SR 09-26-2017 3M
City Council Report
City Council Meeting: September 26, 2017
Agenda Item: 3.M
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Donna Peter, Director, Human Resources Department
Subject: Contract for Service as Assistant City Manager/Chief Operating Officer and
Deputy City Manager/Director of Policy
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
Approve and adopt the Resolution of the proposed Employment Agreements with Katie
Lichtig as Assistant City Manager/Chief Operating Officer and Anuj Gupta as Deputy
City Manager/Director of Policy, and authorize the City Manager to execute the
agreements. The Agreements will establish Ms. Lichtig’s salary at $22,959 per month
and Mr. Gupta’s salary at $14,667 per month.
Executive Summary
After an extensive search process for two key positions within the City Manager’s office,
the City Manager has selected Katie Lichtig to the position of Assistant City
Manager/Chief Operating Officer and Anuj Gupta to the position of Deputy City
Manager/Director of Policy. California law requires that the salaries be set and approved
in public. The vote on the approval of the employment agreements set the Assistant City
Manager/ Chief Operating Officer’s salary at $22,959 per month and at $14,667 per
month for the Deputy City Manager/Director of Policy and fulfill that legal requirement in
keeping with the earlier pledge to keep the combined costs consistent with the prior total
budgetary impact of these two positions
Background
Both these positions have been part of the City Manager’s Office for more than a
decade. When both became vacant, the scope of duties for each was adjusted, with the
Assistant City Manager role reshaped to emphasize the duties of a Chief Operating
Officer and the Deputy City Manager to be Director of Policy. Given the scope and
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complexity of Santa Monica City government, differentiation of the role of the City
Manager as Chief Executive Officer and the Assistant City Manager as Chief Operating
Officer is consistent with trends in business, major non-profits and increasingly in full-
service municipal governments. The new emphasis on policy-making and
implementation for the Deputy City Manager is the result of both Santa Monica’s
continuing leadership in pursuing innovative local policy initiatives and the Council’s
desire for greater rigor and civic engagement in the policy-making process.
Following the announcement that Assistant City Manager Elaine Polachek’s would end
her tenure with the City, staff retained an outside recruitment to conduct a nationwide
search. A strong pool of applicants were reviewed and the top finalists were
interviewed in August 2017. On August 7, 2017, City Manager Rick Cole announced
Katie Lichtig as the new Assistant City Manager/Chief Operating Officer.
The position of the Deputy City Manager has been vacant since January, but filled on
an interim basis since March. A similarly extensive nationwide search was conducted
and on August 23, 2017, Anuj Gupta was selected and offered the position.
Discussion
The proposed contract between the City and Ms. Lichtig will establish a monthly salary
of $22,959. (The prior maximum salary for this position was $25,264.) The contract will
specify that Ms. Lichtig will receive the same benefits provided to all members of the
City's Executive Pay Plan. Additionally, the contract provides for vacation to be accrued
at 1.75 days per month which is based on prior years of service in the public sector with
an initial bank of 40 hours of vacation and 40 hours of sick leave. Ms. Lichtig will be
moving from San Luis Obispo and will be reimbursed for relocation costs up to a
maximum of $14,000. Ms. Lichtig will receive the standard accrual of Management
Leave Days per the Executive Pay Plan retroactive to July 1, 2017.
The proposed contract between the City and Mr. Gupta establishes a monthly salary of
$14,667 per month and will also receive the same benefits provided to all members of
the City’s Executive Pay Plan. (The prior maximum salary for this position was
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$15,677.) The starting vacation accrual rate is 1.25 days per month with an initial bank
of 40 hours of vacation and 40 hours of sick leave. Mr. Gupta is a resident of Santa
Monica and is not in need of relocation. Mr. Gupta will receive the standard accrual of
Management Leave Days per the Executive Pay Plan retroactive to July 1, 2017.
Following approval and execution of the contract, Ms. Lichtig will officially begin her
service as Assistant City Manager/Chief Operating Officer on October 9, 2017. It is
anticipated that Mr. Gupta will begin his service as Deputy City Manager/Director of
Policy on September 25, 2017.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Salaries and benefits for the Assistant City Manager/Chief Operating Officer and the
Deputy City Manager/Director of Policy positions are included in the FY 2017-18 budget
in the City Manager’s Office.
Prepared By: Tatiana Morrison, Executive Administrative Assistant
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Resolution
REFERENCE:
RESOLUTION NO. 11077
(CCS)