It added amenities, including a new dog park, and improved its fire safety rating, resulting in lower insurance rates for residents and businesses. Chaparyan achieved her dream of becoming a city manager in May when she was named to that position in South Pasadena. Jordan had left West Linn by the time the 2017 wrongful arrest occurred and Timeus retired that same year amid allegations of drunken driving. The virtual forum with Chaparyan will be from 6:30-8 p.m., Wednesday, April 28. 4, Faith Fernandez, Chief Administrative Officer | ffernandez@pasadenanowmagazine.com In that position, she managed the citys Planning Division, where she oversaw zoning, design and historic preservation, and community planning. In his new role, Gonzalez will be responsible for the day-to-day administration of Hermosa Beachs city government, which includes the oversight of 145 fulltime employees and an annual budget of approximately $37.7 million. 82, Jeff Vaughn, Sales Manager | jvaughn@pasadenanowmagazine.com South Pasadena farmers market is open Thursdays, 4, Local High Schools Ranking According to U.S. News Report. City of South Pasadena. Additional questions may be asked at the end of the forum, if time permits, according to the citys announcement. Sunset Magazine also named South Pasadena one of its Best Places to Live in the West. Aram was appointed city manager of Torrance in October 2020, and Armin took South Pasadena's top administrative office in May 2021. Before that, DeWolfe had worked for the City of West Hollywood since Dec. 17, 2012, overseeing the citys planning and development staff. Raised in Ohio, Jason began his career at a suburban daily near Cleveland before moving to California in 2013. Deputy City Manager at City of South Pasadena 1w Report this post Report Report. We strive to inform, educate, and work together to make a better world for all of us, locally and globally. She will start her new position with South Pasadena on Monday, May 31, 2021. Following candidate screening, and two rounds of City Council interviews, and a well-received April 28 virtual community forum with the final candidate, the City Council has unanimously appointed Armin Chaparyanto the Citys top administrative post. Our opinion section is open to all. I look forward to tackling these new challenges, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with the Hermosa Beach City Council, city staff and community, said Gonzalez. (626)737-8486 Ext. Your email address will not be published. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Her starting annual . Jordan was West Linns city manager when Timeus, who had worked with Jordan in a prior city, was hired as the police chief. Mayor Diana Mahmud said: Appointment of a City Manager is the most important decision the City Council will make. He served as city attorney for the City of Vernon as a part of the Citys good governance initiative reform efforts. 82, Jeff Vaughn, Sales Manager | jvaughn@pasadenanowmagazine.com | Privacy Policy, Deputy Director of Long-Range Planning County of Santa Barbara, Systems Network Administrator Lamont Public Utility District, Associate Civil Engineer Town of Atherton, Alameda County kicks off Womens History Month with the announcement of the 2023 Womens Hall of Fame inductees, Riverside City Council approves cannabis business ordinance, Lancaster and Palmdale join forces to end the opioid crisis, State law requires cities to adopt solar permitting platform, Trackdown Managements Picking Up the Pieces. The contract included $20,000 for relocation and 160 hours of vacation time per year. Our News Desk department consists of a collective of news gatherers in order to keep the community informed and safe. Phone:(626) 403-7230 South Pasadenas City Council originally planned to hire Jordan, but backed down from the decision during a special meeting April 20 in light of some community opposition. Fax:(626) 403-7211 City Manager's Office; Management Services; Community Services; Finance; Fire; Library; Community Development Department; Police ; Public Works; City Council Meetings. The City Manager also holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Gonzalez has served as city manager, assistant city manager, community services director and in other positions for more than 14 years in South Pasadena, a city with a similar size population and city staff and government system. Her starting annual salary is $215,000. Ms. Chaparyan has worked for the cities of Ontario, and Santa Clarita. She also previously worked for the City of Santa Clarita as a Redevelopment Manager and a Senior Project Manager for the City of Ontario. DeWolfe was criticized by former South PasadenaFinance Director Josh Betta, who released a reportsaying the citys proposed 2020-21 budget figures were blatantly false. The South Pasadena reports that finance professionals Stephen and Sheila Rossi said they had identified millions of dollars in discrepanciesbetween the proposed budget Aceves got approved by the citys finance commission and the one she submitted for approval by the City Council. With benefit of the insights of four community focus groups of 31 South Pasadena community leaders, each describing the ideal qualities they wish to see in the next city manager, the City Council retained executive recruiter Mr. Gary Phillips, of Bob Murray & Associates to undertake a national recruitment to gather qualified candidates to fill the citys vacant city manager position. South Pasadena's previous city manager, Stephanie DeWolfe, retired from the city in September. Sean served as the South Pasadena City Manager from 1996 to 2004 before heading to Irvine. Email: City Clerk A full-service city, South Pasadena . Required fields are marked *. The publication will remain free to readers and will not erect paywalls. