PublicCEO presents his Picking Up the Pieces:
Greenfield City Manager Roger Wong retires this year effective July 15 with more than 37- years of public service. Roger plans to continue to run marathons and do some extensive travel with his wife when she retires with 39-years of teaching next year.
California Redevelopment Association Executive Director John Shirey expressed disappointment in action by the California Legislature to pass Governor Jerry Brown’s budget: “We’re deeply disappointed that slim majorities in the Legislature passed this budget that relies on the illegal extortion of revenues from redevelopment agencies that will never materialize.” The CRA and the League of California Cities are mobilizing to challenge the budget action in the courts.
Concord City Manager Dan Keen, angered by the Legislature’s recent budget action, notes that many bills voted on were never published and legislators did not have an opportunity to read what they passed. Governor Jerry Brown‘s plan to make systemic changes in funding for redevelopment agencies will be disastrous on the local level. State Senator Alan Lowenthal of the 27th District voted against the bills that cripple California Redevelopment Agencies.
Former Hughson Building Inspector Michael Brown of Susanville is moving to Denison, Iowa to be that City’s Building Inspector. Hughson’s mid-year budget adjustments required laying-off five members of its 23 full-time staff, and Mike was one of them.
Holtville City Manager Laura Fischer has retired and Alex Meyerhoff of Palm Desert is the new Holtville City Manager. Alex is a former Director of Planning and Development Services with Escalante Architects in Palm Springs. He has held a number of planning positions including: Director of Community Development in Twentynine Palms and Principal Planner in Palm Springs. Holtville Fire Chief Alex Silva served as Interim City Manager during the time between Laura’s leaving and Alex’s start date.
Holtville native Nick Wells has been appointed to be the new Holtville Finance Manager.
Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa said that the Monrovia Police Department, working with federal authorities and AeroVironment Inc., a company that makes drones for the military, to step up security at the company headquarters because of threats posted on an online jihadist forum. Scott says that the increased security will continue as long as Homeland Security believes there is a credible threat.
Watsonville Municipal Airport Manager Don French, 71, will retire in December. He will have work with the City for some four decades. He retired from the Fire Department as Assistant Fire Chief in 1997 after 25-years of service. He was then officially named Airport Manager, a job he did along with his Fire Department duties starting in the early 1990s. Carlos Palacios is the Watsonville City Manager.
Heartfelt condolences to the entire Knapp Family upon the passing of former Lake Forest and Cerritos City Manager Gaylord Knapp‘s son Scott Knapp. He turned 40-years old in May. Scott grew up in Cerritos and graduated with the Class of 1989 from Cerritos High School. He was in the Class of 1996 at California State University, Fullerton. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth “Liz” Parra Knapp and their two children, daughter Avery Knapp and son Porter Gaylord Knapp; sister Lisa Knapp and his mother Diane Knapp. Rest in peace Scotty!
Michael H. Dyal, who began his career in 1973 as an Administrative Intern in Los Altos Hills, is retiring as the City Manager in Medford, Oregon. Mike has been Medford’s City Manager since 1998. He previously served as City Manager in Silver City, New Mexico; North Las Vegas, Nevada; and Orem, Utah. He served on the ICMA Executive Board from 1988 to 1990 as a Regional Vice President. He has served on the ICMA International Committee and was an ICMA Exchange Program participant to Japan.
Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Chief Kenneth L. Bayless is currently the General Manager of the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, and he is on the Board of Directors and the President-Elect of the Mosquito & Vector Control Association of California.
Lianne Marshall is the Interim City Manager during the recruitment to find a successor to retired San Leandro City Manager Steve Hollister.
Robert Porfiri is the City Administrator/Finance Director in the City of Susanville.
Former La Quinta Assistant City Manager Bret Plumlee is working with La Puente Interim City Manager Raul Romero. Rich Howard, a USC alumnus, pointed out that we failed to list Long Beach Poly High School alumnus and MLB Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn in our San Diego State University alumni newsletter. We apologize for the oversight.
Retired La Verne City Manager Marty Lomeli is the new Interim City Manager in Irwindale.
Brawley has begun recruitment to replace former City Manager Gary Burroughs whose employment with the city recently concluded. Police Chief Mark Gillmore will serve as Interim City Manager.
For budget savings, Hanford City Manager Hilary Straus, a past President of MMANC and past Chair of Cal-ICMA, will begin paying his full “employee contribution share” into his PERS pension plan, and all senior managers in the Hanford city organization will be required to pay the employee share of their pension contributions starting in 2013. Hilary’s employment agreement was also amended to provide for a year’s salary as severance.
Bellflower City Manager Mike Egan has held his post longer than anyone in Bellflower city history. Mike is a USC football fan and a Los Angeles Lakers fan too.
Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Commander John A. Hammargren has resigned his position on the Sybil Brand Commission For Institutional Inspections after some 7-years of service. He was appointed to the Commission by Supervisor Don Knabe.
El Cajon City Manager Kathi Henry, 52, will retire after 7-years as City Manager and a total of 30-years in the City Manager’s Department. Her last day in the office will be August 26. Deputy City Manager Rob Turner, who also serves as the Director of Public Works, will serve as Interim City Manager until a replacement is selected.
Hanford City Manager Hilary M. Straus earned a BA from the University of California, Davis and an MPA from USC. Hilary is a Past-Chair of CalICMA, and a Past President of the Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMANC).
Eureka Police Chief Garr Nielsen has been dismissed from his post. David Tyson is the Eureka City Manager. Garr was appointed by David in April, 2007. Captain Murl Harpham will served as Interim Police Chief.
Urban Futures Inc. and Hogle Ireland Inc. have been retained by La Cañada Flintridge to conduct a study to determine how the Planning Department’s permit review process can be more user-friendly for residents. Former Arcadia City Manager Bill Kelly and former Irvine Planning Director Mike Thiele will work on the project.
Greg Scoles is the Belmont City Manager. Prior to joining the Belmont staff about a year ago, Greg served as the Deputy City Manager in Santa Rosa. He replaced retired City Manager Jack Crist in Belmont. Previous to his Santa Rosa service, Greg was the City Administrator in Ashland, Oregon. He has a BA from California State University, Long Beach and an MPA from USC.
Morris Barr is the Interim Director of the Dixon Department of Utilities and Public Works. He fills in behind Royce Cunningham who left to become the Assistant Director of Utilities in Vacaville.
Dixon Police Chief Jon Cox will soon add Interim City Manager to his duties as City Manager Nancy Huston starts her new job as Solano County Assistant County Administrator.
Morro Bay City Manager Andrea K. Lueker was appointed to her current post in 2008 after serving as the Morro Bay Assistant City Manager from 2005.
Greg Nyhoff, appointed Modesto‘s City Manager in June, 2008, graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Prior to joining the Modesto city staff, Greg was the Assistant City Manager of Operations in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Prior to that he was City Manager in Fountain, Colorado and Montague, Michigan.
Cowell Beach, a popular Santa Cruz surfing spot near the Santa Cruz Wharf, is the most polluted beach in the State, according to a study completed by the Santa Monica-based nonprofit group Heal the Bay.
Mike Madrid reports that a “Masters in Public Administration” web site has compiled a list of the 50 best City Manager blogs/sites. Topping the West Coast list is Ventura City Manager Rick Cole and Manteca City Manager Steve Pinkerton. 