Santa Paula's new leader brings Ventura County familiarity
Arlene Martinez
A man with extensive experience working in California's Central Coast has been tapped for the top executive position in Santa Paula.
The City Council on Thursday appointed Daniel Singer as the interim city manager. He starts Aug. 15, the last day for City Manager Michael Rock, who is headed to Yuba City in Sutter County.
Singer isn't new to Santa Paula. In January, he was hired as the interim parks and recreation director, a position he held until Gregory Barnes was hired in May to fill the position permanently.
"He got to know the city as a department head and he earned some trust that way," Mayor Clint Garman said.
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Singer also wasn't new to the council. In early 2017, as a successor to City Manager Jaime Fontes was being sought, Singer was on the short list of candidates for the position that ultimately went to Rock.
Singer was one of three candidates interviewed for the interim post, Garman said.
"I am truly honored to have the City Council's support and I look forward to serving the fine people of Santa Paula," Singer said in a news release announcing the appointment.
At the closed-session meeting Thursday, the council also interviewed two search firms Santa Paula might hire to recruit a permanent city manager.
Garman said whether that happened depended in part on whether Singer seemed to be a good long-term fit for the position.
"I wish Rock well and I look forward to (Singer) continuing some of the great work we've already started here."
Singer spent more than a dozen years with the city of Ojai in the 1990s and early 2000s, the last five as its city manager.
He left in 2005 to take the same job with Goleta, where he stayed until 2014. He served as the city of Poway's city manager for just over two years, leaving after the council opted not to renew his contract, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
According to the Union-Tribune, the Poway City Council was unhappy with the way Singer handled two billing issues, problems that predated his arrival to the city.
In one, the council wasn't happy Singer waited to tell the council about problems with a water bill; in another, the council expressed displeasure Singer negotiated a settlement with a company that had been undercharged for several years in leasing city property. The council ultimately rejected that settlement, the Union-Tribune reported.
The council was also unhappy with delays in other projects, the paper said.
Garman said the city did its "due diligence" on Singer and more importantly, had seen firsthand how he worked during his roughly six months with the city.
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"With being a city manager, there's always going to be a variety of things that will happen," he said.
City officials were still negotiating Singer's compensation, Garman said.
In his only full year with Poway, Singer received a compensation package of roughly $314,000 in 2015. He left the city in July 2016 but earned $360,000, which included $137,000 in vacation and sick payouts.
Singer also earned $63,000 in 2017 for the months left in his contract the council agreed to pay him, according to the state controller's database on public pay and Transparent California.
City managers typically serve in an at-will capacity, meaning they can be hired and let go at any time at the direction of the city council.
Arlene Martinez covers local government and energy. Reach her at amartinez@vcstar.com or 805-437-0262.