Council to interview city manager candidates

Encinitas is closer to finding a city manager.

The City Council directed city staff to set up interviews for the position, according to the report out of an April 27 closed session meeting.

A few hours after the meeting, Gaspar said the city’s search firm, Avery & Associates, received more than 60 applications for the job. The firm whittled the number to a select pool of candidates, based on earlier feedback from council, city staff members and the community on the attributes they’d like to see in the next city manager.

“We have a good crop of candidates,” Gaspar said.

She declined to state how many candidates are in the running for the job, because the council had yet to decide whether to release that information. Gaspar added she would follow up on Wednesday, April 29, with the full council on whether to disclose the number, after the deadline for this story.

The council hired Avery & Associates in January, when former City Manager Gus Vina stepped down to take a job as the city manager of Brentwood, in Northern California.

The city manager oversees day-to-day operations and city staff, while the council focuses on the city’s direction and policy issues.

Gaspar said the council needs to find a new city manager by July 1. That’s when interim City Manager Larry Watt’s contract expires.

During the April 27 closed session meeting, the council also established a subcommittee of Gaspar and Councilwoman Catherine Blakespear to work on compensation and contract terms for the next city manager.

Encinitas isn’t alone in the hunt for a city manager. Carlsbad, Solana Beach and Oceanside are also looking.