The city hired the executive search firm Maximus to help find a
successor for City Administrator Ray Silver, who will retire in July
after a 13-year tenure.
The City Council interviewed five firms on Monday before settling
on the L.A.-based company.
Silver took over as city administrator in 1997 after serving for
seven years as assistant to former City Administrator Michael
Uberuaga. Before coming to Huntington, Silver served as city manager
in the cities of Coronado and Upland and as director of planning and
land use for San Diego County.
At a meeting in the library Monday afternoon, the City Council
posed a series of questions to representatives from five firms:
Shannon Executive Search, Bob Murray and Associates, L.B. Hayhurst
and Associates, Ralph Anderson and Associates, and Maximus.
"They all really seemed pretty good, but we just felt like this
one was superior," City Councilman Dave Sullivan said.
Maximus was the firm that recruited Huntington Beach Police Chief
Kenneth Small.
The council will vote to finalize the decision at an upcoming City
Council meeting. It's next step will be to develop a profile for a
new city administrator.
Oak View library gets money and books
A local women's organization is providing books to the Oak View
Family Literacy Program.
The Huntington Harbour Republican Women Federated gave $500 worth
of books and a $500 check to the Oak View Library and its Family
Literacy Program at a ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
At the Oak View Family and Community Center's literacy program,
Spanish-speaking children and adults learn how to read, write and
speak English.
The literacy program primarily targets children at Oak View
Elementary School and the books are geared toward that age group,
said Barbara Bell, board member of the women's group.
"There are really motivated individuals in the program," Bell
said. "We tried to help the library be able to buy books that would
be reading-level specific to that group and yet at a higher interest
level."
The books, which all have an American theme, include "A is for
America," "Becoming a Citizen," "Patriotic Primer" and "The
Children's Encyclopedia of American History." They are also donating
books on geography, a book about the Statue of Liberty and a book
about the White House.
"Because these are primarily immigrant children, we really wanted
to expose them to all of the processes here -- how you vote, how you
become a citizen," Bell said. "The library also has budgetary
restraints when it comes to purchasing the books."
