Novato Advance covers Dan Keen’s move to Concord City Manager
June 26, 2008
Interesting quotes attributed to Dan Keen in the Novato Advance article about his coming to Concord as City Manager. Here’s one: “There’s a tug of war between people who support and oppose development, and now we have people who are really pressing to see protection of the environment and prevention of global climate change … Addressing (those interests) will be a big challenge,” he said. Read more
CAO salary comparisons
June 24, 2008
Executive compensation abuse being in the news these days, it is no wonder there is some grumbling in our fair County over the new salary for David Twa, the new Contra Costa County Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Twa will receive a base annual salary of $250,000. Below see a comparison to other CAO salaries around the Bay Area and California.
$260,004 to run Martinez? Read more
Concord residents encouraged to take the City Manager Online Survey
March 3, 2008
The Concord City Council invites residents and business owners to participate in an online survey as part of the process for selecting Concord’s next city manager. City Council members would like to hear from the public over the next two weeks about the skills, background and attributes that they should look for in the new city manager. Data from the survey will be used to develop questions used in the screening and selection process. To access the survey, visit Concord’s Web Site and click on the link to the online survey near the top of the page. The survey will be available on the city’s Web site from March 3 through 14.
The Secret Diary of Ed James: Is anybody home?
January 10, 2008
Even though I’m just a lowly Admin Clerk for the City of Concord, I’m determined to spill what beans I got about the soft underbelly of Concord’s City Government. What’s left of it.
Recently, I was able to sneak into Ed James’ presidential suite atop the Concord Hilton while he was away ice fishing in Minnesota over the holidays. Dimitri, Ed’s chauffeur, snuck me the room key inside a borscht and cheese sandwich he had slipped to me earlier in the day at a Chamber Luncheon before dropping Ed and his fishing gear off at Buchanan Field so Ed could catch his private charter flight to the land of a thousand frozen lakes. Read more
Ed James to Return?
November 15, 2007
Concord’s panties are all twisted up over the rumour that Ed James will return as temporary City Manager. Everyone should just take a breath and calm down, as it may take a while as Concord City Council is still waiting for an OK from Craig Andersen and the East Bay Business Coalition.
Concord City Manager falls on knife, resigns
November 11, 2007
Reports that Concord City Manager, Lydia DuBorg, resigned last week, came as no surprise to Concord Council watchers. In fact, one of Las Vegas’ leading bookies offered prohibitive odds favoring resignation and this scenario: “During the closed door meeting, after the performance review, the City Manager asked for a 3% raise; City Councilperson Helen Allen, as is her wont, said something mean and/or ridiculous, whereupon the City Manager told Helen to put it where the sun don’t shine, and Bob’s your uncle.”
Now Concord has neither a City Manager or Assistant City Manager. Go figure.
It would not surprise anyone if the whole event was choreographed to incite such an action on DuBorg’s part. Anyone who has followed the attempted Shaw takeover of the CNWS process or the ill-will projected from Allen toward DuBorg during the Jones Ranch hearings, let alone the oh so carefully crafted descriptions that have appeared in the papers, should not be surprised by this turn of events.
Maybe it’s a girl thing. I don’t think so. It does point out, though, how politics, developer connections, and voters be damned can drive the agenda of some Concord City Council members that cannot abide any City staff that stand up to do the right thing.
