The City of Eureka, California is seeking an
open, collaborative, confident leader to be their
next City Manager. City Manager Greg Sparks is
retiring after more than five years with the City.
About Eureka Founded during the gold rush and forged in in the
harvest of timber and fishing, Eureka became a
northern California economic powerhouse. The
rough and tumble culture of get rich quick was
replaced by a desire for a unique and lasting
quality of life. The echoes of the past are reflected
throughout Eureka, where the entire city is a state
historic landmark and national treasure. The City
is covered with hundreds of significant Victorian
homes, including the nationally recognized
Carson Mansion (front cover), and the city has
retained its original 19th-century commercial core
as a nationally recognized Old Town Historic
District.
Discovering Eureka’s personality is a multi-
layered adventure. Each layer represents a small
share of the complexity and amazing qualities of
the community. One finds a bustling, culture-rich,
art centric city boasting murals, live theater and
symphony music framed in stunning, one-of-a
kind architecture. Surrounding the City are ocean
beaches, salmon running rivers, and giant, awe-
inspiring redwood forests that dwarf onlookers
and hikers. People seeking the solitude of nature,
in just a heartbeat, can easily find themselves
feeling a million miles away from anyone.
Returning to the City, walkers, hikers, bikers and
strollers find the waterfront trail provides a new
opportunity to connect with nature; while nearby,
the oldest zoo in California offers exotic animals.
Eureka, population 27,000, is located 270 miles north of San Francisco and 100 miles south of the Oregon border and serves as the County Seat of Humboldt County. The County is named after the deep-water bay that is home to hundreds of fishing boats and pleasure watercraft.
Eureka is not a "big city" it is "the big city" in the region.
Nearly every house and business is on a City block with
sidewalks, making the City remarkably "walkable."
It’s also a small enough community that people feel like
their voice matters, so they use it. There is a wealth of
local media and an educated populace, so local
government is constantly challenged to be the best
possible. One finds people rich in creativity, diversity,
and compassion with a cooperative spirit to step in and
contribute time, expertise, and resources.
Economy Eureka contains the majority of shopping and
entertainment opportunities in a very broad region
beyond the typical influence of a city of this size.
While lumber, fishing, and shipping started Eureka’s
employment base, a fully-developed regional economy is
now established and continues to expand and diversify.
Weather, arts, proximity to natural wonders and the
community serving as a living museum all contribute to
making tourism the second largest employment sector.
City largest employment sectors:
• Health care: 20%
• Building/construction: 16%
• Tourism: 15%
• Forest products: 14%
Mayor and Council The Office of the Mayor and five City Councilmembers comprise the City Council. The Mayor presides over
the City Council meeting held twice a month in open public session in the Council Chamber. The City
Council is a five-member governmental body that is elected from the geographic boundaries of each of their
wards. The City has several members of the Council and Mayor serving their first terms. The Mayor and
Council are truly passionate about the roles of government in improving the lives of all residents. They
thoughtfully engage with the community while seeking a balance between the economic and social health of
the City and the constraints of budgets. The Mayor and Council deliberate respectfully, considering
themselves close team players with the staff. While valuing the City’s progress and direction, the council
welcomes new ideas and looks forward to fresh perspectives.
City Hall Culture: There is an overall sense of comradery and focus within the departments and they
display a sincere loyalty to the City and commitment to the Mission/Vision. They are a high-functioning,
professional,, experienced and capable staff who believe strongly in helping the public. They want to
continue to build stronger relationships between departments and look forward to more interdepartmental
interactions.
MISSION: To be financially responsible and to provide effective municipal services in a personal,
responsive manner and in partnership with community
Vision: Eureka is a beautiful, dynamic, Seaport City
Eureka residents enjoy a livable, sustainable community and abundant choices for leisure time
Eureka has an alive waterfront, old town and downtown, and thriving regional economy Eureka is financially stable, effectively run city with an engaged public
Eureka has strong, collaborative relationships with partner organizations and community Eureka has unique and abundant attractions/tourism choices for the community and visitors to enjoy
Eureka is a community that attracts and retains diverse, skilled workers thru business investment Eureka has adequate supply of market rate and affordable housing
Eureka is a vibrant, safe and flourishing community where people want to live and visit Eureka is aesthetically captivating and artistic community with beautiful neighborhoods
Eureka at a glance • Founded in 1850 • Incorporated as a Town: 1856 • Re-incorporated as a City: 1874 • Total Area: 14.45 square Miles • Main Highway: U.S. Route 101 • Population: ~27,225 • Population of ‘Greater’ Eureka:
~45,000 • 2019/20 Total Budget: $64.9M
General Fund $30.8M • Employees: 224 FT • Miles of Water Main: 125 • Miles of Streets: 120 • Parks
• 6 community park facilities which include Halvorson Park, Cooper Gulch Park, Hartman/Kennedy ball fields, Sequoia Park, Sequoia Park Garden and the Sequoia Park Zoo
• 7 neighborhood park facilities
• Fire Service: Eureka's Fire Department joined the fire district to create the Humboldt Bay Fire JPA
• Police: Police Chief, 62 Sworn Officers and support team
• Regional Transportation • Eureka Transit Service
(ETS) is a fixed route bus system which operates Monday through Saturday, serving the City of Eureka and surrounding unincorporated areas
• Greyhound • Humboldt Transit Authority • City of Eureka also
contributes funding, through a joint powers agreement, for operations of the regional Redwood Transit System, which services a 65 mile corridor on Highway 101
• Arcata/Eureka Airport • Harbor Operations: Public
Marina is home to 150 fishing, commercial, and recreational craft. Harbor personnel are responsible for the Eureka Marsh and other City-owned wetland areas
The Position:
The City Manager is the chief administrative
officer of the City. The role of City Manager is
to develop and implement overall operating
policies, procedures and protocols consistent
with directives of the City Council that will meet
the strategic, operational and capital needs of
Eureka and help ensure ongoing financial
stability and operational efficiency for all City
operations and services.
