| | Published November 23rd, 2022
| Interim Town Manager approved by council
| | | By Vera Kochan | | |
The Ad Hoc Committee, consisting of Mayor Steve Woehleke and Vice Mayor Renata Sos, wasted no time in searching for an interim town manager to temporarily fill current Moraga Town Manager Cynthia Battenberg's position beginning in January 2023.
Battenberg issued an Oct. 4 written notice to the town council announcing her plans to resign in December; and on Oct. 26 the council members approved a Professional Services Agreement with Bob Murray & Associates (a recruitment firm) to begin searching for her replacement.
The recruitment process is expected to last at least into the early months of 2023, and the council did not find it prudent to leave the town offices without managerial leadership until then.
Five candidates applied for the position, and after screening them based on their resumes, the Ad Hoc Committee narrowed the field down to three contenders. On Nov. 4, the entire Moraga Town Council conducted interviews with those remaining candidates in a closed session meeting. Basing their decision on candidate materials, recommendations, interviews and subsequent discussion, the council unanimously selected Moraga resident Brian Dolan as their choice for the interim town manager position.
Dolan has lived in town for over 20 years and has children who went through the local school system, making him very familiar with the community. That wasn't his only qualification for the job. He attended the University of California at Berkeley and received a Bachelor of Arts in Landscape Architecture; followed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Master of Regional Planning degree in City and Regional Planning. With over 35 years of experience working for local government as a public employee and consultant, he's also had 22 years of city management experience throughout the Bay Area.
As an assistant city manager for Pleasanton, Dolan had direct responsibility for departments such as Finance, Public Works and Planning (where he oversaw the implementation of five housing elements). Currently retired, he is described as having a calm, respectful and warm demeanor; and his desire to serve as the interim town manager comes from his deep affection for the community.
"I am accustomed to working for communities that demand a high level of transparency in their decision-making process," Dolan stated in his resume. "The Cities of Pleasanton and Palo Alto are two good examples of communities where I have worked that are similar to Moraga in that regard. As a 21-year resident of Moraga, I am also familiar with the particular customer service expectations of fellow residents."
The Interim Town Manager position, according to the Ad Hoc Committee's Nov. 16 staff report, "will be compensated at the rate of $127.09 per hour and, in accordance with CalPERS regulation, shall not receive any benefits, incentives, compensation in lieu of benefits, or any other forms of compensation in addition to the hourly rate."
Dolan will begin his services as the interim town manager on Jan. 3, 2023. |
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA