The Kirkland City Council unanimously approved an updated employment agreement with City Manager Kurt Triplett, raising his salary to $200,000 a year.

His salary for 2016 was $186,468, making the $200,000 a 7.26 percent increase. The amended employment agreement comes after the council evaluated Triplett’s performance in executive session at its Dec. 13 meeting.

“It’s very important that we keep a quality city manager,” Kirkland Mayor Amy Walen said of the reasoning behind increasing Triplett’s salary. “It’s not easy to keep good people.”

The resolution approving the salary increase, R-5229, cites several reasons for the pay raise, including implementation of the 2015-2016 City Work Plan (which includes the Cross Kirkland Corridor Master Plan); successful recruitment of a new city attorney, police chief, fire chief and parks director; development of the 2017-2018 biennial budget; leadership of the Fire Station Capital Improvement Program Steering Team; and development of the 2017-2022 Capital Improvement Program.

“A lot of the city’s long-term goals are coming to fruition (because of Triplett’s work as city manager),” Walen said.

In August 2016, Triplett won the Washington City/County Management Association (WCMA) Award for Excellence, which recognizes an outstanding administrator or manager who has enhanced the effectiveness of local elected officials and consistently initiated creative and successful programs.

Triplett was first hired as city manager in 2010, with a salary of $174,000 per year, and he actually was only paid $168,000 due to a temporary salary reduction for all city employees.

The full amended employment agreement between Triplett and the City of Kirkland can be found in the agenda for the Jan. 3 Kirkland City Council meeting, available at www.kirklandwa.gov.