Lawndale names interim finance consultant and directs negotiations for permanent city manager

At the July 20 meeting Lawndale officials introduced Ginny Fortune as interim contract finance director and outlined next steps in the city manager appointment process.

City Manager (speaker 27) said the city has engaged an interim finance director, Ginny (Gini) Fortune, to hold the finance office while the city recruits a permanent finance director. Fortune introduced herself and recounted past municipal finance experience in several Southern California cities and said she will "try to keep the lights on" in the finance department during the transition.

Later, the council met in closed session under Government Code section 54957(b) to discuss the city manager appointment process. After returning to open session, City Attorney (speaker 26) reported the council had been briefed, gave direction to negotiate a contract with a preferred candidate, and created an ad hoc subcommittee composed of the mayor and Councilmember Pat Kearney to assist in negotiations and recommend contract terms to the full council.

The action is procedural: staff will negotiate terms with the preferred candidate and return a draft contract for council approval. Council did not disclose candidate names in the open meeting. The city manager said the city also is recruiting temporary human-resources help to move multiple outstanding hires and that Public Works is preparing an RFP for design services to support planned repaving of Hawthorne Boulevard.

Next steps: staff will complete negotiations and bring a proposed contract back to council for review and a public vote; the ad hoc subcommittee will assist with negotiation terms and recommendations.