Karen S. Kim
As three of the city's top executives get ready to retire next
month, the city is heading into crunch time to find quality
replacements.
Public Works Director Kerry Morford will kick off the string of
departures Dec. 6, followed quickly by Glendale Police Chief Russell
Siverling on Dec. 15 and Personnel Director Jack Hoffman on Dec. 30.
And finding the right replacements for them, who leave with a
combined 51 years of experience working for the city, might require
Glendale to shell out a little extra cash.
City Manager Jim Starbird said he will ask the City Council to
raise the salaries of two of the open positions to entice candidates
for the jobs.
"I'll be asking that we make an adjustment to the police chief and
Public Works director salaries to make sure they're at market level
so we can attract quality people," Starbird said. "We will have
candidates that rank where you won't attract them and they won't
apply unless you offer them something competitive with what they're
making now."
The council denied a request from the city's Personnel Department
on Oct. 22 to raise the salary ranges of 17 top executives, including
the police chief and director of public works, to market level.
Staff had suggested that the police chief's salary range be raised
from $10,840 to $13,549 a month. The Public Works director's salary
range should be upped from $10,057 to $12,572 a month to reflect the
market, staff said.
City Council members could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Starbird said replacements for Siverling and Morford will probably
be announced before the end of the year.
Hoffman's replacement will probably be chosen by late January, and
a replacement for Assistant Personnel Director Jim Patric, who
retired Nov. 1, will then be sought, he said.
In the meantime, city staff will try to fill the voids left by the
retirements.
"In most cases, we'll turn to managers in the department to serve
as acting directors," Starbird said. "We will consider, if necessary,
the possibility of hiring an interim person, but in most cases, that
isn't necessary."
Hoffman, who joined the city as an executive in 1977 and will
continue to work as a public administration professor at Cal State
Long Beach and serve as a consultant, said he is confident Glendale
will attract quality candidates to replace him.
"Glendale has such a positive reputation, and Jim Starbird has a
reputation for being a good city manager," Hoffman said. "The city
has been well managed, efficient and well thought of over the years.
We've got real good folks on the executive team here, and I don't see
why we wouldn't be able to attract good folks as replacements."
