As Search Begins for New Finance Director, a Picture of City Hall Dysfunction Emerges
Finance Division has suffered staffing woes, accounting backlogs, outdated processes, mistrust, according to officials; refinery fire report; Mt. Wanda management plan; Recreation fee survey and more
As the city of Martinez begins the search for a new finance director next month, the City Council got a snapshot on Nov. 15 about the recent state of affairs in the division responsible for managing the city’s books and budget.
It wasn’t pretty.
Assistant City Manager Lauren Sugayan, who has been serving as acting finance director since August, described a dysfunctional situation plagued by multiple unfilled positions, outdated processes, significant backlogs in all accounting functions, including behind-schedule monthly bank reconciliations, and a general lack of trust, communication and cohesion within the division “that broke down the proper day-to-day coordination that needs to happen to run a healthy finance department.”
All in all, she described the condition of the division at the time she assumed responsibility for it as “very concerning.” Even tasks as rudimentary as bill paying and payroll were beset with problems and confusion, Sugayan told the council.
“There was really no North Star guiding how we do our business,” she said.
The summary to the council came in the context of a proposal to restructure the division, which currently is part of the Administrative Services Department, into a standalone department in which the new finance director will report directly to City Manager Michael Chandler. A staff report accompanying the presentation laid out the problems and restructuring proposal.
The city is also enlisting the services of a professional recruiter, Peckham & McKenney, in December to aid in the search for a new finance director, who will clearly face a daunting task upon taking the reins, though Sugayan pointed to some strides over the past several months in righting this City Hall ship. The city has promoted two finance employees and hired four new finance staff, reducing its reliance on temporary workers who had been carrying out most of the division’s functions, she said.
“That’s all great news, but the new director will have to spend a lot of time making sure they’re continuing to learn and on-board on the job,” Sugayan said.
To address the problems with trust and team cohesion, the staff came together recently to vote on values and norms. “It’s been kind of refreshing that we’re all once again working together and communicating more effectively,” she said.
Although the job market remains tight for candidates who possess the skills to run a city’s finances, Sugayan said city leadership is “fairly optimistic” that there will be some strong local applicants, while Peckham & McKenney plans to cast a wide net in the recruiting search.
Martinez Renewables refinery fire report
The Martinez Renewables Fuels refinery at 150 Solano Ave. issued its 72-hour report last week on a fire that broke out at the facility shortly after midnight on Nov. 19 and left one worker hospitalized with burns.
According to the report summary, here is what happened:
At approximately 00:21 on November 19, 2023, a fire erupted from a furnace in the 2 HDO Unit. Operators present at the scene initiated nearby fixed fire monitors, and board operators shut down the furnace and depressurized the unit to the emergency flare system. A facility wide emergency and Community Warning System (CWS) Level 2 (alert) was called. The fire was extinguished at approximately 1:15. The burn site was investigated for remaining hot spots and mitigated by nearby fixed fire monitors. An all clear was sounded at approximately 2:00.
The refinery estimated that approximately 207,300 pounds of renewable diesel and 2,200 pounds of hydrogen were released during the fire. Although the fire was reported at Level 2 through the Community Warning System (which generally indicates potential off-site health impacts to sensitive populations), neither the refinery nor Contra Costa Health Services’ hazardous materials crews found evidence through air sampling of a danger to public health. Martinez Renewables said it did not receive any off-site complaints regarding the release. (This was probably a reflection of the time of day that the accident occurred and the fact that this refinery, unlike the Martinez Refining Co. facility on Pacheco Boulevard, is located in a largely industrial area separated from residential neighborhoods.)
The refinery said it has launched a detailed investigation to determine the root cause of the release.
Updated Mt. Wanda management plan released
The National Park Service has released the final decision document for the Mt. Wanda Comprehensive Site Management Plan (CSMP)/Environmental Assessment (EA), which will guide improvements and new amenities for this portion of the John Muir National Historic Site.
According to the NPS:
The plan identifies new visitor opportunities, addresses facility needs, provides long-term resource management strategies, and recommends improvements for the connectivity of Mt. Wanda to other areas of the park and the broader community.
