The City Manager Newsletter From Jack Simpson

For 25 of those years, Jack Simpson served as City Manager or City Administrator for the cities of Hawaiian Gardens, Paramount and Bellflower. Read his monthly City Manager Newsletter on the Trackdown Management Service Web site.

The following is from his “Picking Up The Pieces” section of the November newsletter:

Laguna Hills City Manager Bruce E. Channing is a member of the Saddleback Memorial Medical Center’s Board of Directors.
Veteran City Manager Robert G. Gutierrez is set to retire from his Moreno Valley post in late December, 2009.
Natasha Karl of the League of California Cities’ staff hike Half Dome in the Yosemite National Park in October, 2009. The granite crest…Half Dome…rises more than 4,737 feet above the Yosemite Valley floor.
Former Irwindale City Manager Steve Blancarte is one of the best golfers city manager ranks. Of course, Bruce Channing of Laguna Hills and Gene Rogers, formerly of Moreno Valley, and a few others contest that notion.
Seal Beach officials hosted a well-attended retirement reception for Director of Community Development Lee Whittenberg, attracting a number of city managers and former city managers, including: David Carmany of Seal Beach, Nelson Oliva of Hercules, June Yotsuya of Monterey Park, and retirees Bill Kelly of Urban Futures, Inc., Michael Sakamoto and Jack A. Simpson.
Westminster City Manager Don Lam is the immediate Past President of the League of California Cities’ Planning and Community Development Department.
San Jacinto City Manager Barry McClellan, 63, will retire after 36-years in municipal government on December 30. He was about to retire in 2005 as the Assistant City Manager in Moreno Valley when he joined the San Jacinto staff as Interim Public Works Director in May, 2005. About three months later San Jacinto City Manager Peter Cosentini left and Barry got the job.
Veteran City Manager Gene Rogers, formerly the Deputy Executive Director for Desert Arc, is the new Coachella Interim City Manager. City Manager Tim Brown abruptly resigned in July due to health reasons.
Marilyn Ponton is the new Planning and Building Manager in the Development Services Department in Rohnert Park working with Interim City Manager Dan Schwarz.
San Jose City Manager Debra J. Figone has earned a 40-year ICMA Service Award. Seal Beach City Manager David Carmany and his wife Lori celebrated their 29th Wedding Anniversary this month with a weekend trip to beautiful La Jolla.
El Monte City Manager James Mussenden 59, has retired effective October 15, 2009. Deputy City Manager for Community Development Rene Bobadilla, 38, has been appointed Interim City Manager for 90-days.
La Mesa City Manager Sandra Kerl, 47, is resigning to become Deputy General Manager at the San Diego County Water Authority. Sandra has been the La Mesa City Manager since 2003. Her last day will be November 20. Sacramento
City Manager Ray Kerridge is dealing with a “sticky” situation as Sacramento’s Mayor Kevin Johnson pushes for a “strong mayor” ballot measure.
Veteran City Manager Tim Kerr has undergone a serious surgery on his right foot…3 and a half hours worth. The doctors are optimistic for a full recovery and a life without pain in the foot. In the meantime Tim is looking at five weeks or so on crutches. Tim is a former City Manager in Livingston, Ceres and Turlock.
Former McFarland City Manager Gerald Forde has been appointed City Manager in Huron.
Retired veteran Chino Hills City Manager Doug La Belle, the perennial Chair of the Annual Gaylord Knapp Golf Tournament, has been enjoying retirement. He recently returned from a trip to Maui where he participated in some “slip lining,” and had a ball. Doug says he will soon be looking for some interim or consulting gigs.
Laguna Woods City Manager Leslie Keane apologized publicly for remarks she made to the organizers of a 9/11 Patriotic Ride and Remembrance in Orange County. Her remarks came as a result of her concern for public safety when a non-uniformed rider stopped traffic at the busy intersection of El Toro Road and Moulton Parkway to allowing the motorcycle riders to continue.
Taft City Manager Bob Gorson has been served with a subpoena by the Kern County Grand Jury compelling his appearance on November 3 in Bakersfield.
City Manager Jerry Gruber earned 5-0 Atherton City Council support with an
outstanding performance evaluation and a 10% salary increase. He has been
with Atherton since January, 2008.
City Manager Rod Butler of Crescent City notes with pride that his community will get some good press from Sunset Magazine and the National Geographic in the next few month. With the decline of the timber industry and commercial fishing over the past 30-years, the Crescent City economy has become more and more reliant on tourism. It is an awesome vacation destination.
Veteran Rocklin City Manager Carlos Urrutia negotiated employment agreements for himself and Rocklin Chief of Police Mark Siemens, Assistant City Manager Terry Richardson, and the chief building official and a senior engineer who expect to retire in December. Now they will all stay on for another years as contract employees with little to no benefits. This is all in an effort to save the city at least $600,000 in compensation. Carlos will officially retire June 30, 2010. If only the State took their budget problems as seriously.
It has been reported that Lakewood Deputy City Manager/Public Information Officer Don Waldie has rescinded his intension to retire until some future date.
Teresa Acosta of the League of California Cities staff has an MBA from Pepperdine University. Matt Knabe of Englander and Associates is also a Pepperdine University alumnus, and he was a member of the men’s golf team there.
City Manager Greg Greeson has left the Escalon city manager post and Chief of Police Doug Dunford is the Interim City Manager.