With all the coming’s and going’s in California local government, it can be hard to keep track of where your friends are or what’s happening in your neighboring municipalities. But Trackdown Management helps keep the state up-to-date with their newsletter.
PublicCEO presents his Picking Up the Pieces:
We recently goofed and we apologize. We mentioned erroneously that Planning Director Jack Wong was now plying his trade in Long Beach. NOT! Long Beach Development Services Director Amy Bodek continues to provide highly professional services in that community. We apologize to everyone for our error, especially Amy, Long Beach City Manager Pat West and Jack, too.
Retired Ventura County Chief Executive Officer Johnny Johnston has been appointed Interim City Manager in the City of Ventura replacing City Manager Rick Cole, who has resigned. Johnny retired in 2008. He will serve in Ventura until a permanent replacement can be found. Johnny is a former Artesia & Ojai City Manager. He will work without pay or benefits in Ventura.
South Pasadena City Manager Sergio Gonzalez appointed former Hanford City Manager Hilary Straus to serve as Assistant City Manager. The South Pasadena ACM post has been unfilled for nearly a year. Hilary, who is a past President of Cal-ICMA and a former member of the CCMF Board, will lead the South Pasadena staff in economic development, labor negotiations and human resources.
It has been reported that “octomom” Nadya Suleman and her 14-children are moving from La Habra to Palmdale. Don Hannah is the La Habra City Manager and past ICMA President David Childs is the new Palmdale City Manager.
Newport Beach Public Works Director Steve Badum has been appointed Assistant City Manager filling in behind retired Assistant City Manager Dana Smith. Deputy Director of Public Works Dave Webb will step up to the Public Works Director post. City Manager Dave Kiff also announced that Deputy Finance Director Dan Matusiewicz is the new Finance Director, which was vacated by Tracy McCraner in July. Also, Dave recommends that Human Resources Director Terri Cassidy be appointed Deputy City Manager.
Atwater City Manager Kathy Kivley has been relieved of her duties and terminated. Kathy was placed on administrative leave last month. The city’s budget issues continue with all options open, including bankruptcy.
El Monte city officials fired 13 lifeguards and a pool manager for making a spoof video of South Korean pop star Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” The El Monte Aquatic Center lifeguards “Lifeguard Style,” was produced off the clock on their lunch break while awaiting their next shift to begin. Management did not get the humor and called the video “inappropriate and disgusting.”
New Eastvale City Manager Carol Jacobs, 50, who previously served as the Stanton City Manager, earned a BA and an MPA from California State University, Fullerton.
Gilroy City Manager Tom Haglund accepted the resignation of Interim Fire Chief Roger Bloom following Roger’s arrest in a sting operation when he was caught buying alcohol for a minor. He was only on the job about a month, and now the city is searching for another interim chief.
J. Andrew Schlange is the Interim General Manager of the Salton Sea Authority. The Salton Sea Authority is a joint powers authority made up of Riverside and Imperial Counties, the Imperial Irrigation District, Coachella Valley Water District and the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians.
34th SUPERFROG Triathlon (1.2 mile ocean swim/56 mile bike/13.1 mile run) is schedule for Sunday, September 30, 2012 in Coronado. This is the longest-standing half-iron man race in the world. It was created by U.S. Navy SEALS as a training opportunity for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. Lance Armstrong will participate in the 2012 SuperFrog Triathlon.
City Manager Don Bradley of Cathedral City is the longest-serving City Manager in the Coachella Valley. He was appointed to his current post in 1999. Though rumored to retire at the end of the year, Don has yet to confirm such.
Emeryville Assistant City Manager Delores Turner is the Board of Directors President of the California Public Employers Labor Relations Association (CALPELRA). CALPELRA is a professional, nonprofit California association established in 1975. Its members are public sector management representatives responsible for carrying out the labor relations/human resources programs of the jurisdictions they serve.
Fillmore City Manager Yvonne Pimentel Quiring has submitted her resignation effective October 1. She has been named Assistant City Manager and Administrative Services Director in Davis. She replaces former Davis Assistant City Manager Paul Navazio, who is currently the Woodland City Manager. During Yvonne’s 26-year municipal experience she has served in positions with the cities of Fresno, Stockton, Lathrop and Fillmore. Former Manteca City Manager Steve Pinkerton is the Davis City Manager.
