REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Appointment of Interim City Manager and Approval of Employment Agreement
Report
BACKGROUND
City Manager Deanna Santana has provided her notice of resignation to the City Council. Ms. Santana’s last day of employment with the City will be October 1, 2017. The City has started the recruitment process to select a new City Manager. However, the City needs an interim City Manager until the recruitment process is completed and a new City Manager begins employment.
EXISTING POLICY
Section 800 of the Sunnyvale City Charter states, in part, “The City Manager shall be chosen by the City Council on the basis of his/her executive and administrative qualifications.”
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Appointment of an interim city manager is not a “project” with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
DISCUSSION
The City Council received interest in the interim City Manager position from multiple individuals, both internal and external applicants. After a review of the resumes and discussion of the applicants in closed session on August 24, 2017, the City Council narrowed the list for consideration to three candidates. On September 11, 2017, the City Council interviewed these candidates in a closed session meeting. Based on these interviews, the City Council took action on September 12, 2017 in closed session to conditionally appoint Kent Steffens as interim City Manager, contingent on reaching agreement regarding compensation and benefits.
Kent Steffens, the City’s current Assistant City Manager, will serve as interim City Manager effective October 2, 2017 until a new City Manager begins employment with the City of Sunnyvale. The Mayor completed negotiations with Mr. Steffens and the salary as interim City Manager will be the starting rate of the City Manager salary range or $302,041 per year. Attached is an employment agreement for services as Interim City Manager that outlines the terms and conditions of his employment in this interim appointment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost for the City Manager is budgeted in the operating program for the City Manager’s Office. The cost for the entire City Managers’ office is ultimately allocated across all operating funds in the City. As the recruitment process will take some time, and there are currently several vacancies within the Office of the City Manager, the impact of this appointment can be absorbed in the current budget.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the appointment of Kent Steffens as Interim City Manager and authorize the Mayor to execute the employment agreement.
2. Do not approve the appointment of Kent Steffens as Interim City Manager and provide alternative action as approved by the City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff makes no recommendation.
Staff
Prepared by: Vienne Choi, Principal Human Resources Analyst
Reviewed and approved by: Teri Silva, Director of Human Resources
ATTACHMENT
1. Interim City Manager Employment Agreement