Search for new city manager is moving forward
By SARA HALL
The search for a new city manager is progressing and a selection could happen as early as the end of this month.
City Council held a closed session special meeting Saturday (April 10) at Surf and Sand Resort regarding appointment of a new city manager.
On April 8, Mayor Bob Whalen gave an update on City Council items on KXFM radio station. During the “Mornings with Ed” segment, Whalen said the city manager search is going well.
Whalen referenced the all-day Saturday session as a meeting to review six candidates. A follow-up meeting is planned for April 24 to further interview a few finalists before making a selection early next month, he said.
“I’m hoping that we stay on that timeline and have some news for people by…end of April or early May,” Whalen said on the radio show.
The process is confidential and discussions have occurred in closed session, City Attorney Phil Kohn confirmed in an email with Stu News Laguna on Monday. Confidentiality is to protect the identity of the candidates and the integrity of the selection process, he said.
“The City Council will interview and reach a tentative agreement with a candidate that will be subject to approval by a majority of the City Council at a regularly scheduled public meeting,” Kohn said.
It is currently anticipated that the council will consider approval of such an agreement for the next City Manager in May, he added.
Current City Manager John Pietig announced earlier this year that he planned to retire in June after two decades with the city. Prior to his current position as Laguna Beach’s top administrator, Pietig was assistant city manager for 10 years.
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Courtesy of City of LB
Current City Manager John Pietig is retiring in June
Laguna Beach City Council hired executive recruiting firm Bob Murray & Associates to conduct a comprehensive search as part of the process of hiring a new city manager. Through this process, the Council aims to ensure a strong applicant pool of qualified internal and external candidates for the position.
Gary Phillips from the recruiting firm moderated three virtual town hall listening sessions last month and offered an opportunity for the public to identify the needs of the community as it pertains to the role.
Phillips said his job is to gain as much information and knowledge about Laguna Beach as possible, and then present a pool of candidates to the council. The process usually takes about four months, he said.
During the three listening sessions, several comments from members of the public were repeated as important qualities in the next city manager.
Issues or concerns that echoed over all three meetings included: Balancing the division or opposing factions in town; transparency from the city; listening and working with citizens; and creating a positive work environment at city hall.
“If the new city manager could bring that transparency and trust, that would be a huge improvement,” Emil Monda said during the first listening session.
The staff reports need to be neutral and balanced, but that doesn’t seem to always be the case now, Monda said.
Residents also mentioned that the new city manager should have an ability to work with the California Coastal Commission, be ready to deal with the affordable housing requirements from the state, understand the importance of art in the city, and focus on protecting the neighborhoods.
“We would like a more creative, more Laguna-oriented type of management,” Johanna Felder said during the second public discussion. Someone that is “uniquely Laguna.”
The second community meeting veered off topic while the recruiters addressed a rumor, but it ultimately highlighted the passionate discussion that tends to occur in Laguna Beach. Speakers noted that this type of questioning dialogue is a good example of what the new city manager will have to deal with as the top city staffer in Laguna Beach.
The right person has to be mature, confident, have thick skin, and choose their battles carefully, Dennis Boyer said during the second meeting.
“Listening to the dialogue tonight, two personal characteristics that stand out to me: Diplomatic skills and a thick skin,” Boyer said. “It’s not for the faint of heart to deal with politics in Laguna.”
Residents also hoped the new employee will genuinely care about the town and want to work to improve it.
“I want a city manager who loves Laguna as much as the residents do,” Michele Monda said during the third public listening session.
The new city manager should be someone the residents can trust and is loyal to what’s best for the community, MJ Abraham agreed during the third meeting.
“It’s extremely important that we hire someone who wants to be here and commits to making a positive difference in our city,” Abraham said.
The person who fits all of those qualifications might be hard to find, some speakers agreed.
Skills required from the city’s next top executive will also need to include being able to navigate the often-fiery and questioning dialogue, as evident from the second recruitment listening session, and balance the needs of people on both sides of the current division in town in an unbiased manner.
“Whoever gets selected needs to be able to navigate, negotiate that divide very astutely because it’s not going away,” Mike Morris said during the third public discussion.
“The challenges that will face the city manager are just immense,” Chris Catsimanes concluded during the third and final listening session. “We need someone that’s got imagination, can think out of the box, and of course all of the other requisites: Working with people, working with factions. And yet, being able to guide us in a way that we come together as a village again, because right now we’re not.”