City seeks input on city manager search

Pasadena officials will host a community meeting on Saturday, March 8 at 10 a.m. at City Hall Council Chambers to get input from residents and others in the search for a new city manager. Those who cannot attend the meeting can submit their comments electronically at www.cityofpasadena.net beginning Friday.

The city has hired Bob Murray & Associates to conduct a nationwide search to replace Cynthia Kurtz, who retired last month. Police Chief Barney Melekian is acting as interim city manager.

It makes sense that Melekian would likely want to hold on to the prestigious position, which is currently paying him about $230,000 a year. He has not openly declared his intention to seek the post permanently, but and it is clear that at least some on the council are open to keeping him around -- a provision that would have made the interim city manager ineligible for the permanent position was removed by the council when Melekian was appointed.

Melekian has also made cryptic comments to my predecessor, Todd Ruiz, including the following quote from Todd's  Jan. 4 article:

"One thing people may be surprised to learn is that I have more diverse interests than law enforcement."

He is also taking a doctorate class in public policy at USC. I'm sure it is a useful degree for a police chief, but I doubt many top cops go as far academically... unless they have higher ambitions.

Plus the limited scuttlebutt I'm getting (remember, I'm still new around here) is that Melekian's initial denials to city officials that he was interested in permanently occupying the city manager's position have pretty much evaporated. But I am also hearing that, while Melekian is apparently a candidate, the March 8 meeting is proof that this is a legitimate national search and that the chief's appointment to fill Kurtz's shoes is far from a foregone conclusion.

A final list of candidates for the position is expected by early summer.