• See videos of Culver City’s new chief executive
Given that he is in his second century as the City Manager of the upscale Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, John Nachbar, the new City Manager of Culver City, figures, by that standard, to survive longer than his predecessor.
(Last January, at the end of his eighth month, Mark Scott stunned the gallery when he declared his resignation. He stayed on for two more months before going home to Fresno.)
As Culver City’s third City Manager in the last year and a half — fourth, actually, counting Interim City Manager Lamont Ewell — Mr. Nachbar may need to wear a body-wide name tag during his first weeks to avoid a confusion of identities.
The selection of Mr. Nachbar was the City Council’s way of signaling that the darkest days of the recession-forced shutdown are over, and members expect the hum of development/redevelopment to resume soon.
“We like him for his experience factor,” said Councilman Andy Weissman, “for the record of economic progress he has achieved in Overland Park the last 10 years.
“Mr. Nachbar has extensive experience in development and redevelopment. He had a hand in a lot of Overland Park’s major development.
“We think his work background shows he will blend well with our Community Development Director in carrying out our transit-oriented developments.”
Chosen from a field of more than 80 applicants, the first question City Hall regulars wanted to know this morning was:
What is he like?
Here is the book on the 54-year-old Mr. Nachbar:
Described by one person who interviewed him as “a cross between Pat Paulsen and Bob Newhart,” that seems to portray him as droll, dry with a tendency toward being understated.
In the tradition of recent hirees as City Manager of Culver City, it is not clear when Mr. Nachbar will report for duty because he does not know his finish date in Overland Park.
He could arrive in time for Fiesta La Ballona, the last weekend of August. Or may not land until after Labor Day.
On Holiday
He was not available to comment because he is traveling in Scotland, and he is not due back at his desk in Kansas for a fortnight.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ewell, the Interim Manager, who has drawn an uninterrupted chorus of cheers throughout his First Hundred Days, is scheduled to complete his City Hall assignment on the final day of this month, and immediately go on a long-planned holiday.
Barring changes, this would mean Mr. Nachbar’s first task will be mountainous:
To negotiate contract adjustments with the city’s six unions as City Hall seeks to avoid laying off any workers.
A native of Shawnee, KS, and the father of two sons, Mr. Nachbar has lived most of his life in the same Midwestern region even although this will be his third California posting. Previously, he was City Manager of Albany and Patterson in Northern California.
He was a presumably eager young man of 26 when he first came to Overland Park in 1982 as the Assistant City Manager.
That is when Jeanette Mellske, his Executive Assistant, became acquainted with him.
Ms. Mellske laughed heartily when told about the Paulsen-Newhart analogy — meaning she agreed with the judgment.
A true conservative Midwesterner, by traits as well as by birth.
“What you see with John is what you get,” Ms. Mellske said. “He is a good, down person.”
Mr. Nachbar’s salary will be similar to Mr. Scott’s, in the $240,000 range plus benefits.
