Now that a new city manager has taken the helm, Interim City Manager Bill Edgar is ready for new things. But “greener pastures” is not necessarily where Edgar says he’s headed. “Plans for me aren’t really set,” Edgar said in an interview last week. “I have plenty to do, so retirement isn’t exactly in my future.” Edgar took over as interim city manager after the previous interim city manager, Gus Vina, resigned in April. When the City Council appointed Edgar to the position, he was joined by Betty Masuoka as assistant interim city manager. Together, Edgar and Masuoka took on the responsibilities of preparing a difficult city budget and navigating some tough union contracts. Edgar’s role

It would be fair to say that Sacramento’s new city manager, John Shirey, has hit the ground running. That’s a good thing, too, because he has a lot of ground to cover if he’s going to meet his goal of making Sacramento “the best managed city in California.” His first official day with the city was Sept. 1, and he’s spent the first week on the job jumping right in to the work ahead, Shirey said in an interview Friday. “I’m in a 90-day period of goal-setting,” Shirey said, “and understanding what this organization needs and what the City Council is willing to do as a group.” Shirey said that means putting together a specific plan and sharing with city staff and council exactly how he want

The search for a new city manager – which began nearly five months ago when Gus Vina resigned as interim city manager – may be coming to an end this week. John Shirey, current executive director of the California Redevelopment Association, was recently named as a front-runner for the position, and now it appears that a finalized contract between Shirey and the city is in the works. The City Council will be discussing the city manager position in a closed session Tuesday afternoon, however, city spokeswoman Amy Williams said that they do not anticipate any sort of announcement after that session. “The city is currently negotiating with the preferred candidate,” Williams said. However, “n

Former Sacramento interim city manager Gus Vina is headed for the coast. Vina, who resigned from his post in Sacramento in March, will start a new job on July 1 as the city manager of Encinitas in San Diego County. The Encinitas City Council announced Monday that it chose Vina, 50, for the job. The city of roughly 60,000 is known for its beaches, surfing and flower-growing operations. “I’m excited to be able to continue at the city manager level,” Vina said Tuesday, adding that the Southern California city will be a “completely different environment.” The Encinitas City Council is not facing any budget troubles, Vina said. By contrast, the Sacramento City Council is grappling with a $3

The Sacramento City Council is expected to approve a contract Tuesday to pay new Interim City Manager Bill Edgar $46,800 for a three-month period. If the City Council extends the contract, Edgar will earn $15,600 per month for his work for the city. Edgar and Betty Masuoka started work as temporary city leaders on April 9. The City Council chose Edgar to be interim city manager and Masuoka to be interim deputy city manager on April 7. The pair will manage the city while the City Council searches for a permanent city manager.  The contract relates to Edgar’s employment and does not specify Masuoka’s pay. However, Edgar said Monday that Masuoka will earn $100 per hour. The city is not pa

The Sacramento City Council announced Thursday that it hired two interim city managers in the wake of interim city manager Gus Vina’s resignation. Mayor Kevin Johnson announced that the council had selected William H. Edgar as interim city manager, and Betty Masuoka as interim deputy city manager. Edgar will take the lead in the interim city manager duties and Masouka will assist him. Masuoka is a former Sacramento assistant city manager and Edgar is a former city manager. “We were asked to consider the idea of coming on as a team,” said Edgar, “and we thought it was a great idea. We are pleased and honored to accept this appointment.” The closed session meeting began at 3:30 p.m., an

The clock is ticking for the Sacramento City Council. Sacramento Interim City Manager Gus Vina’s resignation on Friday morning means that the City Council must take immediate actions that will impact the city budget and labor negotiations with municipal unions.  Council members must find a new top city official one month before the city’s proposed budget is due. Vina’s resignation also means that the city’s labor unions will take up budget negotiations with a new city leader. “We don’t have time to grieve,” City Councilman Steve Cohn said in an interview Friday. Cohn was one of four council members who supported Vina’s earlier effort to become Sacramento’s next permanent city manager.

Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel received support from the City Council Tuesday on a plan to bring back three or four job openings that have been eliminated in the department as part of budget cuts. Braziel told the council and Interim City Manager Gus Vina that he must reopen some key positions because nine of the department’s top 11 officials, ranked captain and higher, will be eligible to retire within three years. The city is facing a $35 million - 40 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. Braziel said he would be able to open the positions without asking the city for additional money. “It’s not the right time, but we have to do it,” Braziel said. “We don’t have a cho

The debate on whether property owners should pay the costs of maintaining parks has been put on hold. City spokeswoman Linda Tucker said Interim City Manager Gus Vina is stopping work on the issue until city leaders hold budget workshops early next year. “That way all the budget needs and available tools to generate revenue can be viewed as a whole,” Tucker wrote in an e-mail. “(Vina’s) belief is that a more strategic discussion can be held with this approach.” The City Council was expected to decide on Tuesday, Dec. 14, whether to hire an engineer to examine the issue. The council will not make that decision this week. Learn more about the assessment proposal here. Kathleen Haley is a

An audit report stating that the city’s development department failed to collect more than $2.3 million in fees from developers raises a host of questions. The audit’s finding that city employees broke state and city laws makes the situation even more complex. The audit, prepared by Sacramento firm Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting, Inc., investigated the department’s work from fiscal years 2007 through 2010. “In summary, the weak system of internal controls allowed employees to disregard state and city building laws, codes, and regulations aimed at protecting the public’s health, safety, and general welfare,” the audit states. Read the full audit report here. The City Council is expected to

 With the city budget and Mayor Kevin Johnson’s updated strong mayor proposal on the City Council’s agenda, the public is likely to see political fireworks at two meetings Tuesday. During the first meeting, at 915 I St. at 2 p.m. the City Council will discuss key issues related to the city’s budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The city must settle a $43 million budget gap. Council members will consider whether to scale back proposed cuts to the city’s fire, parks and police departments. Read the report on some of the planned budget cuts here.  Another issue on the council’s afternoon agenda is the Utilities Department budget. Find information on that budget here.  The City Council wi

Interim City Manager Gus Vina responded to questions from six neighborhood activists in an April 9 interview with The Sacramento Press. The following are Vina’s responses to questions from three neighborhood activists. Read Vina’s responses to questions from three other involved citizens in an April 12 story at The Sacramento Press.  Question from Sacramento resident Dale Kooyman: (Ray Kerridge) felt residents did not know what was best for their quality of life when it came to communicating with city staff, historic preservation, streets, sidewalks, traffic, transportation, planning projects and related early notification, neighborhood-serving businesses, fiscal matters, entertainment a

The Sacramento Press has gathered questions from neighborhood activists for Interim City Manager Gus Vina. In an April 9 interview, The Sacramento Press asked Vina to respond to questions from six neighborhood activists. Here are Vina’s responses to questions from three citizens involved in neighborhood issues. Check The Sacramento Press Wednesday for more of Vina’s responses to neighborhood-related questions. Question from Sacramento resident Karen Jacques: What can (Vina) tell us about the ongoing investigation of the Community Development Department? Does he know when that investigation will be complete and how much of it will be made public? (Are there) any other comments he can make

Gus Vina will earn a salary of $215,000 for his duties as Sacramento’s interim city manager. The City Council approved Vina’s salary Tuesday night. Vina’s salary is the same amount that former City Manager Ray Kerridge earned, said Geri Hamby, the city’s human resources director. Vina will serve as interim city manager for nine to 12 months before the City Council hires a permanent city manager. He recently told The Sacramento Press that he plans to apply for the permanent city manager position. The salary range for the Sacramento city manager position is $187, 357-to-$281,035, according to a March 23 report that Hamby sent to the City Council. The city manager's salary is determined b

Gus Vina, already serving as acting city manager, has been selected to be the interim city manager for the following nine-to-12 months. City Manager Ray Kerridge resigned last month and will leave his post Friday. Kerridge has said he’s taking a private sector position, but has not yet announced where that position will be. Mayor Kevin Johnson and several council members held a press conference Wednesday to announce Vina’s new position. “And I think it’s very clear to all of us that (Kerridge) has very big shoes that we need to fill,” Johnson said. “And we feel that we found the right person to fill his shoes in a very short timeframe.” Johnson and the council members unanimously chose