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Mayor Genser and Honorable Council Members:

As you are considering applicants to become Santa Monica’s new City Manager, the neighborhood groups wanted to offer some suggestions in the selection process.  Our current City Manager, Lamont Ewell, has shown an admirable openness to the community and a willingness to listen to residents’ concerns.  We do hope that the person taking over for Mr. Ewell will share this respect for democratic inclusion.

One of the actions that impressed all of us when Mr. Ewell first took office was the procedure he adopted for the hiring of the Police Chief.  He asked a representative panel of community leaders to meet with all the finalists for the position.  Addressing privacy concerns, each panelist was asked to sign a confidentiality agreement, which was honored and never breached.  After the interviews, the group of panelists discussed the pros and cons of each applicant with the City Manager.  We also had an opportunity to see that the hiring process was fair and balanced, with candidates of both genders and various ethnic backgrounds.  Although the City Manager made the final decision, the community’s top choice ended up matching Mr. Ewell’s.  The community got a Police Chief that we could support because we all had a part in selecting him.

When the Council has selected finalists for the City Manager position, we ask that you consider impaneling a similar group of community leaders to interview the applicants.  As before, members could sign a confidentiality agreement to guarantee that all applicants’ identities were kept private.  While the Council obviously did an excellent job in hiring Mr. Ewell, we feel that including the community in the hiring process will garner support for the new City Manager and help assure cooperation in the coming years.

Zina Josephs

For the Board, Friends of Sunset Park Board

Doris Sosin

For the Board, North of Montana Association

Mary Marlow

For the Board, Ocean Park Association Board

Maria Loya

For the Board, Pico Neighborhood Association Board

Jeanne Dodson

For the Board, Wilshire-Montana Neighborhood Coalition Board