Unintentionally, Culver City has been a boon to the City Manager industry this year, employing three so far — but, hey, it’s only mid-August and the calendar is open.
Don’t say anything if you have heard this before — a new City Manager takes over in less than 72 hours.
Armed with a contract sweetened with lures for each new year that he and City Hall can flutter their eyes at each other, John Nachbar of Overland Park, just outside of Kansas City, said goodbye this afternoon to his hometown at a City Hall reception, boards a flight tomorrow, and will arrive at his new third-floor desk by 8 a.m. on Monday.
Initially, the Nachbars will bunk at a nearby hotel before going apartment hunting, he said.
Hired in June by the City Council after passing the scrutiny of a bevy of important and fairly important Culver City personalities, Mr. Nachbar, 54 years old, took his wife Patti on a long planned European vacation (to the British Open), and then came home to round out a decade as the City Manager of Overland Park.
Twenty-eight years ago, he launched his administrative career as deputy city manager there, made stops in Northern California and Tucson before returning for the top position in Overland Park at the turn of the century.
The first words over the telephone this morning from Kansas were from his longtime administrative assistant, Jeanette Mellske.
“I am sad,” she said, and no one who heard her voice could doubt her honesty. “I am glad for John because he seems so excited about his new job.
“I have worked for him for a long time, starting when he came here in 1982. And when he came back in 2000, I returned to work for him.”
Mr. Nachbar has worked for the city of Overland Park about half of the last three decades, though not consecutively.
He was in the midst of packing his bags — for keeps — when the newspaper reached him.
By reputation a very low key type who doesn’t want a fuss made over him, Mr. Nachbar just wanted to quietly slip away and segue into Culver City without too much pomp or confetti.
When he strolls in Monday morning, staff will know exactly how to respond. They have been in almost constant training this year.
