On the day after the Redevelopment Agency was muscled out of existence by the state Legislature, City Manager John Nachbar pondered the question of how many jobs it will cost at City Hall.
Some of the 10 persons directly assigned to redevelopment – along with others – will draw layoff notices this spring, early, middle or late in the season.
How many of the10 are likely to be retained?
“I don’t know at this point,” the City Manager said. “Many things are going to influence that. I don’t have clarity on it yet.”
A thin strand of encouragement has emerged for the colony of survivors.
“We are going to be able to get some ongoing administrative monies out of the tax increment going forward,” Mr. Nachbar said. “A.B. 26 calls for that. There is a good chance we will be able to charge some staff time to some bonds under projects.
What Is He Saying?
“So there may be resources for a smaller complement of staff.”
When he isn’t addressing the community – yesterday the Exchange Club, tomorrow the Chamber of Commerce – the City Manager is meeting with affected employees.
He may have been feeling like an executioner this afternoon as he exhaled before speaking in strongly measured language.
“There will need to be a different Community Development Dept. going forward,” he said. “It will have to be smaller. That is part of the logic behind the early-retirement-incentive program that is underway.”
City Hall is hoping to entice a sizable number of the 50-and-older employees with minimum service to accept the carrots being offered. Deadline is May 14.
“I need to know first how many will be taking the golden handshake,” the City Manager said. “That is a piece of information that will be very helpful.”
Fifty-plus employees were given the option.
Ideally, Mr. Nachbar was asked, how many would he like to accept the city’s offer?
“Ideally?” he parried, and he broke into his only smile. “All of them,” he said, “even though that doesn’t solve our structural problem.”
Voluntarily or otherwise, the approximately 600-member workforce will be significantly shaved.
“Parts of the organization need to be smaller,” Mr. Nachbar said.
Closing Out Redevelopment
“We have to redesign those functions going forward, and they have to be smaller. There will be some resources available. We will need staff to complete, to wind down, projects associated with the former Redevelopment Agency.
“There will continue to be some complement of staff. It won’t be the status quo going forward.”
While there are 10 redevelopment-oriented staffers, another 14 positions in the Housing Authority and Cultural Affairs also are endangered, making a round two dozen nervous bodies and households, plus the need-to-pare that has infiltrated all offices.
Enough nerves are rattled and shattered to spread across the entire workforce.
What is Mr. Nachbar telling workers?
“There is a lot of discomfort,” he acknowledged. “I am in the midst of addressing all members of a couple of bargaining groups, the Culver City Employees Assn., and the Culver City Management Group.”
The pending layoffs or subtractions occur just months after union members swallowed hard last year and agreed to sharply curtailed healthcare benefits.
“We have to redesign,” Mr. Nachbar reasserted. “We have to be smaller. We only can support fewer employees.”
