Arroyo Grande Municipal Code Ch. 2.08 City Manager

The council finds and determines that the administrative affairs of the municipal government of the city would be handled more expeditiously, efficiently and satisfactorily through an officer who, acting on behalf of the council, would attend to such administrative affairs, to correlate and coordinate various municipal activities, compile data, prepare reports relating to the affairs of the city government, and to generally act as the agent of the council in the discharge of administrative duties.

(Prior code § 2-2.01)

There is created in the service of the city the position of city manager. The city manager shall be selected by the council solely on the basis of his or her executive and administrative qualifications, with special reference to his or her actual experience in, and knowledge of, accepted practices in respect to the duties of his or her office as set forth in this chapter.

(Prior code § 2-2.02)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 2025-009, § 3, adopted Sept. 9, 2025, repealed § 2.08.030, which pertained to residence and derived from Prior code § 2-2.03.

No person elected to membership on the council shall be eligible for appointment as city manager until one year has elapsed after he or she has ceased to be a member of the council.

(Prior code § 2-2.04)

The city manager shall be appointed by the council and shall hold office at and during the pleasure of the council; provided, however, the city manager shall not be removed from office during or within a period of ninety (90) days next succeeding any general municipal election in the city at which election a member of the council is elected, except by a unanimous vote of the members of the council.

The purpose of this provision is to permit any newly elected member of the council to observe the actions and ability of the city manager in the performance of the powers and duties of his or her office.

(Prior code § 2-2.05)

The city manager shall receive such compensation and expense allowances as the council, from time to time, shall determine, and such compensation and expenses shall be a proper charge against such funds of the city as the council shall designate.

The city manager shall be reimbursed for all sums necessarily incurred or paid by him or her in the performance of his or her duties or incurred when traveling on business pertaining to the city under the direction of, or with the express consent of, the council. Reimbursement shall be made only in accordance with an itemized claim setting forth the sums expended or obligations incurred in the manner provided by the council for the presentation of claims for the reimbursement of expenses of other city officers and employees.

(Prior code § 2-2.06)

The city manager shall be the administrative head of the government of the city under the direction and control of the council. He or she shall be responsible for the efficient administration of all the affairs of the city, which affairs are under his or her control.

In addition to his or her general powers as administrative head, and not as a limitation thereon, he or she shall have the following powers and duties:

A. General supervision: to execute on behalf of the council its administrative supervision and control of such affairs of the city as may be placed in his or her charge, or which are not otherwise provided for by the council;

B. Personnel and organization: to appoint and dismiss all appointive officers and employees except the city attorney and assistant city attorney and to suspend, and discipline such officers and employees in accordance with such policies as from time to time may be set forth by the council; to transfer employees from one department to another consistent with the policies of the council; to recommend to the council such reorganization of officers, departments or divisions as may be indicated in the interests of the efficient, effective and economical conduct of the city's business, and to effect such reorganization when authorized by appropriate ordinance, resolution or motion of the council;

C. Authority over officers and employees: to control, order and give direction to all heads of departments and subordinate officers and employees of the city, including the city clerk and city treasurer, except in matters which by state laws are confined to their exclusive and uncontrolled jurisdiction, and except the city attorney;

D. Rules and regulations: to prescribe such rules, regulations and policies as he or she shall deem necessary or expedient for the conduct of administrative services and to revoke, suspend or amend any rule, regulation or policy established by any officer, department head, or other person in the administrative service;

E. Shift work: to direct any department or division of the city to temporarily perform work for any other department, division or office of the city;

F. Compensation plan: to prepare and recommend to the council, from time to time, desirable revisions of the compensation plan of the city;

G. Assist the council: to attend meetings of the council and to report upon and discuss any matter concerning the affairs of the departments, services or activities under his or her supervision upon which, in his or her judgment, the council should be informed or upon which his views or opinions are requested by the council;

H. Carry out council decisions: to carry out, on behalf of the council, its policies, rules, regulations and laws relating to the administration of the affairs of the city, its departments, divisions and services;

I. Budget: to supervise the preparation of a detailed, proposed municipal budget and submit the same to the council before the fifteenth day of May of each year and to offer his or her recommendations as to such increases, decreases, cancellations, transfers or changes in any of the items included in the proposed budget as in his or her judgment should be made before adoption of the final budget; to be responsible for the administration of the budget after its final adoption; and to keep the council informed with respect thereto;

J. Purchasing: as agent for the council to exercise the power of approval or rejection of expenditures for all departments, divisions, services and offices of the city government in accordance with the municipal budget adopted by the council;

K. Public improvements: to develop and organize public improvement projects and programs and to aid and assist the council and the various departments, services and offices of the city in carrying the same through to a successful conclusion;

L. Recommendations to the council: to recommend to the council for adoption such measures and ordinances as he or she deems necessary or expedient;

M. Studies and reports: to make such surveys, studies, reports and recommendations as he or she may deem desirable on any matter affecting the interests of the people or city as budgeted or as may requested by the council;

N. Council agenda: to prepare the agenda for all regular, special or adjourned meetings of the council in accordance with the laws establishing rules for council meetings;

O. Other city offices: to serve in any appointed office within the city government to which he or she may be qualified when appointed thereto by the council, and to hold and perform the duties thereof at the pleasure of the council and without further compensation except as expressly provided by the council at the time of such appointment or thereafter;

P. City clerk and city treasurer: pursuant to the authority in Government Code Section 36510, to appoint the city clerk and city treasurer of the city.

