Dale Peters, who currently serves as Eau Claire’s assistant city manager, will almost certainly become the next city manager on Jan. 1. The City Council recently voted unanimously to offer the position to Peters, and while contract negotiations are ongoing at press time, an official announcement is expected by Dec. 14, City Council President Kerry Kincaid told the Leader-Telegram.

Peters, who has worked for the city for 26 years (the last nine of them as assistant city manager and director of human resources), will replace incumbent City Manager Russ Van Gompel, whose contract ends Dec. 31. The City Council decided earlier this year not to renew Van Gompel’s contract, and Van Gompel said in September that he would retire at the end of the year.

Peters was selected after an internal search in which he was the only applicant. The requirements of the job listing included being credentialed by the International City/County Management Association; among city employees, only Peters and Van Gompel carry this designation.

“He knows the city. He knows the employees,” City Councilwoman Kathleen Mitchell told WQOW-TV about Peters. “He knows every one of them because he is the human resources director, so he knows who they are and what they do. I think he can hit the ground running, and I think that’s what we need right now.”