One request that had been advocated by many in the community, including city leaders, is for the plan to include a connection between Mt. Wanda’s Strentzel Valley and the new Alhambra Highlands open space recently acquired by the city. While the plan adopted by the NPS does not preclude such a trail connection in the future, it sets forth no specific plan for one, and rules out “use of a specific road trace due to its unsustainably steep grades, Alameda whipsnake habitat, and little opportunity for realignment due to surrounding topography.” It also stipulates that “for any proposed connection, whether a sidewalk or trail, a method and location for safely crossing the road will need to be determined by the respective entities involved.”
The entire plan can be accessed at the following site: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=309&projectID=77747&documentID=133016
Recreation fee survey
The city is conducting a survey of residents as part of its consideration of adjustments to Community & Recreation Services user fees. The online survey is designed to help the city “determine what level of service Martinez residents wish to enjoy and support.” It can be accessed at the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/J7TKSZJ?fbclid=IwAR3bIUx4-w1Pl-3OKEg495Z7ilVCPxMQb8csPdcmJg1_npMbjiAeDtg9-Pg
MUSD TK and kindergarten enrollment
The Martinez Unified School District will open online enrollment for 2024-25 transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten on Dec. 4. More information on the process and timelines for enrollment is available at the following link: https://martinezusd.net/18445_3?fbclid=IwAR3to6_B9839hDInla7ET5kJ8y1pUr6FzNyTr3VKiDjYTdhXJ-YkPnBfhEc
County Hazmat Commission has openings
Contra Costa Health Services is looking to fill three openings on its Hazardous Materials Commission. The mission of the commission is “to protect and promote the health, safety and well-being of Contra Costa residents as they are affected by hazardous materials and hazardous waste.” Given the refinery issues in Martinez over the past year, members of this community may have a keen interest in serving on this particular commission. More information about the commission and openings can be found at this link: https://cchealth.org/hazmat/hmc/?fbclid=IwAR0GJFYukGR0CAGpnG3KkBhM6vhveztqDNSAbe8oy-SXVq_JbiGGELA-Ijc
Help my fundraiser for school safety
On a personal note, I’m taking part in the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation’s 44-Mile Remembrance Challenge in December to support its school safety programs. Sandy Hook Promise, founded by families of the 2012 elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, works with school districts across the country, including our own MUSD, on a range of programs to prevent violence and harm on school campuses and promote a climate of safety, kindness and inclusion. In 2018, Martinez Unified became the first school district in Contra Costa County to sign on with Sandy Hook Promise for its programs that are offered free of charge, and Superintendent Helen Rossi told me recently that it has made a significant impact on the district’s school-safety efforts. The school board recently approved a new Memorandum of Understanding with Sandy Hook Promise to use the foundation’s National Crisis Center during a nine-month pilot period to scan the district’s student email system and alert the district to potentially harmful language.
As part of the fundraiser, I am planning to walk 44 miles throughout the month of December in remembrance of the 44 children lost to gun violence each day in the United States. I’m planning to kick off the challenge with a roughly 3-mile Mt. Wanda hike on Saturday morning (likely around at 11 a.m.) starting at the trailhead, and will be scheduling other walks throughout the month in Martinez. If anyone is interested in joining me on a walk, I would love the company (email me at craig.lazzeretti@gmail.com so that I know you’re coming and can alert you if plans change). If you’re interested in contributing to the fundraiser, you can do so through this Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1221588962138180/
As a bonus, I will match any new annual paid subscriptions to Martinez News & Views from now through the end of December with my own donations to the fundraiser.
To learn more about Sandy Hook Promise and how its programs are helping to keep students in Martinez and elsewhere safe, go to https://www.sandyhookpromise.org To learn more about its finance and accountability ratings, visits its Guidestar profile at ttps://www.guidestar.org/profile/46-1657101?fbclid=IwAR1UP0YqIu6cfKuxi4xuieBfSP-cnKBOvtbyKWcExPWRL4OWGZcuhE1FOn8
Thank you for the consideration and hope to see some of you on the trails of Martinez during my 44 miles of walking in December.
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