RESOLUTION NO. 26.XXX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, RATIFYING THE
APPOINTMENT OF STEVE MONTANO AS INTERIM
FINANCE MANAGER AND FINDING THE SAME IS NOT A
PROJECT UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY ACT
WHEREAS, Government Code Section 21221(h) permits the City Council to appoint, by resolution, a California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) retiree to a vacant position requiring specialized skills during recruitment for a permanent appointment and provides that such appointment will not subject the retired person to reinstatement from retirement or loss of benefits so long as the requirements of 21221(h) are complied with; and WHEREAS, CalPERS retiree Steve Montano served as the Interim Finance Manager for the City from February 3, 2026 through June 9, 2026; and WHEREAS, the position of Finance Manage was vacant and all of the requirements of Government Code section 21221 (h) were satisfied when Steve Montano served as Interim Finance Manager in that the City had an active job posting/recruitment for the position, the rate of pay for this interim role did not exceed the maximum monthly salary paid to other employees performing comparable duties as listed the City’s salary schedule for the vacant position divided by 173.333 to equal an hourly rate, the hourly rate was the only compensation paid, and Steven Montano did not work more than 960 hours during any fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to ratify Steve Montano’s appointment as Interim Finance Manager consistent with Government Code Section 21221(h); and WHEREAS, the City has recruited and filled the role of Finance Manager with a permanent employee.
Attachment 3
-2- Reso. #26.XXX
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH DOES RESOLVE:
SECTION 1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct, and incorporated herein by this reference.
SECTION 2. Steve Montano had the specialized skills needed to perform the work required of the Finance Manager and served in that interim role for the aforementioned time period.
SECTION 3. Steve Montano’s appointment as the City’s Interim Finance Manager between February 3, 2026 through June 9, 2026 is hereby ratified. A permanent Finance Manager was hired and all of the requirements of Government Code Section 21221(h) were complied with during Mr. Montano’s service with the City.
SECTION 4. This resolution does not constitute a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") and the CEQA Guidelines because this is a continuing personnel-related action and, constitutes an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Accordingly, this action does not constitute a "project" that requires environmental review (CEQA Guidelines § 15378(b)(2)&(5).
SECTION 5. If any action, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Resolution or the application thereof to any person or circumstance shall be held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Resolution that can be given effect without the invalid provisions.
SECTION 6. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption. -3- Reso. #26.XXX
ADOPTED this 22nd day of September, 2026.
Mark Orgill, Mayor
ATTEST:
Ann Marie McKay, City Clerk
I, Ann Marie McKay, City Clerk of the City of Laguna Beach, certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 26.XXX was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of said City held on September 22, 2026, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS:
City Clerk, City of Laguna Beach, CA