Q. Mail: to receive and open all mail addressed in whole or in part to the council, or to the mayor or mayor pro tem by title only, and to give immediate attention thereto to the end that all administrative business referred to in such communications, and not necessary requiring action by the council, may be disposed of in an expeditious manner; provided, however, all actions taken pursuant to such communications shall be reported to the council at its next regular meeting thereafter, or by separate communication to each member of the council;

R. Enforcement of laws: to see to the enforcement within the city of the laws of the state and of the city;

S. Contracts, franchises, permits and licenses: to investigate and see to the faithful performance and observation of all contracts of the city and of all franchises, permits, licenses and privileges granted by the city;

T. Citizen complaints: to investigate all complaints in relation to matters concerning the administration of city government; to adjust all proper grievances within the scope of authority provided by city laws and policies, and to report to the council all injustices suffered by reason of defects or omissions in the laws, policies or practices of the city which he or she is not authorized to rectify;

U. Public property: to exercise general supervision over all public buildings, public parks, and other public property which is under the control and jurisdiction of the council when the general supervision thereof is not specifically delegated to a particular officer;

V. Community relations: to explain to the public the actions, purposes and policies of the city government;

W. Community projects: to cooperate, within lawful limits, with all community organizations whose aims and purposes are, in whole or in part, to advance the spiritual and material interests of the city and its people and to provide them, within lawful limits, with assistance in such aims and purposes through the city government;

X. Contracts: to execute in the name of the council and city any contract authorized or approved by the council unless the council shall expressly provide for another manner of execution of such contract; and

Y. Other powers and duties: to perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as are necessarily incident to the powers set forth in this section or as may be assigned or delegated to him or her, from time to time, by action of the council.

(Prior code § 2-2.07)

(Ord. No. 629, § 2, 1-11-2011)

The council and its members shall deal with the administrative service of the city only through the city manager, except for the purposes of inquiry, and neither the council, nor any member thereof, shall give orders to any officer or employee of the city under the supervision of the city manager. The city manager shall take his or her orders and instructions only from the council as a body, and no individual member of the council shall give any order or instruction to the city manager. Any subordinate officer or employee receiving orders or instructions contrary to the provisions of this section shall report the same in writing immediately thereafter to the city manager, and the city manager shall promptly forward a copy or summary of such report to each member of the council. He or she shall likewise promptly advise each member of the council of any order or instruction received by him or her contrary to the provisions of this section. It is not intended by the provisions of this section to restrict unduly the privileges of a member of the council to request the city manager, but not any other officer or employee under his or her supervision, to prepare a report dealing with any matter of city business, or municipal affairs generally, if such report can be compiled without the undue dislocation of city activities and without the expenditure of considerable quantities of time by city personnel.

(Prior code § 2-2.08)

The city manager shall not attempt to establish general policy which it is the province of the council to determine, nor shall he or she attempt to commit or bind the council, or any member thereof, to any action, plan or program requiring official council action. It is not intended by the provisions of this chapter to grant any authority to, or impose any duty upon, the city manager which is now or hereafter may be vested in or imposed by general state law on any other city commission, department, officer or employee.

(Prior code § 2-2.09)

In the discharge of his or her duties, the city manager shall endeavor at all times to exercise the highest degree of tact, patience and courtesy in his or her contacts with the public, with the council, and with all city commissions, boards, departments, officers and employees, and he or she shall use his or her best efforts to establish and maintain a harmonious relationship among all personnel employed in the government of the city to the end that the highest possible standards of public service shall be continuously maintained.

(Prior code § 2-2.10)

The city manager, before entering upon the duties of his or her office, shall give a good and sufficient corporate surety bond to the city in such amount and form as shall be approved by the city attorney and as required by any law of the state or of the city. Such bond shall be conditioned upon the faithful performance and discharge of his or her duties and for the proper application and payment of all money or property coming into his or her hands by virtue of his or her office. A general bond covering more than one officer or employee of the city shall suffice if the bond meets the requirements set forth in this section. The premium for such bond shall be paid by the city.

(Prior code § 2-2.11)

In order to provide for the performance of his or her duties during his or her temporary absence or disability, the city manager shall designate in writing a qualified administrative officer of the city to so act. In the event of the failure of the city manager to make such designation, the council shall designate an officer or employee of the city to perform the duties of the city manager until he or she shall return or his or her disability shall cease.

Any person so designated to act in the absence of the city manager shall first furnish a bond in the form required of the city manager, unless such person is a city officer who has already filed a similar bond with the city. The person designated in accordance with the provisions of this section to act during the absence or disability of the city manager shall be the acting city manager and shall exercise all the powers and carry out all the duties of the city manager.

(Ord. 547 § 2(A), 2003: prior code § 2-2.12)