Sudden departure Assistant city manager ‘retires’ abruptly, with no reason given
By Tom Gascoyne
January 17, 2013
There is a distinct air of discomfort in Chico’s City Hall these days, as staff and management try to come to terms with the sudden and unexpected “retirement” of Assistant City Manager John Rucker.
There was no press release or official announcement or acknowledgement of the development at the City Council meeting Tuesday (Jan. 15), contrary to what would be expected for such a high-ranking job.
The tip-off to this story started as a rumor phoned into this paper on Jan. 10. It was confirmed the next day by a city employee. Most who were contacted asked for anonymity.
An employee who worked closely with Rucker said the assistant city manager and recently hired City Manager Brian Nakamura had a meeting on Monday, Jan. 7, and that the next morning Rucker came to work earlier than usual, called the employee into his office and said he was stepping down as assistant city manager, but offered no specific reason.
“Nobody really knows what’s going on,” the employee said.
At least two other city employees said they’d heard that Nakamura had told Rucker at the Jan. 7 meeting that the men were “headed in different directions.”
Another worker said staff was informed about Rucker’s situation during a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 8, but only after the question was raised.
On Friday, Jan. 11, in a brief phone interview, Nakamura confirmed Rucker’s situation.
“Uh, well, yes he’s not the assistant city manager anymore,” Nakamura said. “Unfortunately it’s a personnel matter, so I can’t really comment on it.”
The 47-year-old Nakamura was hired last August to take over the job from Dave Burkland, who earlier in the year had announced his plans to retire after five years. Rucker, who was hired as assistant city manager in 2008 after serving 20 years with the Chico Police Department, also applied for the head job. When he didn’t get it, Rucker, 51, said that while he was disappointed, he looked forward to working with Nakamura.
The sudden retirement seems to have caught most city employees off guard. Rucker attended the Jan. 2 council meeting, but was gone less than a week later. His office voicemail was still working on Friday, Jan. 11. However, his name was missing from the agenda packet for the Jan. 15 council meeting.
Councilwoman Ann Schwab said Nakamura told her that Rucker had retired and had sent an announcement via email to city department heads and some city staff members. She had not seen it. Schwab said Rucker was a very valuable employee and listed a number of accomplishments above and beyond the job description.
City Clerk Deborah Presson said she, too, was surprised by the news, which she learned of via Rucker’s emailed announcement. Presson noted how her job description had recently changed, so that she now reports to the City Council rather than the city manager and is “out of the loop” when it comes to Nakamura’s office.
She said that Nakamura is in a way a change from city managers of the past, pointing out Fred Davis’ 32 years at the helm, followed by 18 years of Tom Lando, who’d been groomed by Davis. Greg Jones served as Lando’s assistant manager for a couple of years before he was named city manager. He was on the job for only 18 months before he was replaced by Burlkand, who’d been a city employee for many years.
Nakamura is the first city manager in more than 50 years to take the job without prior Chico experience.
When contacted, Lando said he was unsure what had taken place and suggested perhaps former Chico Police Chief Mike Maloney might know something about it.
“I did hear last week that he was ‘released’ from his employment effective 5:00 p.m. last Monday,” Maloney said by email. “Apparently, the public word is that he retired.”
Rucker could not be reached for comment.
This week the Chico Enterprise-Record reported the story and also published in its classified section an ad for the position. The ad says the salary offered for assistant manager is $142,652 per year with the potential to reach $172,382 based on performance. The ad refers to the city website for more information.
“While performing the duties of this job,” the website announcement says, “the employee is frequently required to sit and talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.”
The application deadline is Feb. 1. (link to source)
Down another manager Sherry Morgado takes a job with a local nonprofit
By Tom Gascoyne
April 25, 2013
Another city of Chico government manager is leaving City Hall.
Sherry Morgado, the director of Housing and Neighborhood Services, confirmed on Monday (April 22) that she is leaving that post to take a job with the nonprofit Community Action Agency of Butte County.
