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:
Portola City Manager Leslie Tigan has announced her retirement and the city is recruiting for a new City Manager. Leslie is the former elected Portola City Clerk. Applications were due by February 28, 2013.
Pacifica City Manager Steve Rhodes has announced his retirement effective in July. Bob Murray & Associates is among the final executive recruitment firms being considered by the city for the new city manager search.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca has been named “Sheriff of the Year” by the National Sheriffs’ Association. He was elected Sheriff in 1998, and commands the largest Sheriff’s Office in the United States. The Sheriff is a United States Marine Corps Reserve veteran. He earned a DPA from USC.
Members of the Inyo County Board of Supervisors include: Linda Arcularius, Susan Cash, Rick Pucci, Marty Fortney, and Richard Cervantes.
Rick Pucci is a retired veteran Bishop City Administrator.
Truckee Town Manager Tony Lashbrook served as the Planning Director in Mariposa County for 13-years prior to being appointed Town Manager in Truckee. He is a graduate of Humboldt State University.
Past President of MMASC Laura Biery, an Economic Development Analyst with West Hollywood, is engaged to be married to Vayden Minnich. A Trackdown congratulations to Laura!
Retired Laguna Niguel City Manager Tim Casey is serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors of The First Tee of Orange County. The group’s mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf.
Spotted in the crowd at the East Long Beach Pony Baseball Open Day Ceremony were past MMASC President, Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine Business Operations Manager John Keisler, and Deputy Supervisor Erin Stibal of Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe‘s office.
Antioch City Manager Jim Jakel, 57, is retiring at the end of the year. He has served as Antioch City Manager since December, 2003, and he began his career in Antioch as a Junior Planner in 1980. Jim held positions in Alameda and later Martinez, where he served as City Manager from 1990 to 1996. Before returning to Antioch Jim worked as the Executive Director of the Contra Costa Council of Governments.
Former California Assembly Chief Clerk R. Brian Kidney died last December 22 of injuries he received in an auto accident. He was 82. He served 28-years as an Assembly employee, including 4-years as Chief Clerk and Parliamentarian under then-Speaker Willie L. Brown. Brian was a native of San Mateo. He earned an undergraduate degree in Russian history from the University of Michigan and a Masters degree in Government Studies from the University of San Francisco. After his retirement from the Assembly in 1991 he did consulting work and served as a lobbyist.
Police Chief Gary Brizzee has also been serving as Acting City Manager in Los Banos since last November following the retirement of City Manager Steve Rath. Gary was a 13-year veteran of the Los Banos Police Department when he was appointed Chief in 2010.
Veteran City Manager Dennis R. Halloway retired from Loma Linda in 2009. He worked in Duarte, Baldwin Park, South Pasadena, and he served as City Manager in Holtville, Calimesa and San Jacinto in addition to Loma Linda.
Following a leadership change on the Board of Directors of the Central Basin Municipal Water District, former Pico Rivera City Manager Chuck Fuentes was dismissed as the District’s Chief Operating Officer.
Sunnyvale City Manager Gary M. Luebbers served in the U.S. Air Force for a little more than 20-years from 1966 to 1986 when he left the service as a Major. He served as City Manager in Redlands and West Jordan, Utah before joining the Sunnyvale staff as City Manager in December, 2008. Gary received a 25-year ICMA Service Award in 2012.
Rio Vista Interim City Manager Joseph Tanner, who retired from the Vallejo City Manager’s post, cannot work any longer this year because to the CalPERS promulgated “hours worked by a PERS retiree” restrictions. Joseph Tanner Jr. has been selected to take over for his Dad as the Interim City Manager. Joe has agreed to help out on a pro-bono…that’s “free”…basis until a new City Manager is selected.
Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMANC) President Christina Gilmore, a Management Analyst II in the City of San Mateo began her city government career in San Jose starting in 2003. Christina joined the San Mateo staff in 2006. She participated in a 4-month “talent exchange” program with Mountain View in 2011. Christina earned a BA from Howard University and an MPA from the University of San Francisco.
Sacramento, where John Shirey is City Manager, has taken a supportive position to keeping the NBA Sacramento Kings from moving to Seattle. The City appears to be committed to a public-private partnership to develop a new sports and entertainment facility in the downtown area that will meet NBA standards and represent a sound fiscal and economic development investment for the city. Mayor Kevin Johnson has worked to recruit deep-pocket investors to buy the Kings and partner with the city on an arena project.
Southern California’s Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar, the brainchild of Chris Simms, has submitted plans to the City of Concord as its first Bay Area location. Concord will be the restaurant chain’s 13th location, and the first in Northern California. Other Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar locations include: Brea, Cerritos, Westminster, Irvine, Orange, Rancho Cucamonga, Temecula, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Valencia and West Covina. Valerie Barone is the Concord Interim City Manager and Kay Winer is the Interim Assistant City Manager. John Montagh is the Concord Economic Development and Housing Manager.
