Our opinion section is open to all. 4, Faith Fernandez, Chief Administrative Officer | ffernandez@pasadenanowmagazine.com Others sent emails and called city council members about their concerns with the hiring. Domenica Megerdichian, 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030 | P:(626) 403-7200 | Contact Us. She grew up in the area and graduated from John Muir High School in Pasadena. Pasadena Black History Month Magazine, Parents: National Catholic Schools Week Guide. South Pasadena farmers market is open Thursdays, 4, Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director, South Pasadena City Council meeting webpage, South Pasadena City Manager Candidate Forum: Armin Chaparyan, L.A. County Walk-Ins Available at Vaccination Sites Through Monday, L.A. County: Use of J&J Vaccine to Resume. It received several honors, including recognition for being an energy-wise, environmentally sensitive and walkable city. Pasadena Now has been published daily since April, 2004 and is among the very oldest continuously operated community news websites in the U.S. Pasadena Now strives to publish a full spectrum of news and information articles in service to the entire community. Before joining the City of Pasadena in 2022, Miguel Mrquez served as the Chief Operating Officer of the County of Santa Clara, responsible for all operations of the county, the largest in Northern California. Your email address will not be published. In that position, she managed the citys Planning Division, where she oversaw zoning, design and historic preservation, and community planning. 1414 Mission Street The Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on the approval of Gonzalezs contract. Your email address will not be published. In a statement, Mayor Diana Mahmud said the appointment of a city manager is the most important decision the City Council will make. The city received more than 50 applications for the position and ultimately narrowed the list to two: Christopher Jordan, a former Los Altos city manager, and Chaparyan. During a roughly three-year period, she went through five finance directors and replaced more than six department heads, the newspaper reported. Finance Director Josh Betta, who released a report. Pasadena Now | Terms of - Service | Privacy Policy | CA Notice of Collection. South Pasadenas previous city manager, Stephanie DeWolfe, retired from the city in September. He is a self-identified technophile, data nerd and wannabe drone pilot. Which Bands Will March in the 2024 Rose Parade? Understanding that no one serves as a city manager for fourteen years without accumulating some controversies, and understanding that city managers are sometimes fired for political reasons and personality conflicts that dont reflect poorly on them when fully understood, Chris Jordan has been fired twice or invited to resign twice as a city manager, following some apparently serious controversies that are easy to find with a five-minute Google search, Bray wrote in a letter to the council. (626) 737-8486 Ext. Fax press release to : (888) 650-9712, James Macpherson, Co-Publisher | jamesm@pasadenanowmagazine.com Armin Chaparyan, Deputy City Manager West Linn made national headlines in 2020 when the city agreed to pay $600,000 to settle a wrongful arrest lawsuit filed by a Black man arrested in 2017 by West Linn police as part of a scheme to discredit him and prevent him from suing his employer, the owner of a local tow company, for racial discrimination. See All News. The City Manager is appointed by the Council to oversee the activities of the city. Paul Riddle has been serving as the Acting City Manager. Stephanie DeWolfe, the former Community Development Director for the City of West Hollywood, has been pushed out of her job as South Pasadenas city manager. Spanish was his first language, so programs like Head Start were critical to his early education. Hours of Operation: Ms. Chaparyan, a graduate of John Muir High School in Pasadena, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from U.C.L.A and a Masters of Public Administration from U.S.C. News provided by the City Manager's Office The City Manager's Office has launched a Social Services Resource Guide, providing a list of providers and resources available for community members. Armin Chaparyan serves as the current City Manager with over 20 years of local government experience, including serving as the Community Development Director and then the Assistant City Manager in the City of San Gabriel prior to this role. Prior to joining the City of South Pasadena, Gonzalez served for 13 years in the nonprofit management sector. Following candidate screening, and two rounds of City Council interviews, and a well-received April 28 virtual community forum with the final candidate, the City Council has unanimously appointed Armine Chaparyan to the Citys top administrative post. Pasadena Now strives to provide factual, unbiased reporting. Hours of Operation: Tamara Binns has over 15 years of government service, including local and federal, with a background in Bio-Medical Engineering. City Manager at City of South Pasadena Los Angeles Metropolitan Area Mary Jerejian, MPA Management Analyst at the City of South Pasadena Los Angeles, CA Christina Muoz Deputy. Gonzalez has served as city manager, assistant city