City manager Kolin wants to stay until mid-January

Fabulously wealth Beverly Hills or Santa Rosa, a city in economic distress?

In an announcement that was surprising in its timing, though not in its message, Santa Rosa City Manager Jeff Kolin has said he’s taking the job as Beverly Hills’ new city manager.

Kolin expects that the Beverly Hills city council will formally approve an employment contract formalizing his hiring to be before Beverly Hills’ council, which this week voiced unanimous support for his hiring, on Nov. 17.

Kolin said a recruitment firm sought him out to apply three months ago. He said previous recruiters have sought him out for other cities but Kolin declined to say if he ever applied.

He did in Beverly Hills’ case.

“Beverly Hills is one of the premier communities in city-manager opportunities in the state,” the 57-year-old Kolin said Wednesday.

Kolin plans to keep his Santa Rosa job until mid-January to lead Santa Rosa through its most current fiscal crisis. “I want to work through some of the budget issues before I go,” he said.

Santa Rosa, forced to offset a projected $26 budget deficit this year through a variety of layoffs, service reductions, union concessions and revenue increases, may have to cut $8 million more over the next eight months as sales tax and development revenues drop and expenses rise.

Several council members said they had been speculating privately in recent years about when Kolin would move up the city manager food chain.

“The biggest question in our minds was what city would have enough draw to pull him away from Santa Rosa,” said Councilman John Sawyer.

“That question has been answered,” laughed Sawyer.

When he takes the Beverly Hills job, Kolin will leave a $230,000 salary, a $110 million general fund city budget and a 1,300-employee work force. He is expected to receive pay equal to or greater than retiring Beverly Hills’ City Manager Roderick Wood’s $325,000 salary and will step into a city hall with a $161 million general fund and a 1,100-member work force. Beverly Hills, with a population of 36,000 residents, is a fifth the size of Santa Rosa.

“It’s a prestigious city, a prestigious post for him,” Bender said.

Though city finances may not be as severe a problem in Beverly Hills as in Santa Rosa, that city’s image as home to the rich-and-famous isn’t without unique challenges for Kolin.

Santa Rosa Mayor Susan Gorin said an acquaintance who lives in Beverly Hills told her “The people there regard those working for the city as civil servants, with emphasis on the word “servants.”

Santa Rosa’s council sets aside a half-hour on its agenda for people to show up to address them under “public appearances.” In Beverly Hills, residents can phone in their opinions during the council’s live televised broadcasts.

Kolin acknowledged some of the differences. “Keeping the image and prestigious nature of their city is very important to the community and its residents and that it be an attractive place to visit and do business in.”

Kolin noted that Beverly Hills made $18 million worth of cuts to balance this year’s budget, but that one of the biggest issues facing the city “is development, believe it or not.”

The proposed $500 million expansion of the Beverly Hills Hilton hotel property through the addition of a second hotel and two condominium towers went before voters in 2008. It passed by a 129-vote margin amid accusations of voter fraud.

Santa Rosa council members said Wednesday that Kolin’s job was not in jeopardy, through the council majority has shifted from pro-business to a more restrictive approach the past two years.

Kolin ran into council opposition over his support for a proposed Lowe’s store, a proposal to build a larger parking garage as part of a combination hotel/garage complex downtown and for efforts to eliminate or downgrade the job and pay of Advanced Planning Director Wayne Goldberg, who eventually resigned.

“All those were efforts on my part and staff to bring forth projects and ideas that would help us adjust our fiscal resources through increased revenues or savings,” Kolin said.

Council members said disputes with Kolin over those issues never led to dissatisfaction with his work or leadership.

“I would ask very pointed questions and I felt I got very honest answers from him,” said councilman Gary Wysocky, among the tougher questioners of Kolin’s policies and recommendations.

“In my short tenure with the council I thought he was doing a good job,” said Wysocky.

Councilwoman Marsha Vas Dupre, who was a member of the council that hired Kolin in 2000, said he had recently received a “stellar review” of his performance from the full council.

Said Sawyer: “Those who suggest the current council was looking to replace him would be definitely inaccurate.” Sawyer, however, conceded that the tension among the philosophically-divided council might have played a small role in Kolin’s decision to move on.

“It may not have been one of his first criteria but our discord certainly would not be a reason to stay,” he said.

Council members Wednesday said no decision has been made about how to replace Kolin. Several were unsure whether to pursue a potentially expensive national search or promote from within city ranks.

There also was disagreement whether the next city manager should get more than the $230,000 Kolin is being paid. When hired in 2000 to replace 30-year veteran Ken Blackman as city manager, Kolin’s salary was set at $157,000, $6,000 more than Blackman was paid.

Gorin said the city might have to pay more if it recruits from the outside, but Wysocky said: “It’s pretty obvious with our financial situation the pay has to come down.”