Sebastopol Municipal Code Ch. 2.12 Duties and Powers of the City Manager

The office of the City Manager of the City of Sebastopol be and the same is hereby created and established. The City Manager shall be appointed by the City Council wholly on the basis of his administrative and executive ability and qualifications and shall hold office for and during the pleasure of the City Council.

Residence in the City at the time of appointment of a City Manager shall not be required as a condition of the appointment.

No person elected as a Councilman of the City shall, subsequent to such election, be eligible for appointment as City Manager until one year has elapsed after such Council member shall have ceased to be a member of the City Council.

The City Manager shall furnish a corporate surety bond to be approved by the City Council in such sum as may be determined by the said City Council and shall be conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties imposed upon the City Manager as herein prescribed. Any premium for such bond shall be a proper charge against the City of Sebastopol.

The City Manager shall appoint, subject to the approval of the City Council, one of the other officers or department heads of the City to serve as manager pro tempore during any temporary absence or disability of the City Manager. In case of the absence or disability of the City Manager and his failure to so appoint a manager pro tempore, the City Council may designate some qualified City employee to perform the duties of the City Manager during the period of absence or disability of said City Manager, subject, however, to said person furnishing a corporate surety bond conditioned upon faithful performance of the duties required to be performed as set forth in SMC 2.12.040.

The City Manager shall receive such compensation and expense allowances as the City Council shall from time to time determine and fix by resolution, and said compensation and expenses shall be a proper charge against such funds of the City as the City Council shall designate. Said City Manager shall be reimbursed for all sums necessarily incurred or paid by him in the performance of his duties or incurred when traveling on business pertaining to the City under direction of the City Council; reimbursement shall only be made, however, when a verified itemized claim, setting forth the sums expended for such business for which reimbursement is requested, has been presented to the City Council for approval.

The City Manager shall be the administrative head of the government of the City under the direction and control of the City Council except as otherwise provided in this chapter. He shall be responsible for all the affairs of the City which are under his control. In addition to his general powers as administrative head, and not as a limitation thereon, it shall be his duty and he shall have the powers set forth in the following section.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager to enforce all laws and ordinances of the City and to see that all franchises, contracts, permits and privileges granted by the City Council are faithfully observed.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager and he shall have the authority to control, order and give directions to all heads of departments and to subordinate officers and employees of the City under his jurisdiction through their department heads.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager to, and he or she shall, appoint, remove, promote and demote any and all officers and employees of the City of Sebastopol, except the City Attorney and City Treasurer, subject to personnel rules and regulations as adopted by the City Council. (Ord. 1168 § 2, 2026)

It shall be the duty and responsibility of the City Manager to recommend to the City Council such reorganization of offices, positions, departments or units under his direction as may be indicated in the interest of efficient, effective and economical conduct of the City’s business.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager and he shall recommend to the City Council for adoption such measures and ordinances as he deems necessary or expedient.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager to attend all meetings of the City Council unless excused therefrom, except when his removal is under consideration.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager to keep the City Council at all times fully advised as to the financial conditions and needs of the City.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager to consult with the department heads and to prepare and submit the proposed annual budget and the proposed annual salary plan to the City Council for its approval. The department heads of City departments shall have the duty of appearing before the City Council regarding their budget and salary proposal when so requested by the City Council or the City Manager.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager and he shall be responsible for the purchase of all supplies for all of the departments or divisions of the City. No expenditures shall be submitted or recommended to the City Council except on report and approval of the City Manager.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager to make investigations into the affairs of the City and any department or division thereof, and any contract or the proper performance of any obligations of the City.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager to investigate all complaints in relation to matters concerning the administration of the City government and in regard to the service maintained by public utilities in said City, and to see that all franchises and permits granted by the City are faithfully performed and observed.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager and he shall exercise general supervision over all public buildings, public parks and all other public property which is under the control and jurisdiction of the City Council.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager to devote his entire time to the duties of his office in the interests of the City.

It shall be the duty of the City Manager to perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as may be delegated to him from time to time by ordinance or resolution or other action of the City Council.

The City Council and its members shall deal with the administrative services of the City only through the City Manager, except for the purpose of inquiry, and neither the City Council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinates of the City Manager. The City Manager shall take his orders and instructions from the City Council only when sitting in a duly held meeting of the City Council and no individual Councilman shall give any orders or instructions to the City Manager.

No Councilman shall in any manner attempt to influence the City Manager in the making of any appointment or in the purchase of supplies.

It shall be the duty of all subordinate officers and the City Clerk, City Treasurer and City Attorney to assist the City Manager in administering the affairs of the City efficiently, economically and harmoniously so far as may be consistent with their duties as prescribed by law and ordinances of the City.

The City Manager may attend any and all meetings of the Planning Commission, Recreation or Park Commission, and any other commissions, boards, or committees hereafter created by the City Council, upon his own volition or upon direction of the City Council. At such meetings which the City Manager attends, he shall be heard by such commission, boards or committees as to all matters upon which he wishes to address the members thereof, and he shall inform said members as to the status of any matter being considered by the City Council and he shall cooperate to the fullest extent with the members of all commissions, boards or commissions appointed by the City Council.

The removal of the City Manager shall be only upon an affirmative vote of three members of the Council in regular Council meeting.

Notwithstanding other sections of this chapter, the City Manager shall not be removed from office during or within a period of 60 days next preceding any general municipal election held in the City, at which election a member of the City Council is elected, nor shall the City Manager be removed from office during or within a period of 60 days next succeeding any general election held in the City at which election a member of the City Council is elected. The purpose of this provision is to allow newly elected members of the City Council to observe the actions and abilities of the City Manager in the performance of the powers and duties of his office. After the expiration of said 120-day period, the provisions of SMC 2.12.260 as to the removal of said City Manager shall apply and be effective.

Ordinances, sections, words or phrases in conflict with provisions of this chapter are hereby declared repealed; providing, however, that all provisions of such ordinances, sections, words or phrases not in conflict herewith shall remain in full force and effect herein.