Happy New Year. As the council moves forward in appointing a new city manager this year, I ask that a professional recruitment firm be hired to conduct an open and extensive recruitment to fill this important leadership position. Based upon city records, in 2010, Murray & Associates was hired to handle the recruitment process when City Manager John Pietig was appointed.
As a longtime resident, I am not convinced that we currently have an internal successor pool to fill this position that would be supported by the majority of residents. We have the opportunity to find a city manager with the type of leadership, interpersonal skills and personality that city employees, residents and businesses desire and deserve. In fact, I would like to suggest that the council ask for some public input on the important attributes of a new city manager to use in their decision making. They should also conduct an outsourced confidential city employee satisfaction survey to identify internal cultural issues that might exist that could provide valuable insight to the incoming administrator. I have personally participated in government employee surveys of this type and the results often surprise city leaders.
Since 2018, we have documentation that clearly reflects our city having respect and civility issues that has consumed our civic environment and continue to divide us.
Much time and money has been lost due to a high level of discourse between certain council members and the public. There is a good article written by two California city managers who understand the intricacies involved in government recruitment and retention and the importance of finding a strong administrator who listens and can implement and execute ideas with the support of council members and the public.
Thank you to the City Council for your time and consideration. You all have a big responsibility to the community and I trust that you will take the utmost care in finding the right city manager to unite and move us forward. Thank you for all that you do for Laguna. Respectfully,
MJ Abraham, Laguna Beach
At the former owner and CEO of the States largest municipal financial advisory firm I feel well qualified to venture an opinion related to the issue of promoting the assistant city manager to the role of City Manager. In my 45 years of service I have provided financial advisory services to over 135 cities. In about 95% of those cases where the City Manager either resigns or is terminated, the City Council will engage a “search firm” to assist in the recruitment of a new City Manager. I venture no opinion as to the qualifications of the present Assistant Manager as I have never met her. What I am saying is that the City has not ,”tested the market place” to find the most qualified person in over 25 years. It is not in the BEST interests of this world famous City, to continually promote from within the present organization as we will never get the benefit of fresh “outside ideas” that could be of major value to the City Council and most of all to the residents and business community of Laguna…..Given the problems and opportuniites in front of us, it would be most helpful to get a fresh perspective on how local government can take advantage of future opportunities and mitiagate potential problems. Let the present Assistant City Manager “compete” in the selection process. If she raises “to the top” of qualified applicants then we can rest assured that we have the “best’ person for the job.
Thank you for speaking up and sharing your opinion. Clearly, you have the experience and background. I hope our city council members are listening. And hopefully when the firm Murray & Associates conducts the search they will seek your input as part of the community input process that has been agreed upon. Thank you.
Hear hear Mr. Linn! Allowed to promote from within our “internal cultural issues” will groom another despot to rule the fiefdom.
You nailed it Les. This is a concern voiced by many residents. City Council Members Whalen, Iseman, Weiss and Kempf voted to hire a search firm to conduct an open recruitment after much public pressure citing the very issue you mention here. CC Peter Blake voted against opening up the position to other experienced, successful and highly regarded actual city managers and blatantly expressed his bias and favoritism for ACM Shoreh Dupuis. While he appears to be impressed, enough so that he led the charge in getting her a $25,000 salary boost in 2019, he has yet to offer constituents any details or specifics as to why she should be considered for this top position. His open bias for one staff member and apparent refusal to be objective in considering other candidates warrants that he should not be allowed to vote in the selection of our new city manager. If he does, we all know what the outcome of his vote will be. IMO, this public official’s position is not in the best interest of our city or it’s residents. If you are concerned about this same issue, email City Council Members. They need to hear from you. Thank you.