Morgado is the fourth high-level city employee to leave this year. Assistant City Manager John Rucker and Building and Development Services Director Fritz McKinley left their respective positions without public notice or explanation in January and February, respectively. Earlier this month, Finance Director Jennifer Hennessy quit her job after six years to take a similar position in the Riverside County city of Temecula.
The departures, which came after the arrival of new City Manager Brian Nakamura, have fueled no small level of discomfort among a number of City Hall employees as the city moves to restructure departments. Rucker and McKinley have made no public statements about their sudden and unexpected departures. Nakamura has said he cannot comment on them because they are personnel matters. Hennessy said the choice was hers and that she was leaving both to take on a new job and get out of Chico.
When contacted by phone and asked if she was indeed leaving her position, Morgado laughed and asked, “How did that get out?” She confirmed her pending departure, and said her last day with the city will be April 30, and that she’ll begin her job as chief operations officer with the CAA on May 13.
She came to Chico eight years ago from Modesto to take on the Housing and Neighborhood Services job. She said the position with the Oroville-based CAA was too good an opportunity to pass up.
“I had the great opportunity to pursue work with an agency whose mission is to eliminate poverty and help people become more self-sufficient,” she said. “When this post came open it was really and truly a career decision. I can understand people wondering. But it’s a matter of timing. The CAA decided to open the position, and it’s just all come together.”
Morgado said there is no direct link between her departure and Nakamura’s City Hall shake-up.
“It’s just the way things work out.” she said. “I’m going to still be involved in many of the same circles, but I’ll be representing a nonprofit agency instead of the city. It’s the same community partnering and the same issues. I’m not going away. I’m really excited to have an opportunity to grow my career.”
Nakamura praised Morgado and her time spent working for the city.
“Yes, it was quite disappointing to me that she had opted to take another position,” he said in a phone interview. “I had hoped to keep her here at the city because of her skills and abilities. I know that they will be getting a great employee where she is going as chief operations officer and I wish her the best, but in light of what’s been going on, she was definitely someone who we would have liked to have kept.”
City Councilman Mark Sorensen also praised Morgado and what she did for the city.
“Sherry is a very bright and capable person, and very knowledgeable of the business of subsidized housing in California,” he said via email. “She’ll do a great job for Community Action Agency.”
Sorensen also noted the city’s housing department took a hit when the state dissolved local redevelopment agencies.
“When the RDA was abolished, the city of Chico was substantially removed from the business of creating new housing projects,” he said. “The Housing [and Neighborhood Services] Department lost its major source of funding and became dependent upon the general fund, while cutting the staffing in half.”
But City Councilwoman Ann Schwab said losing an experienced employee like Morgado at such a time does the city no good.
“Once again we’ve lost someone who’s contributed a lot to the city,” she said. “We call it a brain drain. I wonder would she have looked for that opportunity if there wasn’t the pressure for the right-sizing of the organization?
“There is still housing money that will be coming through with federal dollars, and with talented personnel in the department there are other opportunities to find other funding. Without that experience, we’ll lose out." (link to source)
Letter: Is the council losing control?
April 25, 2013
Since Brian Nakamura’s appointment as Chico’s city manager, it seems that control of the city is slipping away from our elected City Council. We have two instances of long time, beloved employees leaving their posts without explanation, the loss of Jennifer Hennessy as finance director, major restructuring of departments, city employees nervous about losing their jobs, and Councilwoman Ann Schwab expressing disapproval at how the shakeup has been handled.
I understand that changes are needed for the city to be managed more efficiently, but the way this is coming down feels like an aggressive attack rather than a thoughtful approach to reorganization.
Now the hiring of another person from outside the area at another inflated salary, someone with a questionable history involving hostile relations with employees, adds another layer of concern. It seems that we have an increasingly toxic environment in the city offices.
I’m disappointed that Ann Schwab’s objections were not discussed at the last council meeting, and urge the remaining council members to take these warning flags seriously.
It is the City Council’s responsibility to oversee the dynamics of this major transition. I’m sure there are ways to reorganize without losing the spirit of warmth and respect that has characterized the city of Chico. I hope it’s not too late.
