Avalon officials have begun the process to recruit an interim city manager, said Mayor Bob Kennedy on Wednesday, March 13.
“We’re going to be looking for somebody that has the future of Avalon in mind,” Kennedy said.
Last week, City Manager Steve Hoefs told the City Council that he was retiring from the position. Hoefs is reportedly aiming to leave the post at the end of the month.
Avalon officials have begun the process to recruit an interim city manager, said Mayor Bob Kennedy on Wednesday, March 13.
“We’re going to be looking for somebody that has the future of Avalon in mind,” Kennedy said.
Last week, City Manager Steve Hoefs told the City Council that he was retiring from the position. Hoefs is reportedly aiming to leave the post at the end of the month.
On Wednesday, Kennedy said the reason that Hoefs gave for stepping was that he was not getting along with “a couple” of city council members, who Hoefs apparently felt were micro-managing him rather than letting him do his job.
Hoefs could not be reached for comment.
Hoefs was appointed interim city manager following the 2009 retirement of then-City Manager Pete Woolson. Hoefs was eventually made the permanent city manager. Hoefs’ job was split with Chief Administrative Officer Charlie Wagner. However, Wagner was recently required to leave the CAO post because of California Public Employees’ Retirement System rules.
Asked if the city manager position would be split again, Kennedy said that would be determined by the skill set of the applicants.
He had no idea how long the search for a permanent would take.
Kennedy said it has been a challenge for Avalon to recruit a city manager for years.
Asked if that was because of Catalina Island’s distance from the mainland and the cost of real estate, Kennedy said it was also a challenge because of the available hiring pool in that line of work.
He said the City Council would be looking for someone who was experienced, but at the earlier stage of their career.
He said it was the city’s experience that people at the end of their career were focused on maintaining the status quo rather than making the improvements that Avalon needs.
Hoefs will remain Avalon’s fire chief, a position he has continued to hold since he became city manager.
In 2009, when Hoefs became interim city manager, he described firefighting as his career. He said the jobs of fire chief and city manager were similar: making decisions and dealing with problems.
He also said that he had filled in as city manager when the regular city manager was off the Island for vacation or other reasons.At the time, Hoefs said the search for a permanent city manager could take nine to 18 months. Woolson predicted it would take nine months.
In 2007, when Woolson was made the Avalon city manager, he said there was a shortage of young people choosing city management as a career.
However, when he retired two years later, Woolson said that with the economy the way it was, there might be a lot of available talent willing to apply for the position.
The New York Times also reported on the shortage in January 2007. “In 1971, according to the (International City/County Management Association), only 5 percent of city and county managers were aged 51 to 60. By 2002, the category had grown to 43 percent,” the Times said.
According to PayScale.com, the pay for a city manager in 2013 can range from $43,037 – $150,605.
