Published 10/30/08
It took four months but the city of Española finally hired a new personnel director this month.
Jeanie Brito started her new job Oct. 20. The position had been open since June, after former director David Valdez resigned.
Brito was the only person who met the qualifications for the position, which is why she was the only candidate interviewed, Interim City Manager Veronica Albin said. Brito’s experience in personnel management dates to 1991, when she was a personnel director for the state Attorney General’s Office. Most recently she was a court administrator for the Los Alamos County Municipal Court.
Brito’s salary is $55,000, Albin said.. Brito replaced Valdez who resigned June 15 after complaining about being underpaid and overworked.
Brito said she hopes she brings a fresh start to the city, despite issues with the last director. Her first plan of business is to audit all personnel files to make sure they contain the appropriate documentation for things such as deductions and benefits.
“Basically my priority is to make sure the employees are taken care of,” she said.
Next on her agenda is developing an effective performance evaluation form for employees, she said. Brito said once she is situated with the position she will take on the task of filling the city’s growing director-level vacancies.
The city has or will soon have the following vacancies: chief financial officer, community services director, plaza director, city manager and deputy city clerk.
Also, advertisements to find a new city attorney are set to run this week, Albin said. Current City Attorney Spence Pacheco is running unopposed in the Nov. 4 election for First Judicial District Attorney and plans to leave the city prior to taking office in January.
The growing vacancies do not alarm Councilor Alfred Herrera. He said it is an opportunity to assess and re-evaluate positions and possibly flush out those that are not efficient.
“I think we really need to scrutinize every position in relation to the needs of the city,” he said.
The Plaza and community services director positions will become vacant when Leroy Garcia’s resignation becomes effective Nov. 14.
Albin said the city has no immediate plans to fill the community services director, chief financial officer and deputy clerk openings. Albin, the former city clerk, was promoted to her current position in June after former city manager Gus Cordova announced his resignation. Mayor Joseph Maestas attempted to remove interim from her title last month, but that plan had be aborted at the last moment because city code requires the permanent city manager to hold at least a bachelor’s degree, a title Albin has never earned.
Former deputy clerk Lucas Gauthier is currently filling in as interim city clerk.
The community services position can be put on hold temporarily, Albin said. Just how necessary that position is needs to be explored, she said.
Albin said the Finance Department is currently being reorganized and it is possible the chief financial office position may be cut altogether and a deputy clerk may not be necessary at all, she said. The city could hire someone temporarily, but since both Albin and Gauthier are able to manage work without a deputy city clerk the position will not be filled, she said.
The search for a Plaza director is running behind schedule, Garcia said. The city posted the job internally but not in any other venues.
“I wanted them to select somebody that I could train,” he said. “It’s going to take two weeks to run the ad and if they find someone another two weeks for that person to give notice (if they already have a job). That’s four weeks.”
Albin said she hopes to have the position filled by Nov. 1, so that Garcia has time to train whoever is hired.
Brito said one person responded to an internal posting, and the city is checking to see if that person meets the minimum requirement of an associate’s degree in administration or two years of equivalent experience.
Mayor Pro Tem Alice Lucero said the search for a new city manager is also being delayed. She said she has asked Mayor Joseph Maestas to offer Garcia the position. She would like to see him or someone else in the position by the time the state legislative session begins in January.
“Veronica has her hands full. I just think she’s a little bit overwhelmed and it’s not fair to put her in a position without the necessary knowledge or experience,” Lucero said. “I’m not sure she has the experience or contacts to handle the session.”
Garcia said he has not been offered the job and would not say if he would accept the position if it was offered.
Maestas said he is comfortable keeping Albin as interim city manager for 12 months from the date of her appointment, which occurred in June. Per city ordinance, Albin will have to vacate the position at that time.