LAKEPORT ? The City of Lakeport is weighing its options on how to cover City Manager Jerry Gillham”s duties until he returns.
Gillham had occupied the position for just more than a year when he left in August for his second deployment to Iraq. He suffered a non-combat injury that required back surgery and needs medical clearance before he can return to his civic duties, according to City Attorney Steve Brooks.
“We have a city manager on contract, but unfortunately he”s injured and not available. So there have been discussions of how much management is needed,” Brooks said.
Gillham is currently at Fort Lewis in Oregon, and Brooks said the city doesn”t know when he will return in his role as city manager.
The city council named Lakeport Police Chief Kevin Burke as interim city manager during Gillham”s absence, which was expected to last for a year. Brooks said the council raised Burke”s salary to the level of that budgeted for the city manager position while he absorbs Gillham”s duties.
Two city employees expressed concern with the city”s recent efforts to hire an interim city manager other than Burke. Brooks said hiring someone else to fill the position until Gillham returns would cost the city more than what it currently pays to cover the duties.
Lakeport Community Development Secretary Cheryl Smart spoke during the public input portion of the Lakeport City Council meeting Tuesday night, saying the costly measure wasn”t fair after employees were asked to take furloughs in December to cut costs.
“The city council has recently asked the employees to take 12 more furlough days, no cost of living adjustment and pay of portion of our health insurance because the city is in a financial crisis. But you are considering $60,000 to $80,000 to hire someone who will only be here six to eight months with absolutely no guarantee that the new city manager will have a positive impact on the city”s finances,” Smart said.
Smart continued, “The process lacks any transparency. The city”s employees and its taxpaying citizens have been shut out from this major decision.”
Brooks said the city requested an update on Gillham”s condition and expected return date in late May. In the meantime, Brooks said he”s been doing outreach to find someone to fill in temporarily.
“We”ve had some response. It”s been mixed, based on people”s availability. This is not a full-scale recruitment; it”s a regional effort to see who is available and interested,” Brooks said.
Brooks said he interviewed two people in April, and discussions continue in closed session about how to handle the duties until Gillham returns.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