manager, community services director and in other positions for more than 14 years in South Pasadena, a city with a similar size population and city staff and government system. Zillow has 9796 homes for sale. Mayor Diana Mahmud said: Appointment of a City Manager is the most important decision the City Council will make. She had previously worked at Pasadena City Hall, at one point serving as Interim Assistant City Manager., according to her biography on the South Pasadena website. Following a national search, the City of Hermosa Beach announced today that South Pasadena City Manager Sergio Gonzalez will be Hermosa Beach's new city manager. According to the South Pasadenan, the newspaper that covers South Pasadena, DeWolfes resignation took effect the day before the 4 p.m closed session meeting that the Pasadena City Council had arranged for this past Sunday. A South Pasadena city councilwoman apologized Saturday, Aug.15, for making fake email accounts to attack her critics and then announced she will step down Aug. 18. The council was set to offer Jordan a four-year, $225,000 contract at its April 21 meeting before the decision was made not to move forward with his hiring. The City Council has an ambitious agenda for making South Pasadena even more special than it already is. M - F 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Prior to his role in Santa Clara, Mrquez served as an Associate Justice of the California Sixth District Court of Appeal, as the County Counsel for the County of Santa Clara, as the General Counsel of the San Francisco Unified School District, and as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorneys Office. During her two-year, 10-month tenure, she replaced over a half dozen department heads and went through five finance directors, the newspaper reported. City of South Pasadena. The Office of the City Manager provides oversight and direction to ensure that all departments are responding to City Council goals, applying policy consistently, identifying key issues that need Council direction, keeping abreast of the changing needs of the community, and planning the services, programs and projects that will ensure Pasadena maintains its status and character as a great community in which to live, work and play. The city announced the resignation only a half hour after its closed special meeting and said that Fire Chief Paul Riddle would assume the role of Acting City Manager. South Pasadena City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe announced Sunday she has retired from her position as City Manager, as of Saturday, September 12, according to a statement from the city. With benefit of the insights of four community focus groups of 31 South Pasadena community leaders, each describing the ideal qualities they wish to see in the next city manager, the City Council retained executive recruiter Gary Phillips, of Bob Murray & Associates to undertake a national recruitment to gather qualified candidates to fill the citys vacant city manager position. The South Pasadena City Council will host a candidate forum on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm to introduce City Manager candidate Armin Chaparyan. But by then, the city was already falling behind not only in cleaning up the financial morass, but in the preparation of the citys annual audit and Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.. Following fervent objections from some South Pasadena . Subscribe to our feeds to get the latest headlines, summaries and links back to full articles formatted for your favorite feed reader and updated throughout the day. (626)737-8486 Ext. These men are stepping up, Appeals court ruling in Lunada Bay Boys case could make cities liable for surf localism, New report says deputy gangs thrive in LA County Sheriffs Department, Gracie Abrams behind Good Riddance message in Los Angeles sky, Pasadena teacher accused of sexually assaulting student, sending her child porn, Tax filing deadline moves to mid-October for most Californians, Alpine Village shopkeepers get confirmation: theyre being evicted, California weighs $360,000 in reparations to eligible Black residents, Pasadena to terminate local COVID-19 orders this month, Fannie Mae halts financing for 6,102 condos in Laguna Woods, Tom Sizemore, Saving Private Ryan actor, dies at 61, Ex-sheriffs deputy gets 100 hours of community service for shooting hoax, 6 suspects wanted for holding up armored cars for $550,000-plus in Hawthorne, LA and Inglewood, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Our News Desk department consists of a collective of news gatherers in order to keep the community informed and safe. If you are also interested in hearing from the candidate on specific topic areas, you can send an email to cmoffice@southpasadenaca.gov. South Pasadena, CA 91030 Required fields are marked *, EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT | FOOD & DRINK | THE ARTS | REAL ESTATE | HOME & GARDEN | WELLNESS | SOCIAL SCENE | GETAWAYS | PARENTS & KIDS, HOME OF THE WEEK Open House Thursday: Beautiful John Bluff Built Home Located on Greenridge Drive in La Caada Flintridge, For Newsroom, Call (626) 737-8486 Ext. 2, David Cross | newsdesk@pasadenanowmagazine.com We know that Armin is very familiar with our city and looks forward to putting her energy and talent to good use in South Pasadena. (626)737-8486 Ext. