Albany makes interim city manager choice
By Damin Esper
Correspondent
Posted: 06/26/2013 01:35:30 PM PDT
Updated: 06/26/2013 01:35:30 PM PDT
ALBANY -- The city has decided to enter talks with recently retired Emeryville City Manager Patrick O'Keeffe to serve in the same capacity here on an interim basis. Albany's position will open in August when Beth Pollard is scheduled to retire.
The council voted to enter negotiations with O'Keeffe in closed session at its June 17 meeting.
O'Keeffe, 60, retired from Emeryville in April after serving as city manager for seven years. He also served as that city's Economic Development and Housing Director for 11 years. Before coming to Emeryville he led the redevelopment program in El Cerrito.
O'Keeffe could not be reached before deadline. In an interview with the website evilleeye.com when he stepped down, he said he planned on doing consulting for local government.
"A combination of filling in as an interim manager where needed, economic development, and affordable housing," O'Keeffe said. "So a continuation of my career with less time spent in night meetings, more freedom to schedule my day, a bit more time to work on my tennis game."
O'Keeffe also said, "Pro-business and pro-developer is a reputation I am glad to wear. Seventy percent of the cost of the services the residents enjoy are paid for by business. Tax revenues from new development are the reason why we are in good financial condition.
He is quoted as saying Emeryville could not have built parks, the child development and senior centers, the civic center, fire station, and rehabilitated the police station "without the revenues that resulted from new development."
O'Keeffe told the website his proudest accomplishments in Emeryville included improvements on Bay Street, the Emeryville Center of Community Life project, and helping the city emerge from the recession with a balanced budget and an "A" credit rating.
The Albany council also voted to enter into a $30,000 contract with Berkeley Food and Housing Project (BFHP) for outreach and engagement with homeless people in the city, specifically on the Albany Bulb.
The council, as part of plans to turn over the waterfront property to the East Bay Regional Park District, had previously voted to enforce the city's overnight camping ban beginning in October after completing an outreach project.
A city staff report said BHFP set out several goals for the contract, including developing short-term interim housing solutions and working with individual homeless people to develop a housing stabilization plan for each person seeking to be permanently housed. The BHFP will work closely with Solano Community Church.
The council also reviewed a draft of the budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year. The budget will be voted on at the July 1 meeting. The budget anticipates a 6.2 percent increase in revenues to $14.3 million. Expenditures will increase 4.3 percent to $18 million.
The difference is covered by operating transfers.
woe to albany if they actually hire okeefe.... this guy is out for only one person- himself- and has the less than desirable quality of never acknowledging responsibility for his mistakes and always taking credit for the good news created by anyone with whom he works..
ReplyDeletei suggest they read the contract he had with emeryville, note how it fits with the contract of biddle and then decide if they want to hire a bird who will surely continue to feather his own nest...