Letter: Regarding City Manager Search Coverage

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I saw your article about the City Council possibly conducting a nation-wide search for a new City Manager by an angry and vocal Village Laguna and was most disappointed in the article and The Indy. The article quoted only people associated with Village Laguna and in the Letters to the Editor, ran only letters from Village Laguna people. This appears to be a consistent theme: the Laguna Beach Independent seems not to be so “independent.” It seems more a mouthpiece for Village Laguna.

Village Laguna wants a “nation-wide search” for a new city manager for only one reason: it does not like Ms. Shohreh Dupuis because she does not reflexively support everything Village Laguna wants. The Indy does not publish that or even question Village Laguna motives. It simply writes what they want without reaching out to the rest of the community for other thoughts.

So I have a solution: rename The Laguna Beach Independent and call it “The Village Laguna Voice.” That would be more accurate than its current title.

Sam Goldstein, Chair of Liberate Laguna PAC

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4 COMMENTS

  1. Sorry Mr. Goldstein but I need to address your statement “The article quoted only people associated with Village Laguna and in the Letters to the Editor, ran only letters from Village Laguna people”, as it is just plain false. I am a resident and vocal about the need to conduct an open recruitment for our new city manager rather than hastily appointing from within and I am not a member of VL and never have been. In fact, since 1970 I have agreed with them on some city related issues and not on others. Please don’t lump every resident that chooses too share their opinion about our city business that you disagree with as being village laguna mouthpieces.

    IMO it is time to explore new management styles (after 51 years of the same) and look at all opportunities available to us in city manager experience and leadership. And, I believe there is serious reason to do so. LB has what I would consider an employee retention problem. Over the last decade, we have had what I suspect is a high employee turnover rate and when employees leave us they have no problem finding government jobs in other cities. I personally have watched for several years as professional and highly regarded employees have bolted from our beautiful city that offers great pay and benefits and I have to ask WHY? This may be reflective of a questionable management culture and possible toxic work environment. WE MUST FLUSH THIS OUT. And we must do it now before a new city manager comes on board and/or an internal hire is made and we have more employees exiting. This is called due-diligence and good governing. I have asked the Mayor and City Council to conduct an employee satisfaction survey in conjunction with the recruitment process multiple times. Wonder why they refuse to do this? In fact, I have been wondering why with such turnovers our CM/ACM haven’t felt it important to conduct one over the years when such turnover have been occurring. Most trustworthy and transparent cities would address this issue. It concerns me that we are ignoring this. At this point, I think it prudent to have an outside firm (Murray & Associates ok) to conduct eh employee survey and interview the top level employees that left us. We might learn something about our city culture we didn’t know and our CC should know before giving this top level and critical job to anyone.

  2. Sam you are wrong once again and are spreading misinformation with your attack on the Independent and Village Laguna. I checked the four people quoted in the Indy article – only one of them is a Village Laguna member – the others have nothing to do with VL. Also, the Indy is not responsible for who sends in Letters to the Editor and who they are affiliated with. They print letters from everyone who submits them. I am NOT a member of Village Laguna and I have no dog in the fight between you and them. However I can not stand by and watch you denigrate a group who have been fighting to keep the charm and character of Laguna intact. Or our local hometown newspaper. To claim they are in sync with VL and doing their bidding is ludicrous.

  3. Sam, a developer, wants more development- taxpayers want less development. No need to demonize one group when recent pole shows 70% of residents support less development. We want to be more like Malibu.

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