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds offer another way to get Pasadena Now content. Required fields are marked *. DeWolfe hired a consultant to reorganize the Finance Department and hired a new finance director, Karen Aceves. He brings vitality, experience and a fresh perspective to Hermosa Beach at a time when the city is making decisions and plans that will chart the citys future.. Her starting annual salary is $215,000. The Hermosa Beach City Council unanimously chose Gonzalez, 45, from a field of nearly 60 applicants. Municipal politics, Bureaucracy and Corruption, No Way! There will be an opportunity for questions at the end of the forum, time permitting. After returning to the City of Pasadena, Mr. Rodriguez handled special assignments with the City Attorneys Office and as a special assistant to the city manager prior to his appointment as assistant city manager in 2016. Our News Desk department consists of a collective of news gatherers in order to keep the community informed and safe. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); ColoradoBoulevard.net - By Coloradoblvd.net and WMF. E-mail press release to : editor@pasadenanow.com The City is located near the neighboring cities of Pasadena, South Pasadena and Alhambra, with easy access to all of Southern California. It is governed by the City Council/City Manager form of government. In his new role, Gonzalez will be responsible for the day-to-day administration of Hermosa Beachs city government, which includes the oversight of 145 fulltime employees and an annual budget of approximately $37.7 million. South Pasadena to introduce city manager candidate to public Armine Chaparyan, who serves as assistant city manager in San Gabriel, originally was runner-up to the City Council's top pick. 82, Jeff Vaughn, Sales Manager | jvaughn@pasadenanowmagazine.com Learn how your comment data is processed. His first day on the job is scheduled to be May 15. At the forum, Chaparyan will present her experience and interest in serving in the citys top administrative post.. The South Pasadena City Council had selected Jordan as its top candidate to fill the city manager's job and "was prepared to appoint and enter into an agreement" with him at its Wednesday. She will start her new position with South Pasadena on Monday, May 31, 2021. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. Ms. Chaparyan has 15 years of local government experience, most recently serving as assistant city manager of San Gabriel. Fax:(626) 403-7211 Jordan had left West Linn by the time the 2017 wrongful arrest occurred and Timeus retired that same year amid allegations of drunken driving. She will start her new position with South Pasadena on Monday, May 31, 2021. Mrquezs parents immigrated to the United States from Mxico with only a limited amount of formal education. The South Pasadena City Council on Wednesday is set to vote on the appointment of Christopher A. Jordan as the new City Manager. Coffee with the Chief. The contract included $20,000 for relocation and 160 hours of vacation time per year. In a statement,. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. City of South Pasadena . Beyond the budget in any municipality, its helpful to keep an eye on the Demand Register, published as part of the City CouncilAgenda which actually shows where the $$$$s are going. A native of Sacramento, Mrquez received his law degree from UC Berkeley Law School, his masters degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and his bachelor's degree in public policy from Stanford University. Principal Management Analyst. She was only in WEHO for five years of her 20+ year career. Pasadena City Council have welcomed former Justice Miguel Mrquez as the next city manager. These men are stepping up, Appeals court ruling in Lunada Bay Boys case could make cities liable for surf localism, New report says deputy gangs thrive in LA County Sheriffs Department, Gracie Abrams behind Good Riddance message in Los Angeles sky, Pasadena teacher accused of sexually assaulting student, sending her child porn, Tax filing deadline moves to mid-October for most Californians, Alpine Village shopkeepers get confirmation: theyre being evicted, California weighs $360,000 in reparations to eligible Black residents, Pasadena to terminate local COVID-19 orders this month, Fannie Mae halts financing for 6,102 condos in Laguna Woods, Tom Sizemore, Saving Private Ryan actor, dies at 61, Ex-sheriffs deputy gets 100 hours of community service for shooting hoax, 6 suspects wanted for holding up armored cars for $550,000-plus in Hawthorne, LA and Inglewood, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Phone:(626) 403-7230 M-Th 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM, 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030 | P:(626) 403-7200 | Contact Us. In November 2020, Jordan and Los Altos entered into a settlement agreement wherein he agreed to step down and waive his right to sue in exchange for $183,821, or nine months of severance, three months more than required by his contract, according to the agreement. (626)737-8486 Ext. Breaking News Tips: (626) 737-8486 Extension 7 South Pasadena, having rescinded its initial job offer to a prospective city manager after community pushback, will host a virtual public forum April 28 to introduce the City Councils new pick for the position. 