Dayle Keller is the new Interim City Manager in the City of El Monte. She has signed an employment agreement providing she will serve a maximum of six-months in the post. Dayle is filling in behind the resignation of City Manager Rene Bobadilla, who has been appointed to the Huntington Park City Manager position. Dayle is a retired Baldwin Park Chief Executive Officer.
Chico City Manager Dave Burkland, 60, has retired and Hemet City Manager Brian Nakamura has been appointed to succeed him. Dave joined the Chico city staff some 20-years ago, and served the past 5-years as City Manager. He says that in retirement he will have more time to play volleyball, ride his off-road motorcycle, and learn how to fly fish.
Fremont City Manager Fred Diaz reports that his city has reversed a trend of reducing the number of city positions since 2003 with the addition of four police officers for the coming year; bringing the sworn officers in the Fremont department to 185.
Retired City Manager Lauren Wasserman reports that his son Scott Wasserman is the Parks & Recreation Director in Commerce and that his daughter-in-law Pamela Wasserman just accepted an appointment to be the Park and Recreation Director in Bell.
The application closing date for the Laguna Niguel City Manager position is Sunday, October 7, 2012. Bell City Manager Doug Willmore is reported by Los Angeles Times writer Jeff Gottlieb to have said, “All it would have taken was one person in authority to blow the whistle. Randy Adams could have been that one person.” When Randy Adams was the Bell Chief of Police he was one of the highest-paid law enforcement officers in the nation. Bell has filed a lawsuit claiming that the former Chief owes the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Sacramento City Manager John Shirey has acknowledged that city workers have over-used city credit cards, while he plans to scale back the number of credit cards issued as he addresses the issue of city credit card spending.
When City Manager David Ream retired in May, 2011, Police Chief Paul Walters was appointed City Manager and Police Commissioner, a dual role position. Santa Ana City Council Member Claudia Alvarez, a candidate for a seat on the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board, lists the City Manager/Police Commissioner as one of her endorsers. According to the Orange County Register she lists him on the endorsement list as “Police Chief Paul Walters.”
La Cañada Flintridge Director of Administrative Services Kevin Chun earned a BA from the University of California, Irvine, and an MPA from the University of Southern California (USC). Kevin worked in the cities of Irvine, Culver City and Bellflower previous to his appointment to work with City Manager Mark Alexander in La Cañada Flintridge.
Artesia City Manager Maria Dadian has announced her retirement effective October 19. Maria has been with Artesia for more than 18-years; the past 12-years as City Manager. Beginning in 1975, Maria’s career took her from South El Monte to Hawaiian Gardens to the City of Artesia. She earned a BA from California State University, Los Angeles.
Atascadero City Manager Wade McKinney, CCMF Board President, tells us that CCMF is inviting participation at “The New and Future City Manager Seminar” scheduled for November 9-11, 2012 at the Fairmont Hotel, Newport Beach (Near the John Wayne Airport). The Seminar registration cost of $325 includes: materials, hotel accommodations, and all meals. Those interested should make inquiries to Melissa Au-Yeung of Laguna Hills at telephone no. 949-707-2621, or email Melissa at: mau-yeung@ci.laguna-hills.ca.us
Developer Samuelson & Fetter has file a lawsuit seeking $106 million from Monrovia. S & P has dropped the City’s bond issuer rating to BBB-plus from A, citing the lawsuit and a substantial drop in the general fund reserves. City Manager Laurie Lile is optimistic that the lawsuit dispute will be settled.
While Seal Beach City Manager Jill Ingram is out of the office, Interim Chief of Police Keith Kilmer is Acting City Manager. Keith is the second Interim Chief since the retirement of Chief Jeff Kirkpatrick in June, 2011. Interim Chief Robert Luman stepped aside due to PERS retirement system rules and Keith was appointed behind him. He retired as the Bell Gardens Chief of Police in 2006. Prior to that he rose through the ranks of the Long Beach Police Department to the rank of Commander.
Los Angeles City Council Member Bill Rosendahl, 67, has been diagnosed with a rare ureter cancer. He has lost 45 pounds in the past two month while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He has kept in touch with his staff and constituents through use of the social media and visits to his home. He recently returned to city hall with the aid of a walker.
The next meeting of the City Managers’ Department of the League of California Cities is scheduled for January 30-February 1, 2012 in San Francisco. Long Beach will be the site of the 118th Annual CSAC Meeting November 27-30 at the Long Beach Convention Center/Hyatt Regency. http://www.csac.counties.org/default.asp?id=3569