, along with the new City Council, I have a lot of optimism about our future,” Sheline said. “I’ve always believed that Lewiston has more opportunities than challenges and now more so than ever.”

‘CULTURE DRIVES EVERYTHING’

While Kaenrath said his focus on transparency and public engagement stretches across his previous roles, he’s also aware of the issues and controversy that led to his predecessor’s exit last year.

Hunter, the prior administrator, resigned in the spring of 2024 following weeks of controversy stemming from a temporary closure of DaVinci’s Eatery, the departure of the former code enforcement director, and concerns from staff and the public over the work environment at City Hall.

Kaenrath said while “the circumstances of the exit of your predecessor never dictate how you’re going to occupy this position,” he knows how a work culture can influence the momentum of a city.

“Culture drives everything,” he said. “If people in this building are feeling optimistic about things, we’re going to do great things. If it’s the opposite, that’s not the mind-set we want here.”

In late May 2024, the council signed a separation agreement with Hunter that paid her six months of salary totaling $76,771. A subsequent report on a complaint made by Hunter upon her resignation shed new light on the internal conflict at City Hall.

Kaenrath said changes at the top or in political leadership do impact staff morale, and he’s hoping that elected officials and department heads can “be a group that has their act together — a group that the staff wants to work for.”

Nagine, who has previously called out a lack of transparency in city decisions, said he’s been impressed by Kaenrath’s “initiative and willingness to engage both staff and constituents as well as the fresh, energized perspective and approach.”

‘LET’S GO’

Prior to taking the manager job in Waterville in 2023, Kaenrath served as the Saco city administrator for nearly four years. His municipal experience also includes tenures as town manager in North Hampton, New Hampshire, and Gouldsboro, Maine.

Kaenrath grew up in northern New Jersey and spent family vacations in midcoast Maine. He graduated in 2006 from the University of Maine with a degree in political science, and served as a Democrat in the Maine House of Representatives from 2006-14, representing Portland and South Portland.

Sleeper, at Tree Street Youth, said that during the group’s recent meet-and-greet “many of our youth were struck by how young Bryan was when he began his public service work.”

He’s also received some early praise from residents who are often outspoken at City Council meetings.

Matt Roy, a former Androscoggin County commissioner and frequent presence during public comment at council meetings, praised Kaenrath on Tuesday for adding a city administrator’s report to the council’s standing agenda.

He said Kaenrath has “now done more for changing council rules and improving transparency in the last few days than the council has done in the last year.”

Kaenrath’s starting salary will be $180,000. According to the contract approved in February, in addition to his base salary and annual cost-of-living adjustments, he will be entitled to a $2,500 increase in his annual salary on his first-year anniversary “should he obtain an overall satisfactory or better evaluation.”

In June, the City Council hired Don Gerrish, of Eaton Peabody Consulting, to lead a search for a new administrator. During an early public forum, residents said they want the new leader to be trustworthy, support city staff and provide a sense of urgency to solving Lewiston’s most pressing issues, including violence.

Asked about establishing a relationship with elected officials, Kaenrath said he has more sit-downs planned, but believes “we’re largely on the same page with a lot of things.”

“This group is aligned on a lot of issues,” he said. “Public safety, image, economic development are universally shared. If we’re largely in agreement on that, let’s go.”

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