Council to Discuss Hiring a New Town Manager

For Council closed session  3/26/24

Regarding Interim Town Manager position

 

Dear Council,

I am concerned that you will be making a decision on the interim Town Manager by elevating our Assistant TM without looking outside the Town for an experienced Town Manager.  Have you talked to other people with TM experience?  I know that the Saratoga TM is also retiring and perhaps he/she might be available to bring their experience in running a similar sized town for the time it will take to find a permanent replacement?  This Town has done that before successfully.

Ms. Nomura may or may not be the right person for the long term, but she does not appear to have the experience necessary to step into this position based on the state of the town now.  It’s our collective thought that several of the Town’s decisions in these past 4 years cannot be undone and will rob us of our character.  From our point of view, these decisions were of the “ready?, FIRE!!, aim!” school of problem solving.  From the resident’s point of view, these decisions were made out of desperation rather than with thoughtful consideration.

• The easiest examples were the decision to do the General Plan that had no consequences before the Housing Element, which has come with massive consequences at a scale not seen by any other town in the bay area. You should know how many other cities made this same type of decision and then determine what or who influenced Los Gatos to take its singular course of action that right now, has failed 5 times – and more importantly, has made this council appear to be so dysfunctional. Who did that and why was that the right decision?
• Likewise, my understanding is that we have had a relatively large turnover in the upper management positions. The excuse is that everyone was changing jobs.  Was that true, and if so, was that problem solved?  Or was the problem solved by having to throw more money on the table to get them to come here?
• The only position I am familiar with would be the Director of Finance. If you witnessed the 2/12/24 Finance Commission meeting, you would question Ms. Prevetti’s management recommendations all of which the Finance Commission unanimously rejected.  Was Ms. Prevetti the source of the poorest presentation of a five-year forecast we’ve ever seen?  Most leaders in successful corporations hire strong people where the leader is weakest. Ms.Prevetti seems to want to be a training ground for people she likes and feels that filling positions quickly is better than taking the time necessary to fill the position with the most highly qualified person.  As evidenced by the unanimous decisions contradicting the Town manager’s recommendation, either the Director made bad recommendations, or was she influenced to make those recommendations by a Town Manager who weaponized her five-year forecast to get more tax dollars?
• The Town Manager hired a consulting firm to get us “across the finish line” with the Housing Element by Jan 30, 2023. She said that the firm hired was the only one of 24 that applied.  Was she late in the process of hiring?  If so, why?  You should know more about why Los Gatos only had one choice.  Even then, it was a disastrous choice and has cost us well over $350,000….and we’re still not across the finish line after five attempts.
• Everyone seemed to know that Ms. Prevetti was over her head with the exception of 3 councilmembers – and these three let Arn Andrews go to Mt. View who, by the way, got their HE passed in May of last year while we’re still working on our 6^th attempt nearly a year later.
• The LG rumor mill has the Assistant Town Manager as the front runner for the position of Town Manager. Is Ms. Prevetti pushing for her, and if so, why?.  Is the Assistant Town Manager well equipped for this job?  Why did she leave Long Beach after one year?  Reading the news release attached leaves one wanting to know more before making such a consequential decision.  If hired, she’ll have 3 months of training from Ms. Prevetti, then she’s on her own.  Ms Prevetti’s consequential decisions are listed above.  How did she do and what condition will she leave Los Gatos in as she closes the door?  Do you really want her training her successor?  The new Town Manager will have to know more than Ms Prevetti, plus there’s a big mess left to clean up in addition to the regular day-to-day work of a Town Manager.
• I would strongly recommend not hiring Ms. Prevetti as a contractor to come back and clean up the mess she left. You gave her the gift of a raise when she failed to do her job. Please don’t make us watch you make another grievous mistake.

It is one thing to step into a well-functioning Town. Unfortunately, our Town Council is known to be dysfunctional which is going to make filling the position more difficult and more critical than ever before.  It will take time, but there are good former Town Manager’s now doing contracting.  It’s going to cost us, but that’s the price of kicking the can down the road for so long.  You need to take the time to make the right decision.

As things stand, you may have the same number of choices for the TM as the Town had for our Housing Element consultant.  You need a turn-around master to reglue this Council together again.  Los Gatos is in no shape to be a training ground,  The right person can inspire and unite us to get us through this very tough time.

 

Jak Van Nada

Los Gatos Community Alliance.

 

 

See the press release announcing Ms. Nomura’s departure below after a 1 year tenure at Long Beach.

 

PRESS RELEASE

City of Long Beach
Public Information Office
411 W. Ocean Blvd,
Long Beach, CA 90802

5/11/2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release # 051123-3

Subject:

City Announces Departure of Deputy City Manager Katy Nomura

Contact:

Joe Ambrosini
562.570.6140
Joe.Ambrosini@longbeach.gov
Director
Department of Human Resources

 

Long Beach, CA – Today, City Manager Tom Modica announced the forthcoming departure of Deputy City Manager Katy Nomura, who joined the City of Long Beach in June 2022. Her last day with the City will be June 2, 2023.

“During her year with the City, Katy spearheaded the development of multiple critical initiatives and laid the groundwork for their successes,” said City Manager Tom Modica. “I wish her all the best on her future endeavors.”

Over the last year, Ms. Nomura worked as part of the City’s Executive Management Team to support various City policies and programs. Most notably, she led a team during the community engagement and development of the City’s forthcoming sidewalk vending and food truck regulations where, under her leadership, the team successfully completed extensive outreach, analysis and development efforts. Ms. Nomura also supported the development and outreach process for the Cambodian American Cultural Center feasibility study, facilitated tax reductions for cannabis equity businesses, and played an integral role on the intergovernmental coordination team supporting the City’s homeless emergency efforts.

“While my time with the City of Long Beach was brief, it was an honor to serve such a beautiful and culturally diverse community,” said Katy Nomura. “I am grateful to have been part of this city family and the community it serves.”

Tyler Bonanno-Curley, Manager of Government Affairs, will serve as the Acting Deputy City Manager while the City conducts a national recruitment to permanently fill the position.

“Tyler has an expansive knowledge of the inner workings of our City and cares deeply for our community,” said City Manager Tom Modica. “As we search for a new Deputy City Manager, I am confident Tyler will thoughtfully continue these important projects. The City and the community are in good hands with Tyler.”

Ms. Nomura is departing her role with the City to attend to personal matters.

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