Council appoints interim city manager in closed session; special meeting set and firm hired to lead permanent search

The San Bernardino City Council said it unanimously appointed an interim city manager in a closed session and will hold a special meeting Friday to consider resolutions to formalize the appointment and related legal steps.

Council members announced at the start of the Feb. 18 meeting that a closed-session vote had named an interim manager. The staff announcement identified “Bill Pillardo” as the interim manager named in closed session and said the mayor would call a special meeting Friday at 5 p.m. to consider the resolutions necessary to give the appointment “legal tenor.” The staff notice also said the city had retained the firm Ralph Anderson & Associates to conduct the search and investigation to hire a permanent city manager.

Why this matters: a city manager vacancy and the procedures to appoint and confirm an interim executive affect daily city operations, contract authority and which official is legally empowered to act on personnel and administrative matters. The council’s decision to hire an outside executive-search firm signals the intention to seek a national search rather than rely solely on internal or local recruitment.

The announcement was presented at the meeting opening, when the mayor and clerk reported the closed-session action. Council members then moved into the public portion of the meeting. The mayor’s office will place the special meeting on the calendar for Friday to consider the formal resolutions referenced in the staff announcement.

The city did not provide in the open session the text of the resolutions to be considered Friday, whether the closed-session vote included terms of appointment (salary, duration) or whether the interim manager will immediately assume all duties of the city manager. The staff announcement also mentioned two different names in succession when describing who would serve as interim manager; city officials have not provided additional clarification in the public record posted during the meeting.

The council’s public announcement also named Ralph Anderson & Associates as the contracted firm to “conduct an investigation for a permanent manager.” The firm’s scope, contract amount and timetable were not stated in the meeting presentation and will be subject to follow-up, the council said.

The mayor scheduled the special meeting for Friday at 5 p.m. to consider the formal resolutions; the council indicated the resolutions would be posted in advance of that meeting. The appointment and the contract with Ralph Anderson & Associates follow long-standing city practice of using executive-search firms when filling top administrative positions.

The council did not take public comment on the closed-session appointment at the time of the announcement. The meeting proceeded to presentations and the public hearing items on the published agenda.