Calistoga retiring Public Works Director Dan Takasugi received three-months severance pay in return for a release of potential claims against the City. Dan resigned effective February 28 after serving as Public Works Director since 2007. The Calistoga City Manager is Richard Spitler.
With former San Bernardino City Manager Andrea Travis-Miller taking the Executive Director post for the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, veteran City Manager Allen J. Parker has been selected to serve as the new Interim City Manager in San Bernardino. Allen is a Life Member of ICMA. He has served as City Administrator or City Manager in South El Monte, Compton, Seal Beach, Half Moon Bay, and East Palo Alto. He also served as Village Manager in Oak Park and Maywood, Illinois. From 2001 to 2006 Allen served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.
Rigo Landeros is the Fillmore Interim City Manager. Rigo is also the Fillmore Fire Chief and the Public Works Director. He has served in all three jobs for about five months, since City Manager Yvonne Pimentel Quiring left for a job with the Assistant City Manager/Administrative Services Director position in Davis. Yvonne is a former Lathrop City Manager too.
Redwood City recently created the Assistant City Manager position for the first time, and Audrey Ramberg has been selected from a field of more than 100 candidates to be the City’s first Assistant City Manager. Audrey has been serving as a Senior Advisor and Project Leader for the County of San Mateo. She has previous experience in position with Palo Alto and served as the Assistant City Manager in Menlo Park. The City Manager in Redwood City is Bob Bell.
Retired Huntington Park City Manager Gregory D. Korduner, a resident of Seal Beach, has been appointed to serve as the Interim City Manager in Los Alamitos. City Manager Angie Avery, the former Parks & Recreation Director, left the city March 1.
Since 2010 Dr. Frank M. Bell has been the Community Manager for The Sea Ranch Association in The Sea Ranch, California. Starting his career as a Police Officer in Lakewood, Colorado in 1970, Frank became Police Chief in Park City, Utah from 1982 to 1997. He served as Town Manager in Crested Butte and Telluride, Colorado.
Andy Hall, the new City Manager in Cathedral City, taking over for the retired City Manager Don Bradley, joined the Cathedral City staff in 2009 as the Community Development Director. When he retired Don was the longest-serving City Manager in the Coachella Valley. Filling in behind Andy as the new Community Development Director is Patrick Milos. Cathedral City also has a newly appointed Fire Chief in Chief Robert Van Nortrick.
Willows City Manager Steve Holsinger and the Mayor and Council are dealing with the issue of considering a formal complaint procedure and policy with regards to citizen complaints against the City Manager and/or other city staff.
Former Fresno Public Utilities Director Rene Ramirez has been sworn in as the newest Coalinga City Manager. Rene served as Acting City Manager in Coalinga since January. He left his Fresno position in February, 2011.
Former Cudahy City Manager Jack M. Joseph is the Deputy Executive Director of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments with offices in Paramount.
Former Kerman City Manager Ron Manfredi is the new Firebaugh Interim City Manager. Ron retired last March after serving 18-years as the Kerman City Manager. He replaces City Manager Laura Weyant, who resigned in February.
Since 2005 Jack K. Marshall has served as the Director of Information Services in Huntington Beach.
Laguna Niguel Deputy City Manager Pam Lawrence served as Acting City Manager until newly appointed City Manager Rod Foster arrived this month. Retired City Manager Tim Casey served as Laguna Niguel City Manager from the city’s incorporation in December, 1989. Rod was selected to replace Tim from a field of 65 applicants. On Tuesday night, February 19, Laguna Niguel said farewell to its first and only City Manager Tim Casey, who retired last November.
Jack D. Shelver, who began his public service career as an Administrative Trainee in San Diego in 1961, and later served as City Manager in Del Mar (1967-1973), Imperial Beach (1973-1977), and Lemon Grove (1977-1994), as well as, Interim City Manager in Solana Beach in 1994, currently lists his residence as Julian, California.
Pismo Beach City Manager Kevin M. Rice, 61, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, has stepped down and is being replaced by Jim Lewis, Atascadero Assistant City Manager. Kevin served as an officer of the United States Army for 30-years, retiring as a Colonel in 2003. He was appointed Pismo Beach City Manager in 2004. With his second retirement, Kevin will now have more time to pursue his hobbies of playing tennis and scuba diving.
Paul D. Jones II is the General Manager of the Eastern Municipal Water District with offices in Perris. Paul previously served as the Irvine Ranch Water District General Manager for more than a dozen years. He is a former Tustin Planning Commissioner. He earned a BS in civil engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Merced Director of Economic Development Frank Quintero joined the Merced staff as a Planner in 1990. He was appointed to his current position in 2011. The fee, known as a “crash tax,” covers the costs of first responders that come to the aid of accident victims. The tax is being charged in more than 50 cities in 26 states, but there is a growing backlash against the practice. Ten States have outlawed the practice. They include: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Bills prohibiting local governments from charging accident response fees have been introduced — but not yet passed — in Arizona, California and Michigan, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. In Petaluma, where John Brown is City Manager, only $14,000 was brought in last year through its crash tax.