EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: April 5, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Jaime M. Fontes, City Manager
BY: James Colin, Executive Assistant
Valerie J. Armento, Acting City Attorney
SUBJECT: Interim City Manager Employment Agreement
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution appointing Patrick Heisinger as the Interim City Manager and approving the Interim City Manager Employment Agreement.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
• Priority #4: Ensure Our Financial and Organizational Health Approval of this recommendation will assist in fulfilling all of the City Council’s adopted priorities and goals.
Background
Current City Manager Jaime Fontes fulfills his contract with the City of East Palo Alto effective close of business April 30, 2022 and is pursuing other opportunities for the well-being of his family. Consequently, the City of East Palo Alto needs interim city manager services to fulfill the duties of the position of city manager while the City Council conducts an executive search to fill the position.
Analysis
Patrick Heisinger has 19 years’ experience in local government and nearly 4 years of experience working in the City of East Palo. He joined the City in Spring 2018 as Housing Manager and then Director of Community and Economic Development. Since September 2019 he has served as Assistant City Manager overseeing Community and Economic Development, the City’s work program, capital projects, new policy initiatives and other special projects. He began his career working in management level roles on housing related issues for agencies as diverse as the City of San Jose, County of Santa Cruz, Housing Authority of Santa Clara County and Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire. Mr. Heisinger has both a BA and an MA from the University of the Redlands and an MPA from San Jose State University.
Attached for City Council review and approval is an Interim City Manager Employment Agreement. The financial terms of the employment agreement are as follows:
• Compensation: A base annual salary of Two Hundred Twenty-two Thousand and Five Hundred Dollars ($222,500) during the term of the agreement. • Benefits: The benefits earned shall be the same as those provided to other Executive Management Employees of the City.
• Vacation cash-out: An additional week of accrued vacation cash-out by June 30, 2022 given anticipated workloads through Spring.
If approved, the term of the Employment Agreement commences on May 1, 2022 and terminates upon the start date of the new City Manager, unless terminated sooner in accordance to the terms of the agreement. The agreement also provides a minimum six month right of return to his prior Assistant City Manager position.
Fiscal Impact
Mr. Heisinger’s proposed salary as Interim Assistant City Manager is less than the current City Manager’s salary, and it is anticipated that any interim staffing for the Assistant City Manager role will also be paid less, creating a net annualized savings to the City of $5,000 to $10,000 for the duration of the interim appointments. All costs are budgeted within the General Fund.
Attachments
1. Resolution Interim City Manager
2. Exhibit A Interim City Manager 2