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); ColoradoBoulevard.net - By Coloradoblvd.net and WMF. 2, David Cross | newsdesk@pasadenanowmagazine.com City Manager at City of South Pasadena Los Angeles Metropolitan Area Mary Jerejian, MPA Management Analyst at the City of South Pasadena Los Angeles, CA Christina Muoz Deputy. The new leading candidate for the South Pasadena City Manager position is Armin Chaparyan, the Assistant City Manager and Community Development Director for the City of San Gabriel. These formative experiences inspired Mrquezs commitment to public service. Your email address will not be published. By News Desk The South Pasadena community is invited to meet Ms. Chaparyan during the virtual forum as she presents her experience and interest in serving in the City's top . RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds offer another way to get Pasadena Now content. When African Royalty Visited South Pasadena, Artists to Unveil Collaborative Mural During ArtNight Pasadena. The City is located near the neighboring cities of Pasadena, South Pasadena and Alhambra, with easy access to all of Southern California. The publication will remain free to readers and will not erect paywalls. Your email address will not be published. Back Submit. 2, David Cross | newsdesk@pasadenanowmagazine.com DeWolfes resignation took effect on Sept. 12. Ms. Chaparyan has 15 years of local government experience, most recently serving as assistant city manager of San Gabriel. The city announced the resignation only a half hour after its closed special meeting and said that Fire Chief Paul Riddle would assume the role of Acting City Manager. The statement said that effective immediately Fire Chief Paul Riddle will assume the role of Acting City Manager., At the direction of the South Pasadena City Council, Acting City Manager Fire Chief Riddle will continue to lead the remaining COVID-19 response and begin taking the action necessary to safely move our community forward.. In Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel and Alhambra. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. While working in the City Attorneys Office from 1989-2012, Mr. Rodriguez served as the lawyer for the Rose Bowl Operating Company and several City departments, eventually becoming the Citys chief assistant city attorney. We are excited to welcome Armine as our new City Manager, said Mayor Diana Mahmud. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1977, and worked as an attorney for both El Centro De Accion Social, Inc., and Gronemeier, Barker & Huerta before joining the Pasadena City Attorneys Office. The City Council will not consider approval of an employment agreement with Mr. Jordan and will now direct its attention toward the other candidate., The press release does not identify the second candidate. E-mail press release to : editor@pasadenanow.com At the forum, Chaparyan will present her experience and interest in serving in the citys top administrative post.. . Spanish was his first language, so programs like Head Start were critical to his early education. South Pasadena, CA 91030, Phone:(626) 403-7210 Contact Form, Hours of Operation: Real Estate: Hot Properties & Latest Listings, NEW! Pasadena (/ p s d i n / PAS--DEE-n) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, 11 miles (18 km) northeast of downtown Los Angeles.It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Breaking News Tips: (626) 737-8486 Extension 7 Prior to his role in Santa Clara, Mrquez served as an Associate Justice of the California Sixth District Court of Appeal, as the County Counsel for the County of Santa Clara, as the General Counsel of the San Francisco Unified School District, and as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorneys Office. 8 (626)737-8486 Ext. She also previously worked for the Cities of Glendale and West Hollywood in the City Clerk Elections and in City Council support roles while pursuing her graduate degrees. Mrquezs parents immigrated to the United States from Mxico with only a limited amount of formal education. They are also first-generation immigrants on Aceves, who'd been serving as one of the City's two acting financing directors, has been with South Pasadena since January 2017. Residents Businesses Visitors Government Departments - City Manager's Office + Management Services - City Clerk Human Resources Division Transportation Community Services + Finance + Fire + Library + Community Development Department + Police + Public Works + Special Projects . To the best of CCMF's knowledge, Aram and Armin Chaparyan are the first brother-sister city manager pair in California history. Pasadena Now has been published daily since April, 2004 and is among the very oldest continuously operated community news websites in the U.S. Pasadena Now strives to publish a full spectrum of news and information articles in service to the entire community. Pasadena has found a new city manager after tapping Miguel Mrquez from his current post as chief operating officer of the county of Santa Clara. We are excited to welcome Armine as our new City Manager," said Mayor Diana Mahmud. Pasadena Black History Month Magazine, Parents: National Catholic Schools Week Guide. