by Laura Garber
The Hermosa Beach City Council voted 4-1 to hire executive recruiting firm Peckham and McKenney to lead the search for a new City Manager, but not without heated exchanges.
Hermosa’s Human Resources Manager, Tiffany Nguyen, told the Council at its Tuesday, July 22 meeting, that four bids were received, a relatively low number, and that it may take several months for the firm to find a new City Manager.
Hermosa Beach resident Rick Koening commented to the council, “I try to stay neutral on these issues. But I picture El Camino College searching for a physics professor and Albert Einstein showing up. I think the search would be closed under those circumstances. This man over here (interim City Manager Steve Napolitano) I’ve known for more decades than I care to say and I think we have a gem here.”
Councilmember Michael Keegan introduced a motion to approve retaining the search firm Peckham and McKenney, whose proposed cost to the city is $30,000.
Councilmember Raymond Jackson introduced a substitute motion to “end the charade,” and hire Napolitano. “This Council has lacked transparency from the very beginning. I don’t think we should pretend this is an open and competitive search. Everyone believes this is a done deal. Adding another three to six months and $30,000 to $40,000 is not going to fool anybody; not the staff, not the residents. We all know there are no real [alternate] candidates. Let’s stop pretending.”
Jackson contended that Napolitano has benefited, since his appointment in May, from the “high performing, award winning staff” built by former City Manager Suja Lowenthal.
Mayor Rob Saemann responded to Jackson by saying, “You come along here at the last minute, call us all conspirators to do something that’s been done months ago, which you have no real proof of. I think it’s counterproductive, accusatory and political and I object to it. I think hiring Napolitano was the best thing we could have done for our City.”
Councilmember Francois agreed with the Mayor.
“I think it’s in the best interest of the community to search and seek what talent is out there. I don’t like the characterization that there’s a charade going on,” Francois said.
Jackson’s substitute motion died for lack of a second. Councilmember Mike Detoy joined the Mayor, and Francois in supporting Keegan’s motion.
“The dye is cast,” Jackson said of the vote awarding the search contract. “You three are going to appoint who you appointed as the interim city manager and I say let’s move on and not waste anymore time, anymore money.” ER
Ray Jackson is an embarrassment to the city. He needs to resign.
Ray Jackson is so self-absorbed I’m not sure what the baseball cap is covering up, but it sure as hell isn’t brains. He should fit right in at the Coastal Commission.
First time Jackson has voted against hiring consultants. Very strange?? Why is this? Time for him to resign
Steve needs to clean up the MESS from Suja. She hired and hired. She has the FATTEST staff ever.
What’s wrong with Hermosa’s ‘nasty-vitriol’ Councilman Jackson?
It’s often stated, “Elections have consequences”. In “General Law City” Hermosa Beach, voters elect 2 or 3 members alternately, biennially to serve 4-year terms on the City’s 5-member Council.
The Council representing stakeholders (voters) may at any time in ‘closed session’ discuss replacing their Chief Operating Officer (COO), the City Manager, and/or City Attorney, the individual(s) who implement Council’s policies via the city staff. The COO and the City Attorney are the only two city employee (contractors) the Council hire.
If a Council majority, (3 in this case), decide a new City Manager and/or City Attorney is desired, they don’t need to kowtow to the one or two in the minority who may disagree. The minority can kick and scream like spoiled children, all day long when it comes to these two employee/contractors.
Poor Raymond Jackson (ER article above), he’s playing to his dwindling small base of whiners who more often than not act as sneaks. Jackson could have simply motioned, “Hey, we are so privileged to have Steve Napolitano as Interim C.M., that I make a motion to ‘cut to the chase’, avoid wasting money on a consultant, and instead work up an equitable agreement with Steve.”
But no, instead Councilman Jackson chose to instead introduce all the nasty vitriol he’s become so well known. Next year, Hermosa voters should certainly end the honor they previously bestowed on Jackson should he run for reelection.
Maggie D.
The reporting states, “Jackson contended that [interim city manager] Napolitano has benefited since his appointment in May, from the “high performing, award winning staff” built by former City Manager Suja Lowenthal.” That’s what Suja’s puppet-publicist [paid for with city funds] put out in a glowing press release [written by Suja?], as supposedly allowed by the council – along with six months paid severance – to help avoid the witch [Suja] from suing the city? Keep drinking that Jim Jones Kool Aid Raymond Jackson. And regarding the City Staff, all the good people had been driven out and it was musical dysfunctional chairs hidden behind Suja’s vault-door operation for the last six (awful) Suja years. The Suja debacle really belongs also to former council members Armato, Massey and Campbell, as well as Jackson and Detoy. All five went full-lunatic as Suja was properly removed [fired] to cover their own scamming wretched rears.