Council appoints McLaughlin permanent city manager

[Barry]

Council appoints McLaughlin permanent city manager
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20130109/ARTICLES/130109580/1350?Title=Sebastopol-appoints-longtime-insider-as-city-manager

By Bob Norberg
Associated Press

Published: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 10:17 a.m.

Larry McLaughlin, Sebastopol's long-serving city attorney, was named city manager Tuesday.

McLaughlin has been serving as interim city manager since May, when Jack Griffin left the post to take over the job as top administrator in San Marcos.

“He knows a lot about how the city works; he has been here a long time; he knows city staff; he is easy to work with and to talk to,” said Mayor Michael Kyes. “He is competent and he is frugal.”

Kyes said McLaughlin was chosen during a closed session on Tuesday and was an unanimous choice of the City Council.

“The whole council is happy with how he is working out as interim city manager,” Kyes said. McLaughlin will continue serving as city attorney, a post he has held for 25 years. He was receiving a salary of $110,000 a year. A new salary and benefits package will be worked out, Kyes said.

Griffin, who was hired as City Manager in 2009, had been paid $140,000 a year.

The City Council decided to appoint McLaughlin to the post rather than conduct an outside search, which could be expensive and time-consuming, Kyes said.

“Certainly some people were expecting us to go in a more conventional route of advertising for a city manager and trying to recruit one, but that is a pretty expensive process and you never know what you get for sure,” Kyes said. “I don't believe we could have gotten any better.”

[Barry]

Council appoints McLaughlin permanent city manager

I think this is great news for Sebastopol! Larry knows the city well and provided wise council over many years! I'm also happy to see he was chosen unanimously!

[Peacetown Jonathan]

This is an excellent turn of events. Larry is part of, and knows our community, and has shown a great responsiveness to the will of our City Council.

The model of "wooing" a "professional City Manager" from a place like Orange County, paying an search firm, paying moving expenses and bringing in an "expert" who "knows best" how to manage a city, is the old, typical process that results in unresponsive government. And a City Manager whose political opinions, disguised as professional guidance, trumps the will of We, the People, who happen to be paying his or her salary.

Larry is driven by REAL professionalism, which, in this wonderful new era of cooperative, caring, conscious community, means listening to our elected Council Members and serving the public.

He has earned this position through his actions and dedication. The Council made an excellent decision here. We are off to a great start to expanding our thriving, sustainable, green community.

My recent opinion piece about Responsive Government and our City Council can be found here
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/articl...NION/130109859

[Sara S]

So true; reminds me of our recently retired Public Works Director, Mr. Demery (imported from Santa Barbara or somewhere) who made the decision to let the greater part of the county roads "go back to gravel". He was paid a lot to make decisions like that, and, of course, he won't ever have to drive on these roads.....


Sara

This is an excellent turn of events. Larry is part of, and knows our community, and has shown a great responsiveness to the will of our City Council.

The model of "wooing" a "professional City Manager" from a place like Orange County, paying an search firm, paying moving expenses and bringing in an "expert" who "knows best" how to manage a city, is the old, typical process that results in unresponsive government. And a City Manager whose political opinions, disguised as professional guidance, trumps the will of We, the People, who happen to be paying his or her salary.

Larry is driven by REAL professionalism, which, in this wonderful new era of cooperative, caring, conscious community, means listening to our elected Council Members and serving the public.

He has earned this position through his actions and dedication. The Council made an excellent decision here. We are off to a great start to expanding our thriving, sustainable, green community.

My recent opinion piece about Responsive Government and our City Council can be found here
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/articl...NION/130109859