82, Jeff Vaughn, Sales Manager | jvaughn@pasadenanowmagazine.com 8 The Human Resources Office is a Division of the Management Services Department, dedicated to responsible human resource management by: recruiting qualified individuals for a productive workplace; providing a safe work environment; maintaining equitable compensation systems; and committing to personal and professional development of the employees In light of the backlash, the council pledged to do an additional background check on the next candidate. Our opinion section is open to all. She also previously worked for the City of Santa Clarita as a Redevelopment Manager and a Senior Project Manager for the City of Ontario. The City Council narrowed the finalists to five, then two, before initially deciding to offer the job to Jordan, according to a staff report. Before . (City of Pasadena/Submitted) H istory was made beneath the spires of city hall on July 11. Copyright 2023. He began his public service career as a Deputy County Counsel in San Mateo County. Aram was appointed city manager of Torrance in October 2020, and Armin took South Pasadena's top administrative office in May 2021. Huh? 8 The towing companys owner hatched a plan with his fishing buddy, Terry Timeus, who was the police chief of West Linn, to carry out the arrest, according to the Washington Post. Management Services Department | South Pasadena, CA Home Go I Want To. She has led the City in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and has brought the organization to new heights during her time in South Pasadena. Its very interesting. Mar. As the Assistant to the City Manager, Tamara serves as the Citys Social Services liaison, and leads the City Social Services and Mental Health Task Force. But especially controversial was DeWolfes handling of what she had described as inappropriate accounting practices by the citys Finance Department. A press release from the City of South Pasadena that was released on Sunday said that DeWolfe had submitted her resignation from the position, which she assumed on Nov. 6, 2017. E-mail press release to : editor@pasadenanow.com A full-service city, South Pasadena . Mrquez has also worked for two private law firms (Cooley Godward LLP and Remcho, Johansen & Purcell), and as a management consultant at KPMG Peat Marwick, where he was part of a national financial and organizational consulting practice. Breaking News Tips: (626) 737-8486 Extension 7 It states staff will conduct an additional background check of that applicant and negotiate an employment agreement before bringing the matter back to the council at an upcoming regular meeting of the City Council., During its search, South Pasadena received more than 50 applications for the job. Sergios strong reputation became known to us during our search, and we expect he will enjoy even more success in Hermosa Beach, said Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey. Jacob Lyle2023-03-02T14:17:41-08:00March 2, 2023|, Jacob Lyle2023-03-02T14:09:10-08:00March 2, 2023|, Jacob Lyle2023-03-02T14:03:18-08:00March 2, 2023|, Jacob Lyle2023-03-02T13:53:15-08:00March 2, 2023|, Jacob Lyle2023-03-02T12:54:16-08:00March 2, 2023|, Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); Public CEO | daily@publicceo.com Copyright 2023 City of Pasadena - All Rights Reserved, Commissions and Committee Meetings Video Archive, Economic Development & Technology Committee. Jordan had controversial tenures in Los Altos and West Linn, Ore., prior to applying for the South Pasadena position. 801, Andr Coleman, Managing Editor | andrec@pasadenanowmagazine.com Under the direction of the City Manager, oversees and provides a variety of administrative and support . Your email address will not be published. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please provide your name, phone number or email address. Your email address will not be published. Betta said he did not seek to contact Shea because it would be a violation of Shea's "professional privacy." 801, Andr Coleman, Managing Editor | andrec@pasadenanowmagazine.com Prior to this role, she served as the Economic Development Manager at the City of San Gabriel, where she helped stabilize and grow the local economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Chaparyan has 15 years of local government experience, most recently serving as assistant city manager of San Gabriel. In Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel and Alhambra. Copyright 2023. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Email: City Clerk To the best of CCMF's knowledge, Aram and Armin Chaparyan are the first brother-sister city manager pair in California history. 7 Colorado Boulevard is your place for informative news and social living for the greater Pasadena area. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Before that, she served as a redevelopment manager in Santa Clarita and as an senior project manager in Ontario, according to her LinkedIn. If you want to hire him as city manager here, you should say why youre comfortable with his tenure in other cities, and why youve decided not to hold those previous controversies against him, Bray wrote. Jordan was West Linns city manager when Timeus, who had worked with Jordan in a prior city, was hired as the police chief. City Manager's Office; Management Services; Community Services; Finance; Fire; Library; Community Development Department; Police ; Public Works; City Council Meetings. Raised in Ohio, Jason began his career at a suburban daily near Cleveland before moving to California in 2013. 