BY MIKE DUNBAR
The Westside Express
The city of Los Banos is on track to find, interview and hire a new city manager by early or mid-September.
The entire council recognizes the importance of the job in a city that endured the turmoil of having a controversial city manager who was hired, fired, rehired and then resigned over a three-year period. Yet, no one seems desperate to fill the job. They don’t have to be.
“We have a bit of a luxury with Gary,” said Mayor Pro Tem Deborah Lewis, referring to Gary Brizzee — a lifelong resident and former police chief who is now in his fourth assignment as interim city manager.
“I’m not pushing just to … have a warm body. We have an opportunity here. If the candidates (the recruitment firm) brings us don’t fit the city, then they can go out and look again. Most cities don’t have that luxury. It’s an opportunity for us to make a really good decision.”
Brizzee not only knows the ropes at City Hall, he knows how to untie the knots he inherited.
Brizzee took over from Josh Pinheiro, who resigned in January rather than be fired by a city council that had been elected with a mandate to make a change at the top.
There had been irregularities in preparing the city’s budget and contracting, along with a critical grand jury report. Three of his biggest supporters on the council lost elections in November, and the fourth resigned two months later.
Pinheiro left behind unresolved negotiations with city workers, a vote of no confidence from five city unions and widespread disgruntlement in the ranks, reflected in the departure of some 60 employees – nearly a third of the city staff.
In the seven months since he quit, change is profound.
“It really makes my heart happy to see our employees smiling and engaging with each other, getting the job done,” said Lewis. “Before, it was complete silence in the office. No one talked to anyone or even looked at anyone. When you have happy employees, happy employees produce.”
Mayor Michael Amabile, who won an unprecedented sixth two-year term in November with a mandate for change, sees similar results from Brizzee.
“Let me tell you, he’s doing an excellent job,” said Amabile. “Why? Because he cares. He has good management skills. He has a good background, a good family. He’s a good guy. But it boils down to: he wants to do a good job for the city, the community, for the employees. He cares.”
Having retired as police chief, becoming city manager would dramatically reduce his pension. So, Brizzee has no interest in a new full-time job. But he has agreed to stay with the city until his replacement is comfortable.
Ralph Andersen & Associates, the city’s recruitment firm, told the council that 41 people have applied for the job. That list will be winnowed to eight or 10 of the most-qualified candidates. The council will choose perhaps three to be interviewed in person. That part of the process is usually done behind closed doors to protect candidates from retaliation by current employers.
That 41 have applied is surprising to many, considering the city’s recent past.
“There has been a cloud over Los Banos,” said Lewis, the lone member of the council who questioned the former city manager’s actions. “And that hurts us. We’ll have to see what Anderson is able to bring us.”
Said Brizzee, “There is a reluctance for some to take a risk on our community over what has happened over the last two years. People are afraid; they want stability.”
Still, 41 applicants is “the most I’ve ever seen for any job,” said Amabile. And he’s not worried about having to “sell” anyone on coming to Los Banos. Any viable candidate will recognize that the city has turned a crucial corner.
As Brizzee put it, “the actions of this council over the past six months speak more loudly than anything. … Their investments in our bargaining units, in increasing the number of employees citywide, in building our reserves.”
While city manager is the most important opening, 34 other positions are also being advertised – from public works director to battalion chief to city attorney. The city will spend roughly $100,000 this year on recruitment, which Amabile considers an investment.
“A wrong employee in the wrong position, especially a department head, can damage a city,” said the mayor. “It can cost the city hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars. I don’t think twice about spending that kind of money to find qualified employees. … It’s money well-spent.”
Of those 35 positions, 16 are to fill existing or anticipated openings. The other 19 were created in the council’s most recent budget, often to fill roles previously contracted to others.
Cities must evolve as they grow, said Brizzee. Having adequate staffing “provides stability in the day-to-day operational environment,” and avoids any “vacuum in leadership” when change occurs. Currently, several key staffers are covering more than one job.
“Our department heads all get their hands dirty,” said Brizzee. “They’re out assisting their staff in addition to running their departments.”
Priorities differ in what is important for the next city manager.
Brizzee’s ideal candidate will be “a generalist – somebody who has a wide breadth of education, experience and information they can bring to this job.” An understanding of the Valley’s “dynamics” would be helpful.
Lewis, who said she will do her own research into each finalist, wants “a consensus builder” who can “get the things done that we need to be done.”
As for Amabile, it’s finding someone who cares. “In the last 20 years, I’ve learned that you can train and teach stuff, but you can’t teach people to care. … I want somebody who cares about job performance and cares about the city and cares about its employees.”
