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:
Colton City Manager Rod Foster has been appointed to replace retired Laguna Niguel City Manager Tim Casey. Rod will start his new position in March.
With Palos Verdes Estates City Manager Judy Smith‘s last day in office February 22, former Palos Verdes Estate Chief of Police Dan Dreiling has agreed to serve as Interim City Manager until May 15 or when a city manager is hired to replace him. It is reported that Judy and her husband Martin Smith, an editor with Orange Coast Magazine, are relocating to Orange County.
Paul Cayler, 47, the former City Manager in Willits, has been appointed Interim City Manager in Cloverdale. Filling in behind the resignation of City Manager Nina Regor, who is the new City Administrator in Camas, Washington.
Thousand Oaks Assistant City Manager Mark Watkins, 51, has been selected to be the new Ventura City Manager replacing Interim City Manager Johnny Johnston. Johnny has held the position since last September following the resignation of eight-year City Manager Rick Cole. Mark worked for Ventura between 1987 and 2001, first as a Civil Engineer and then as the Maintenance Services Manager. He joined the Thousand Oaks staff as the Deputy Public Works Director.
Retired veteran City Manager Kevin O’Rourke, a Senior Consultant with Public Alternative Retirement System (PARS), has been appointed to serve as the Interim City Manager in Santa Ana. Kevin has been City Manager in Stanton, Buena Park and Fairfield, and he has served as Interim City Manager in Stockton and Woodland. He is a Past President of the City Managers’ Department of the League of California Cities, and a former West Coast Regional Vice President on the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Executive Board. Kevin is also a past member of the California City Management Foundation Board of Trustees, and he is a member of the Cal-ICMA Board.
Phil Green, retired Chief of Police in Corte Madera and Larkspur, died on Sunday, February 10, 2013, while visiting family in Southern California. He was 72. Chief Green retired as the Chief of the “Twin Cities” police force in 2010. He lived in Novato. At the time of his retirement he was the longest serving police chief in California. He began his law enforcement career with the San Rafael Police Department in 1961.
Albany City Manager Beth Pollard is exploring options for fulfilling the duties of the Fire Chief following the Piedmont decision to stop sharing its Chief with Albany. Fire Chief Edward Tubbs served both cities, but plans to retire May 31. Piedmont City Administrator Geoffrey Grote recommended that the shared chief arrangement be discontinued indicating that Piedmont does not have sufficient administrative staff to continue with a half-time chief.
Arne Croce, retired San Mateo City Manager and more recently the Interim Chief Administrative Officer in Bell, is the new Executive Director of Peninsula Family Service in San Mateo. Peninsula Family Service offers programs in child development and education; support of healthy family interaction; parent education and coaching; wellness and life-long learning for older adults; and financial empowerment.
Novato City Manager Michael Frank recently delivered a State of the City address and reported that retail sales and incomes are on the rise, hotel vacancies are down and small businesses are opening at an increasing rate. He noted that there is an impending construction of an In-N-Out Burger planned for the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center, among other developments. Businesses in Novato are opening at an increased pace.
Firebaugh City Manager Laura Weyant has submitted her resignation, and Finance Director Pio Martin has been appointed Acting City Manager. Firebaugh’s financial struggles include a projected $1.2 million general fund deficit.
Tustin Deputy City Manager Chuck Robinson worked in the Laguna Beach Public Works Department from 1999 to 2002. He earned a BA in Communications for California State University, Fullerton and an MPA from the University of La Verne.
With Campbell City Manager Amy Brown taking the Santa Clara County Director of Agriculture and Environmental Management post, the new Campbell City Manager will be Cupertino Director of Parks and Recreation Mark Linder. Mark held various position with San Jose, including Deputy City Manager, between 1995 and 2008 when he joined the Cupertino staff. Previous to that he served as Assistant Town Manager in Los Gatos and Assistant General Manager with the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District. Mark earned a BA from Macalester College and an MPA from San Jose State University.
San Rafael Assistant City Manager Jim Schutz, 44, was recognized as the recipient of the 2013 John H. Nail Memorial Award during the annual meeting of the City Managers Department of the League of California Cities in San Francisco. The award recognizes the top municipal assistant. Jim became the San Rafael ACM in 2007.
La Mirada Public Works Director Steve Forster, a 23-year veteran of the La Mirada city staff, has resigned his position.
Rob Johnson is the new Menifee City Manager, continuing to serve in an interim capacity. He has served as Interim City Manager since last November when City Manager William Rawlings stepped down.
Retired Temecula City Manager Shawn Nelson will be providing some consulting assistance. He is expected to report directly to the Menifee City Council.
Atascadero Assistant City Manager and new Pismo Beach City Manager Jim Lewis has been awarded special recognition by the California City Management Foundation for his Outstanding Contribution to the Profession. He received the award in San Francisco during the 2013 Annual League of California Cities City Managers Department meeting.
Former Marin County Community Development Agency Administrative Services Manager Garrett Toy has begun his tenure as the new Town Manager in Fairfax. Former Town Manager Michael Rock is the City Manager in Lomita.
Addressing a State of the City luncheon program, Paramount City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal said that despite statewide financial challenges, the City of Paramount remains fiscally healthy.
Members of the California Contract Cities Association 2013 Golf Tournament Committee includes: retired Norwalk City Manager Ernie Garcia; CCCA Executive Director Sam Olivito; long-time waste management professional Richard Fierro; former City Administrator and Deputy L.A. County Supervisor Ray Harris; CCCA Assistant Executive Director Paul Philips; and retired Huntington Park City Manager Gregory Korduner. The tournament is planned for Thursday, May 16, 2013 in Indian Wells as part of the 54th Annual Municipal Seminar of the California Contract Cities Association.
Richard Fierro is currently an Environmental Services Professional located in Chino, California.
In Partnership with the League of California Cities, the Los Angeles County Division of the League hosted a 2013 Legislative Reception on Thursday, February 7. Under the leadership of LA County Division Executive Director Robb Korinke the successful event was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Maureen O’Connor, 66, who served as San Diego Mayor from 1986 to 1992, is charged with misappropriating $2 million of her late husband’s charitable foundation by gambling it away. Prosecutors claim that the former Mayor gambled away more than $1 billion. She has pleaded “not guilty.” Under an arrangement with federal prosecutors, she has two years to repay the $2 million taken from the R. P. Foundation, established by her late husband, who was a co-founder of the Jack-In-The-Box chain. It is reported that she claims her video poker habit was caused by a brain tumor.
Veteran City Manager Allen Parker is the new Acting City Manager in San Bernardino.
In the ICMA 1981-1982 Directory of Members Roger L. Kemp is listed as the City Manager in Seaside beginning in December, 1979. He had previously held various position in Oakland, including Assistant to the City Manager. In 2007 Roger received the Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award for his “Distinguished Service in the Field of Public Administration” from the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University. Roger is the Founder and President of Kemp Consulting, LLC. He has been appointed Practitioner in Residence for the Department of Public Management, College of Business at the University of New Haven. He served as Vallejo City Manager, 2005 to 2006, and he was the Town Manager in Berlin, Connecticut in 2008-2009.