City of Santa Maria, California, City Manager

CITY MANAGER

110 E. Cook Street
Santa Maria, CA 93454-5190 Mission Statement
Goals and Objectives
Administration

The City Manager's Office provides overall direction and coordination of City operations to ensure that the City Council's adopted service goals are met or exceeded, and that costs do not exceed budget restrictions. This office continually evaluates the City's organizational structure as it relates to requirements for effective, efficient and economical public service. The City Clerk, Human Resources and Risk Management divisions are part of the office, which also includes contracted services for economic development and oversight of local public access television. The City Manager's Office works closely with the City Council by developing, advising and making recommendations to the Council on policies, programs and various business matters, and implementing the Council's decisions.

City Manager's Office Organizational Chart

photo-City Manager, Tim Ness TIM S. NESS
City Manager
City Phone: (805) 925.0951 x200
City Fax: (805) 349.0657

E-mail

EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT:

A.A. Palomar Community College
B.S. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
M.A. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
City Manager, City of Santa Maria
Deputy City Manager, City of Santa Maria
Deputy County Administrator, County of San Luis Obispo
Principal Administrative Analyst, County of San Luis Obispo
Administrative Analyst, County of San Luis Obispo

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary
Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce
International City/County Management Association
League of California Cities
National Civic League

PERSONAL:

Marital status: Married
Children: Two
General interests: Basketball, biking, running, skiing, and music

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

The City Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the City. Acts as an advisor to the City Council on fiscal and City matters. The City Council sets policy, while the City Manager implements that policy. The Manager works as a facilitator, coordinator and catalyst, developing good working relationships and counting on and seeking out the support of the experts - City department heads, City staff and the community.

Mission Statement
To provide accurate and timely information and recommendations to the City Council in order to make informed decisions, implement policies and programs approved by Council, and manage the day-to-day operations of City services.

Return to Top

2009-10 Goals/Objectives

Maintain a "structurally balanced" budget for the General Fund, an adequate Capital Improvement Program, and continue to maintain adequate reserves for future years' financing.
Continue economic development efforts, by working in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, to attract more mid-size light manufacturing, research and other clean businesses to Santa Maria, as well as help retain and expand existing local businesses in order to keep down the vacancy rate in local commercial and retail storefronts.
Restore oversight of the Risk Management Program to the City Manager's Office, and in conjunction with the Local Agency Workers' Compensation Excess Pool, conduct an occupation safety and health risk management peer review to audit the City's operations.
Provide greater transparency by expanding the City's website and archiving Council agenda reports, public hearing notices and ordinances on the site.
Develop two core training programs; one for new supervisors and one for the Human Resources Network group relative to Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and City Administrative Memorandums (CAMs).
Reformat and launch a new, user-friendly internet-based online Municipal Code with new features such as a table of contents, to provide faster navigation to specific chapters or sections.
Fully implement the City's online hiring system by importing all full-time City job specifications as well as systematically creating job specifications for part-time positions and provide ongoing training on the system to City staff.
Continue the on-going process of protecting the City's vital records and facilitate implementation of a City-wide Vital Records Program on a department-by-department basis.
Present for the City Council's consideration, options for creating supplemental revenue sources for Santa Maria Community Television, in order to provide quality public access television resources.
Systematically update a number of existing City Administrative Memos (CAMs), as well as produce new CAMs to address citywide operational issues and programs.