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City manager George Keller named acting CRA executive director after deputy withdraws
Summary
City Manager George Keller was unanimously appointed acting executive director of the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency after Deputy Director Susan Goldberg withdrew from consideration; board members flagged staffing gaps, compensation questions and asked Keller to assess responsibilities and report back.
City Manager George Keller was appointed acting executive director of the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) after Deputy Director Susan Goldberg asked the board to withdraw Item 13 and focus on delivering major capital projects.
Goldberg opened the discussion by telling the board, "I am respectfully requesting withdrawing item number 13," saying the expanded responsibilities were "not the right fit at the right time" after 60 days filling the role in an acting capacity. Chair then asked Keller whether the city could take on the CRA duties through the existing enhanced services agreement. Keller said, "If you, if you wish me to serve in that role, I'm happy to do that," and described an already active transition and close coordination between city and CRA staff.
The board made a motion to appoint Keller; Commissioner Calari seconded the motion. After discussion about capacity and next steps, the chair called the vote and declared the motion carried unanimously.
Why it matters: The downtown CRA will remain a legal taxing district for five years post‑2025 while the beach CRA is set to sunset in 2027. Board members emphasized that the immediate priority is completing capital improvement projects already underway, and that assigning the city manager to oversee the CRA could streamline coordination between city departments and the CRA fund.
Board discussion focused on capacity, staffing gaps and compensation. Several members noted vacancies in key city posts — including the city attorney and assistant city manager — and cautioned against overextending the city manager. One board member suggested bringing in a staff person familiar with CRA matters to help bridge short‑term needs; the transcript contains name variants for that individual and the board requested Keller determine the staffing plan.
Members also debated prior CRA director compensation during the discussion. Board member Hernandez said "the former executive director of the CRA was making 323,000 a year by the time you add up all of their benefits and compensation," while other members gave lower figures; the board did not adopt a new compensation package at the meeting and asked Keller to return with an assessment if he thinks additional compensation or job‑description changes are necessary.
The chair directed Keller to work with Goldberg to catalog outstanding responsibilities and to report back to the board with recommendations. The board did not set a timeline for when a permanent hire or recruitment would begin; members said those decisions would follow Keller’s assessment and any city commission discussions about employee compensation.
The appointment was recorded as a unanimous vote and the chair closed the item. Keller acknowledged he would evaluate the workload and return to the board if he determines a need for additional staffing or compensation.
