Former Mercer Island assistant city manager and city attorney, Londi Lindell, has a new job. She is the new city administrator for the city of North Bend.

Lindell was fired by the city of Mercer Island in 2008. She later sued for wrongful dismissal and discrimination. When the suit ended last summer, the city’s insurance company brokered a settlement deal and paid $1 million in damages to Lindell. The city paid more than $180,000 in penalties, which included public records violations.

Last Tuesday evening, North Bend mayor Ken Hearing presented Lindell to the city council for final confirmation of his choice for the job.

Regarding the lawsuit against Mercer Island, Hearing told the Snoqualmie Valley Record: she’d held to her ethics in the suit, and he respected her for that.

“I have no concerns whatsoever,” he said.

The city of North Bend was looking for a new city administrator after its present administrator announced that he was leaving to take a similar position with the town of Friday Harbor.

The city received 45 applications for the post, and interviewed six applicants.

The agenda bill stated, in part:

“Ms. Lindell … ‘comes highly recommended from numerous sources and the mayor feels she will be a valuable asset to the community.’”

Lindell will have a two-year contract. The city will pay Lindell at a rate of  $111,000 per year for the first six months. After six months, her annual salary will increase by 8 percent to $120,000 if she has a satisfactory performance review.

Bob Sterbank, who was also dismissed by the city of Mercer Island, now works for the municipal law firm, Kenyon Disend, PLLC. The firm lists the city of North Bend as a client.

The city of North Bend is not a member of the Washington Cities Insurance Authority, which represented the city of Mercer Island in the lawsuit brought by Lindell.

The Snoqualmie Valley Record is a sister publication of the Mercer Island Reporter.