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Huh? Your email address will not be published. We strive to inform, educate, and work together to make a better world for all of us, locally and globally. During her two-year, 10-month tenure, she replaced over a half dozen department heads and went through five finance directors, the newspaper reported. South Pasadena to introduce city manager, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), South Pasadena to introduce city manager candidate to public, Baby girl Winter of Lake Arrowhead is born amid raging blizzard, Theres a dire need for male teachers of color. While the City of South Pasadena is not a direct Social Service provider, City staff has established a Social Services Task Force to bring together the Colorado Boulevard is your place for informative news and social living for the greater Pasadena area. Required fields are marked *. The Mayor is selected from the City Council members and serves a one-year term. DeWolfe had drawn her own controversies over her management of the city, according to the. When African Royalty Visited South Pasadena, Artists to Unveil Collaborative Mural During ArtNight Pasadena. An unsolicited May 2020 report by the now retired Betta critiquing the city's finance practices opened a chain of events that help lead to the Sept. 12 departure of DeWolfe.. Also Wednesday, the City Council is set to authorize interim City Manager and Fire Chief Paul Riddle to seek . Beyond the budget in any municipality, its helpful to keep an eye on the Demand Register, published as part of the City CouncilAgenda which actually shows where the $$$$s are going. There will be an opportunity for questions at the end of the forum, time permitting. Our News Desk department consists of a collective of news gatherers in order to keep the community informed and safe. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The City of South Pasadena is a General Law City, incorporated March 2, 1888, operating under the Council-Manager form of govern-ment. It received several honors, including recognition for being an energy-wise, environmentally sensitive and walkable city. 100 N Garfield Ave. ,Room S228 Prior to joining the City of South Pasadena, Gonzalez served for 13 years in the nonprofit management sector. Pasadena Now | Terms of - Service | Privacy Policy | CA Notice of Collection. The virtual meeting will be conducted over ZOOM and broadcast live on the South Pasadena City Council meeting webpage. He had previously left West Linn in 2015 under similar circumstances, collecting $141,652 in severance in exchange for an early exit following a shift in the council, according to the Palo Alto Daily Post and The Oregonian. The towing companys owner hatched a plan with his fishing buddy, Terry Timeus, who was the police chief of West Linn, to carry out the arrest, according to the Washington Post. Your email address will not be published. Following a national search, the City of Hermosa Beach announced today that South Pasadena City Manager Sergio Gonzalez will be Hermosa Beach's new city manager. Retired Irvine City Manager Sean Joyce, 57, has been appointed Interim City Manager in South Pasadena to replace City Manager Stephanie DeWolfe, who has purportedly retired following her dismissal. (City of Pasadena/Submitted) H istory was made beneath the spires of city hall on July 11. in 2018, Armin Chaparyan was appointed as the new Assistant City Manager/Community Development Director for the City of San Gabriel. 7, Candice Merrill, Co-Publisher | editor@pasadenanowmagazine.com As the Assistant to the City Manager, Tamara serves as the Citys Social Services liaison, and leads the City Social Services and Mental Health Task Force. South Pasadena will begin the recruitment process, which usually takes several months, for a new City Manager, and will likely appoint an interim city manager during the recruitment process so that the Fire Chief can return his full attention to his critically important duties. During his tenure in South Pasadena, Joyce hired Josh Betta to be the city's Finance Director at that time. We are excited to welcome Armin as our new City Manager. The Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on the approval of Gonzalezs contract. Click for Directory. DeWolfe served the City as its City Manager from November 6, 2017 until last Friday, the statement said. Ms. Chaparyan has 15 years of local government experience, most recently serving as assistant city manager of San Gabriel. Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option, Technology, Grants Management and Special Projects, Request a Public Accommodation for a City Event or Program, Fourth of July / Festival of Balloons Committee, Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission, Natural Resources & Environmental Commission, Ad Hoc City Leased Recreational Facilities Committee, Community Improvement and Code Enforcement, Natural Resources and Environmental Agendas and Minutes, Planning Commission Agendas & Minutes (New), Public Safety Commission Agendas & Minutes, Public Works Commission Agendas & Minutes, 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030. (626) 737-8486 Ext. Get all the latest Pasadena news, more than 10 fresh stories daily, 7 days a week at 7 a.m. Pasadena, CA 91101 Raised in Ohio, Jason began his career at a suburban daily near Cleveland before moving to California in 2013. He and his wife, Cathy, have twin daughters, Olivia and Sofia, age nine. Pasadena Now strives to provide factual, unbiased reporting. His first day on the job is scheduled to be May 15. 8, Eddie Rivera | erivera@pasadenanowmagazine.com E-mail press release to : editor@pasadenanow.com The. Municipal politics, Bureaucracy and Corruption, No Way! Which Bands Will March in the 2024 Rose Parade? Email:CM Office Others sent emails and called city council members about their concerns with the hiring. Jordan, who served a total of 15 years as city manager in two West Coast cities with populations similar to South Pasadena, will report to work May 10. (626)737-8486 Ext. in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Public Administration Masters from the University of Southern California. We know that Armin is very familiar with our city and looks forward to putting her energy and talent to good use in South Pasadena. He serves on his alma maters Board of Trustees and is a member of the Municipal Management Association of Southern California and the International City/County Management Association. A native of Sacramento, Mrquez received his law degree from UC Berkeley Law School, his masters degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and his bachelor's degree in public policy from Stanford University. We know that Armine is very familiar with our city and looks forward to putting her energy and talent to good use in South Pasadena. The City Council wishes her the best in the next chapter of her life, said South Pasadena Mayor Bob Joe. Mr. Rodriguez received his bachelors degree as a College Scholar of the College of Arts and Sciences from Cornell University and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. We look forward to working with Armine to advance infrastructure projects and services that improve the quality of life of every South Pasadenan. Functional areas within the Management Services Department are: InformationTechnology, Grants Management and Special Projects, Human Resources Management, Recruitment, Employee Training, RiskManagement and Labor Relations, Records Management, Elections, Boards, Commissions, and City CouncilSupport, Audio and Visual Support, City Hall Which Bands Will March in the 2024 Rose Parade? DeWolfe hired a consultant to reorganize the Finance Department and hired a new finance director, Karen Aceves. Domenica Megerdichian, 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030 | P:(626) 403-7200 | Contact Us. The installation followed four community focus groups, input. Though council members did not give a reason for the resignation, Jordan had clashed with them in the past, including in one instance in which he defied a 4-1 decision by the council to relocate its meetings. She had been on staff at the City of Pasadena since 1990 in various roles including Acting Assistant City Manager, where she worked with the City Manager on policy issues and management of the City Council. (310) 378-9116, Published on Sunday, September 13, 2020 | 4:45 pm. He is a self-identified technophile, data nerd and wannabe drone pilot. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.. Its population was 138,699 at the 2020 census, making it the 44th largest city in California and . In November 2020, Jordan and Los Altos entered into a settlement agreement wherein he agreed to step down and waive his right to sue in exchange for $183,821, or nine months of severance, three months more than required by his contract, according to the agreement. A press release from the City of South Pasadena that was released on Sunday said that DeWolfe had submitted her resignation from the position, which she assumed on Nov. 6, 2017. Events. 1414 Mission Street Its very interesting. Breaking News Tips: (626) 737-8486 Extension 7 Get all the latest Pasadena news, more than 10 fresh stories daily, 7 days a week at 7 a.m. Click for Directory. Principal Management Analyst. The City Council has an ambitious agenda for making South Pasadena even more special than it already is. She analyzes the impacts of federal, state and county legislation, monitors laws and regulations as they relate to municipal government, and updates the 5 year Strategic Plan. He declared upon taking office that he had "more questions than answers, such as what is the current cash position of the City and are all funds accounted for." The Office of the City Manager provides oversight and direction to ensure that all departments are responding to City Council goals, applying policy consistently, identifying key issues that need Council direction, keeping abreast of the changing needs of the community, and planning the services, programs and projects that will ensure Pasadena maintains its status and character as a great community in which to live, work and play.