Some primary position responsibilities
include:
• Develops recommendations for enhancing
the City’s operations and services in
collaboration with the City Council, City
officials, Department Directors, and other
management level City personnel
• Recommends and oversees implementation
of City policies, rules, and regulations
• Advises City department and division
directors regarding the full range of
organizational, management,
administrative, budget, and financial
policies and related issues
• Confers with City elected officials,
department and division directors, and other
supervisory personnel to discuss, identify,
and assess their organizational,
management, administrative, budget and
financial problems and needs
• Develops, presents, and administers a
balanced City budget, including overseeing
preparation and approving draft budget for
presentation to the Council
• Confers with others to effect cooperation in
matters of joint concern
• Negotiates contracts for services, real
estate purchases and sale agreements and
others
• Directs and participates in matters
pertaining to collective bargaining,
personnel disciplinary issues, salary and
benefit analysis
• Analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of
City operations and programs
• Advises City officials regarding cooperative
efforts with government units, public-private
sector partnerships, privatization efforts,
consolidation of services, and related
issues
Challenges and Opportunities Upon arriving, the new City Manager is expected to take time to listen and learn about the organization, projects, community, and partners. Some specific first steps include:
• Preparing for 2020 sales tax ballot initiative to address public safety, street improvements and long-term fiscal sustainability
• Recruitment and retention of employees throughout all levels of the organization
• Begin the creation and implementation of a Diversity Plan
• Focus on key elements of the Strategic Economic Development Plan • C Street to F Street Boardwalk Site (city-owned) • Canopy walk • New city marketing strategy • Newly adopted General Plan and Zoning Code
• Improvement of public perception; bridge building • Support local and regional marketing efforts; brand
development • Familiarization with social issues including
homelessness, housing, opioid addiction, mental health issues and their impact on Eureka
• Begin periodic evaluation of existing operating systems and eliminate or reduce unnecessary or redundant processes
• Develop relationships with a variety of community groups to enhance a broad understanding of Eureka
• Further the development of a relationship with the County
• Continue to support a smooth transition of cannabis business into the community
• Become familiar with the disaster preparedness plan
Background and
Experience Required: A combination of education and
experience equal to a
Bachelor’s degree (Master’s
degree is desired) in public
administration, or similar field
and at least seven years of
broad and extensive experience
in municipal government with
five years of experience in the
capacity of City Manager,
Assistant/Deputy City Manager,
Department Director or senior
executive for a similar public
sector organization.
The Manager shall have the
knowledge of: the principles
and practices of public
administration including council/
manager municipal government
structure; government
budgeting and financial
administration; laws, rules,
regulations, court rulings and
legislated mandates affecting
municipal government;
personnel administration and
labor relations; and current
social, political and economic
trends and operating issues of
municipal government.
Experience working in a diverse
city experiencing a significant
period of change would be
ideal.
Strong Emphasis/ Knowledge/Experience • Budget preparation and
presentation
• Budget policy and structure
tied to strategic planning
• Formal reporting and liaison
with elected officials
• Economic, downtown, and
housing development and
redevelopment
• Performance evaluation,
staff development, team
building
• Strategic Planning
Ideal Candidate The City is seeking an open, collaborative, confident
leader to be their next City Manager. The person
hired will be a visionary combined with a pragmatic
ability to also move themselves and others in that
direction. They will be an excellent communicator
who displays empathy, listening skills, and can relate
with all types of personalities. The next Manager will
be comfortable taking risks to enhance the
organization and community.
Specific Leadership/Management Attributes
Sought:
• Friendly, supportive, objective but trusting when considering facts and making decisions
• Balance competing demands from subordinates and maintain a universal view of impacts
• Democratic but unafraid to make difficult calls • Genuine care for the workforce
• Allows people to play to their strengths • Calm and resolute
• Engaging and easy to get along with • Empathetic but analytical
• Community oriented and personable • Willingness to evaluate existing systems and to
eliminate or reduce unnecessary or redundant processes with the good of the community in
mind
• Emphasizes team building and working together to solve problems.
• Makes tough decisions while addressing issues immediately
• Sees the big picture and knows how to motivate people to move in that direction.
• Values transparency -- Open relationship with the media and citizens
• Appropriately and successfully balance the priorities of an ever-changing City Council while
also prioritizing the needs and welfare of the City's employees
• Good sense of humor
Process Details Salary Range: $155K - $175K
To apply, e-mail resume, a compelling letter of interest
and five references to [email protected] by 8/31/19.
Following the filing deadline, resumes will be screened
according to the qualifications outlined. The most
qualified candidates will be invited to a screening
interviews with HueLife. Finalist interviews will be held
with Council and at the City of Eureka. Semi-finalist
applications will be presented to the City on September
24. References will be contacted only following
candidate permission and selection as a finalist. Final
interviews Oct 11&12. Please direct
questions to Richard Fursman at
or (651) 338-2533. For additional information about
Eureka please visit: www.ci.eureka.ca.gov
Out of Town Candidates: The City will reimburse usual and
customary travel related expenses for out of town candidates
coming to Eureka for interviews. Candidates will also be
provided lodging if needed/desired.