4, Faith Fernandez, Chief Administrative Officer | ffernandez@pasadenanowmagazine.com Before being named Community Development Director for West Hollywood, DeWolfe had served as deputy director of the Planning & Community Development Department for the City of Pasadena. Though council members did not give a reason for the resignation, Jordan had clashed with them in the past, including in one instance in which he defied a 4-1 decision by the council to relocate its meetings. Fax press release to : (888) 650-9712, James Macpherson, Co-Publisher | jamesm@pasadenanowmagazine.com I look forward to tackling these new challenges, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with the Hermosa Beach City Council, city staff and community, said Gonzalez. He is a self-identified technophile, data nerd and wannabe drone pilot. When African Royalty Visited South Pasadena, Artists to Unveil Collaborative Mural During ArtNight Pasadena. A newsletter published by the Public Affairs Office. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds offer another way to get Pasadena Now content. Many. Jordan, the former Los Altos city manager, confirmed April 21 he was out of the running in an email response to the Town Crier. Mr. Rodriguez received his bachelors degree as a College Scholar of the College of Arts and Sciences from Cornell University and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. The virtual meeting will be conducted over ZOOM and broadcast live on the South Pasadena City Council meeting webpage. The Mayor is selected from the City Council members and serves a one-year term. The City of South Pasadena is a general law city incorporated on March 2, 1888. 8, Eddie Rivera | erivera@pasadenanowmagazine.com DeWolfe was criticized by former South PasadenaFinance Director Josh Betta, who released a reportsaying the citys proposed 2020-21 budget figures were blatantly false. The South Pasadena reports that finance professionals Stephen and Sheila Rossi said they had identified millions of dollars in discrepanciesbetween the proposed budget Aceves got approved by the citys finance commission and the one she submitted for approval by the City Council. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.. Its population was 138,699 at the 2020 census, making it the 44th largest city in California and . Ms. Chaparyan, a graduate of John Muir High School in Pasadena, holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from U.C.L.A and a Masters of Public Administration from U.S.C. 7, Candice Merrill, Co-Publisher | editor@pasadenanowmagazine.com Registration is not required, but those interested in hearing from the candidate on specific topic areas are asked to email their questions in advance to cmoffice@southpasadeanaca.gov. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1977, and worked as an attorney for both El Centro De Accion Social, Inc., and Gronemeier, Barker & Huerta before joining the Pasadena City Attorneys Office. Functional areas within the Management Services Department are: InformationTechnology, Grants Management and Special Projects, Human Resources Management, Recruitment, Employee Training, RiskManagement and Labor Relations, Records Management, Elections, Boards, Commissions, and City CouncilSupport, Audio and Visual Support, City Hall The City Council has an ambitious agenda for addressing making South Pasadena even more special than it already is. DeWolfe served the City as its City Manager from November 6, 2017 until last Friday, the statement said. Click for Directory. During his tenure in South Pasadena, the city significantly increased its financial reserves while also investing over $12 million on infrastructure. 7 She also previously worked for the Cities of Glendale and West Hollywood in the City Clerk Elections and in City Council support roles while pursuing her graduate degrees. The publication will remain free to readers and will not erect paywalls. Email:CM Office Your email address will not be published. We look forward to working with Armin to advance infrastructure projects and services that improve the quality of life of every South Pasadenan. Jordan, who served a total of 15 years as city manager in two West Coast cities with populations similar to South Pasadena, will report to work May 10. Retired Irvine City Manager Sean Joyce, 57, has been appointed Interim City Manager in South Pasadena to replace City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe, who has purportedly retired following her dismissal. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Science degree in Public Administration from California State University at Los Angeles. For Advertising, Call (626) 737-8486 Ext. But the announcement of Jordans impending hire triggered immediate backlash from residents who questioned the candidates sudden resignations from his last two cities and the transparency of the selection process.
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