Encinitas city manager contract going to council next week

The new Encinitas city manager’s contract will be up for approval at the July 8 Encinitas City Council meeting.

Council on May 27 unanimously selected a city manager in closed session, pending contract negotiations with the candidate. The council has yet to release the candidate’s name.

In recent weeks, a council subcommittee made up of Mayor Kristin Gaspar and Deputy Mayor Catherine Blakespear hammered out the contract details.

Interim City Manager Larry Watt’s contract expires July 1.

This week, Watt said if the contract is approved on July 8, the new city manager likely won’t be able to start right away — and possibly not until August. So city department heads will take two-week turns as city manager until the new city manager starts, according to Watt.

Watt, who received praised from councilmembers during his final council meeting on June 24, took the helm in January, after former City Manager Gus Vina stepped down to take a city manager job in Northern California.

Sixty-one people applied for the city manager position. The city manager oversees day-to-day operations and city staff.