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Council names assistant Monica Belize interim city manager and updates financial signatories
Summary
At a Dec. 16 special meeting, the City Council appointed Assistant City Manager Monica Belize as interim city manager after the prior manager was terminated and approved Resolution 2024-045 to update authorized representatives for city financial accounts; a resident pressed the council on transparency for budget and spending.
The City Council, meeting in a Dec. 16 special session, appointed Assistant City Manager Monica Belize as interim city manager and approved Resolution 2024-045 to update the names and authorized representatives on the city’s financial accounts and documents.
Councilmember Marissa Jimenez moved to appoint Belize as interim city manager while the city conducts a search for a permanent replacement after the previous city manager was terminated on Thursday, according to council discussion. The motion was seconded by Melvin Heim and carried by voice vote, recorded as 3–0.
Why it matters: The interim appointment lets the city keep day-to-day operations and document-signing authority in place while staff and legal counsel proceed with hiring. Resolution 2024-045 authorizes the interim manager to access and sign on the city’s financial accounts and documents, making the administrative change official.
During debate, a council member urged that the interim manager be allowed to carry out duties without undue council micromanagement. "There's been a lot of micromanagement in my opinion," one council member said, adding that the council should not "come in and tell you what to do." The speaker emphasized granting the manager authority to perform the job.
A resident, Dr. David Kiband, used the public-comment period to ask whether citizens would be informed about actions and spending, saying, "Are the citizens gonna be informed of actions being taken, or are we gonna continue going through what we just went through?" He pressed for public tracking of how funds are spent and whether those expenditures benefit local residents.
A city staff member responded that they will "work closely with the mayor and council pertaining to any projects or items" to provide information to residents and keep the community informed of actions being taken. Another participant suggested posting the budget on the city website so residents could review line items and submit questions; staff confirmed an online section for citizen comments and questions exists.
Procedural notes: The council’s motion to appoint Belize was presented as an interim action "until [a city manager] is hired." The council recorded the appointment vote as 3–0. Resolution 2024-045 was moved for approval by Marissa Jimenez and seconded by a colleague (recorded in the minutes as Maggie Morales); the resolution was presented as necessary to authorize the interim manager to sign financial documents and accounts.
What’s next: Council members congratulated Belize and said pending projects should continue on future agendas. Staff said it will coordinate with legal to initiate the hiring process for a permanent city manager and provide residents with information on projects and finances.
The council did not provide a detailed vote tally for Resolution 2024-045 in the transcript beyond the motion and second; the record indicates the resolution was taken up and approved as part of the meeting’s business.
