Adam Elmahrek over at the Voice of OC has a detailed follow-up to the story I mentioned last week regarding plans to expand the role of the city consulting firm Management Partners.
Jan Perkins — a former Santa Ana assistant city manager who is now a private consultant — might be asked to temporarily fill the void created by City Manager Dave Ream‘s relatively abrupt retirement after more than 30 years on the job.
It’s one of a handful of options City Council members are weighing as they not only deal with Ream’s retirement, but the recent departures of the city attorney and deputy city manager.
Other options include having Ream stay on as interim city manager beyond May 31 — the day he was to say goodbye to City Hall — or having another city executive temporarily manage the city, said Councilman Sal Tinajero.
“At this moment I can’t say exactly what’s going to happen,” Tinajero said. However, he added, “it’s safe to say we won’t have a permanent city manager,” by May 31.
Council members haven’t come to a decision yet on how the next city manager is going to be chosen, said Councilman David Benavides, but it could include a “full recruitment process,” he said.
If the consulting firm does step in to manage the city in the interim, Perkins, who was Santa Ana’s assistant city manager in the 1980s, would be the one to take the helm, Tinajero said.
Read Adam Elmahrek’s full story here.
Why am I getting the urge to say “I told you so?”
Well, I sure hope they’re able to “pick another winner.”