Emily Alma, Chico (link to source)
By Tom Gascoyne
January 17, 2013
There is a distinct air of discomfort in Chico’s City Hall these days, as staff and management try to come to terms with the sudden and unexpected “retirement” of Assistant City Manager John Rucker.
There was no press release or official announcement or acknowledgement of the development at the City Council meeting Tuesday (Jan. 15), contrary to what would be expected for such a high-ranking job.
The tip-off to this story started as a rumor phoned into this paper on Jan. 10. It was confirmed the next day by a city employee. Most who were contacted asked for anonymity.
An employee who worked closely with Rucker said the assistant city manager and recently hired City Manager Brian Nakamura had a meeting on Monday, Jan. 7, and that the next morning Rucker came to work earlier than usual, called the employee into his office and said he was stepping down as assistant city manager, but offered no specific reason.
“Nobody really knows what’s going on,” the employee said.
At least two other city employees said they’d heard that Nakamura had told Rucker at the Jan. 7 meeting that the men were “headed in different directions.”
Another worker said staff was informed about Rucker’s situation during a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 8, but only after the question was raised.
On Friday, Jan. 11, in a brief phone interview, Nakamura confirmed Rucker’s situation.
“Uh, well, yes he’s not the assistant city manager anymore,” Nakamura said. “Unfortunately it’s a personnel matter, so I can’t really comment on it.”
The 47-year-old Nakamura was hired last August to take over the job from Dave Burkland, who earlier in the year had announced his plans to retire after five years. Rucker, who was hired as assistant city manager in 2008 after serving 20 years with the Chico Police Department, also applied for the head job. When he didn’t get it, Rucker, 51, said that while he was disappointed, he looked forward to working with Nakamura.
The sudden retirement seems to have caught most city employees off guard. Rucker attended the Jan. 2 council meeting, but was gone less than a week later. His office voicemail was still working on Friday, Jan. 11. However, his name was missing from the agenda packet for the Jan. 15 council meeting.
Councilwoman Ann Schwab said Nakamura told her that Rucker had retired and had sent an announcement via email to city department heads and some city staff members. She had not seen it. Schwab said Rucker was a very valuable employee and listed a number of accomplishments above and beyond the job description.
City Clerk Deborah Presson said she, too, was surprised by the news, which she learned of via Rucker’s emailed announcement. Presson noted how her job description had recently changed, so that she now reports to the City Council rather than the city manager and is “out of the loop” when it comes to Nakamura’s office.
She said that Nakamura is in a way a change from city managers of the past, pointing out Fred Davis’ 32 years at the helm, followed by 18 years of Tom Lando, who’d been groomed by Davis. Greg Jones served as Lando’s assistant manager for a couple of years before he was named city manager. He was on the job for only 18 months before he was replaced by Burlkand, who’d been a city employee for many years.
Nakamura is the first city manager in more than 50 years to take the job without prior Chico experience.
When contacted, Lando said he was unsure what had taken place and suggested perhaps former Chico Police Chief Mike Maloney might know something about it.
“I did hear last week that he was ‘released’ from his employment effective 5:00 p.m. last Monday,” Maloney said by email. “Apparently, the public word is that he retired.”
Rucker could not be reached for comment.
This week the Chico Enterprise-Record reported the story and also published in its classified section an ad for the position. The ad says the salary offered for assistant manager is $142,652 per year with the potential to reach $172,382 based on performance. The ad refers to the city website for more information.
“While performing the duties of this job,” the website announcement says, “the employee is frequently required to sit and talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.”
The application deadline is Feb. 1. (link to source)
Down another manager Sherry Morgado takes a job with a local nonprofit
By Tom Gascoyne
April 25, 2013
Another city of Chico government manager is leaving City Hall.
Sherry Morgado, the director of Housing and Neighborhood Services, confirmed on Monday (April 22) that she is leaving that post to take a job with the nonprofit Community Action Agency of Butte County.
