Your City Council: New Permanent City Manager Selected

The Hercules City Council voted unanimously to select Richmond Economic Development Director Steve Duran as its next Hercules city manager.

“I’m very excited to be here and anxious to get started,” Duran said at Tuesday’s council meeting, when his selection was announced.

Duran has spent nine years working for the City of Richmond as its economic development director and executive director of the Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency. He also served four years as manager for downtown development at the San Jose Redevelopment Agency before a career in real estate.

Duran's experience working cities through complicated real estate and redevelopment problems has helped prepared him to handle Hercules financial situation, he said. He said he was drawn to the city for its complex financial dilemmas.

"We'll get through this; We'll get through this all together," he said.

Mayor Myrna de Vera said the city staff is negotiating a final contract with Duran, who is scheduled to start work in Hercules on October 10.

Duran will replace interim City Manager Liz Warmerdam. He is the first Hercules city manager in roughly a decade to be selected through a competitive application process.

*Meeting coverage below.

CITY MANAGER REPORTS AND RESOLUTIONS

1. Receive Update On Sycamore North Project (Verbal)--City is still considering buyers and options for the building.

2. Receive Update On Hercules Municipal Utility (Verbal)--City is still analyzing options for the financially draining HMU.

3. Receive Report From Hercules Bayfront Task Force (Verbal)--Still under negotiation.

4. Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The Interim City Manager To Execute An Agreement With Arthur J Gallagher & Co. To Provide Builders Risk Insurance For Sycamore North Development For An Amount Not To Exceed $149,621--ADOPTED WITH FOUR "AYES" AND ONE "NAY" FROM ROMERO.

5. Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The Creation Of The Classification Of Recreation Coordinator-Senior Center, Part-Time (Annual Part-Time Salary Range Of $29,009.06 To $37,023.56) And Authorizing The Appropriation Of Funds In An Amount Not To Exceed $48,000 From The Unreserved General Fund Balance For The Position For The Remainder Of Fiscal Year 2011-2012--ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY

6. Adopt A Resolution Amending Resolution 11-094, Rescinding all Health and Welfare Benefits for Members of the City Council, Clarifying The Termination Of State Of California Public Employees Retirement System (“CalPERS”) For Members Of The City Council--CONTINUED TO NEXT MEETING

7. Consider Approval Of A Request From The Friends Of The Hercules Library, H.E.L.P., For A Waiver Of Fees For Use Of The Community /Swim Center For A Fundraising Event--APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY

8. Receive Report Regarding The Dissolution Of The Hercules Redevelopment Agency As Proposed In ABX1 26 And 27 And Consider 1) No Action at This Time or 2) Adopting An Ordinance Pursuant To Health And Safety Code Section 34193 To Elect And Implement Participation By The City Of Hercules And The Redevelopment Agency Of The City Of Hercules In The Voluntary Alternative Redevelopment Program Pursuant To Part 1.9 Of The California Community Redevelopment Law--STAFF WILL WAIT TO DECIDE

8:00, PUBLIC HEARING--ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY.

1. Adopt Resolution Accepting $100,000 in Funding from the State of California COPS (Citizen Option for Public Safety) Program and to Appropriate All Existing and Anticipated Program Moneys Exclusively to Provide Frontline Law Enforcement Service.

7:44, CONSENT CALENDAR--ALL UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED EXCEPT FOR ITEM 1

1. Approve City Council Meeting Minutes of December 14, 2010, December 21, 2010 and January 11, 2011. APPROVED with two "ayes" and three "abstains" from councilmen Dan Romero, Gerard Boulanger and William Wilkins because the three were not on the council at the time of the meeting.

2. Adopt A Proclamation Declaring October 2011 As Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

3. Reject Claim Filed By Alisa Owens.

4. Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The Interim City Manager To Execute An Agreement With Jarvis Faye Deporto And Gibson LLP To Provide Legal Services To The City Of Hercules.

5. Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The Interim City Manager To Execute A Pass Through Agreement With West Contra Costa Transit Authority (WCCTA) To Serve As Conduit For $1,251,116 Of Federal Transit Authority Grant Funds For The Intermodal Transit Center Project

7:25, PUBLIC COMMENT

Sarah Creeley speaks on behalf of the Hercules Emergency Library Project. HELP will hold a dinner-dance on Oct. 23 at the Hercules Swim Center.

Susan Keeffe, Also commented on the recent Contra Costa Times article. Keeffe wants to know why recent checks written by the city haven't been posted on the city's website.

Resident Ken Morrison, Wants updates on scandals including Red Barn and lawsuits.

Members of the Hercules Education Foundation and Hercules Emergency Library Project speak about upcoming fundraisers.

Toni Leance, Commented on a recent Contra Costa Times article about Sycamore North's insurance policy. She is concerned about this.

Local business owner Heidi Murphy, Donating goods to the families who lost their homes the recent on Portofino.

-The Council honors victims of the 9-11 attacks.

-Steve Duran has been named as Hercules' next city manager. No information on Duran was provided.

-Tonight is the first night Patrick Tang serves as city attorney.

-7:20 p.m., The City Council has emerged from closed session.