Morgado is the fourth high-level city employee to leave this year. Assistant City Manager John Rucker and Building and Development Services Director Fritz McKinley left their respective positions without public notice or explanation in January and February, respectively. Earlier this month, Finance Director Jennifer Hennessy quit her job after six years to take a similar position in the Riverside County city of Temecula.
The departures, which came after the arrival of new City Manager Brian Nakamura, have fueled no small level of discomfort among a number of City Hall employees as the city moves to restructure departments. Rucker and McKinley have made no public statements about their sudden and unexpected departures. Nakamura has said he cannot comment on them because they are personnel matters. Hennessy said the choice was hers and that she was leaving both to take on a new job and get out of Chico.
When contacted by phone and asked if she was indeed leaving her position, Morgado laughed and asked, “How did that get out?” She confirmed her pending departure, and said her last day with the city will be April 30, and that she’ll begin her job as chief operations officer with the CAA on May 13.
She came to Chico eight years ago from Modesto to take on the Housing and Neighborhood Services job. She said the position with the Oroville-based CAA was too good an opportunity to pass up.
“I had the great opportunity to pursue work with an agency whose mission is to eliminate poverty and help people become more self-sufficient,” she said. “When this post came open it was really and truly a career decision. I can understand people wondering. But it’s a matter of timing. The CAA decided to open the position, and it’s just all come together.”
Morgado said there is no direct link between her departure and Nakamura’s City Hall shake-up.
“It’s just the way things work out.” she said. “I’m going to still be involved in many of the same circles, but I’ll be representing a nonprofit agency instead of the city. It’s the same community partnering and the same issues. I’m not going away. I’m really excited to have an opportunity to grow my career.”
Nakamura praised Morgado and her time spent working for the city.
“Yes, it was quite disappointing to me that she had opted to take another position,” he said in a phone interview. “I had hoped to keep her here at the city because of her skills and abilities. I know that they will be getting a great employee where she is going as chief operations officer and I wish her the best, but in light of what’s been going on, she was definitely someone who we would have liked to have kept.”
City Councilman Mark Sorensen also praised Morgado and what she did for the city.
“Sherry is a very bright and capable person, and very knowledgeable of the business of subsidized housing in California,” he said via email. “She’ll do a great job for Community Action Agency.”
Sorensen also noted the city’s housing department took a hit when the state dissolved local redevelopment agencies.
“When the RDA was abolished, the city of Chico was substantially removed from the business of creating new housing projects,” he said. “The Housing [and Neighborhood Services] Department lost its major source of funding and became dependent upon the general fund, while cutting the staffing in half.”
But City Councilwoman Ann Schwab said losing an experienced employee like Morgado at such a time does the city no good.
“Once again we’ve lost someone who’s contributed a lot to the city,” she said. “We call it a brain drain. I wonder would she have looked for that opportunity if there wasn’t the pressure for the right-sizing of the organization?
“There is still housing money that will be coming through with federal dollars, and with talented personnel in the department there are other opportunities to find other funding. Without that experience, we’ll lose out." (link to source)
Letter: Is the council losing control?
April 25, 2013
Since Brian Nakamura’s appointment as Chico’s city manager, it seems that control of the city is slipping away from our elected City Council. We have two instances of long time, beloved employees leaving their posts without explanation, the loss of Jennifer Hennessy as finance director, major restructuring of departments, city employees nervous about losing their jobs, and Councilwoman Ann Schwab expressing disapproval at how the shakeup has been handled.
I understand that changes are needed for the city to be managed more efficiently, but the way this is coming down feels like an aggressive attack rather than a thoughtful approach to reorganization.
Now the hiring of another person from outside the area at another inflated salary, someone with a questionable history involving hostile relations with employees, adds another layer of concern. It seems that we have an increasingly toxic environment in the city offices.
I’m disappointed that Ann Schwab’s objections were not discussed at the last council meeting, and urge the remaining council members to take these warning flags seriously.
It is the City Council’s responsibility to oversee the dynamics of this major transition. I’m sure there are ways to reorganize without losing the spirit of warmth and respect that has characterized the city of Chico. I hope it’s not too late.
Emily Alma, Chico (link to source)