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City manager announces resignation: Council had been divided on Stewart's performance, was going to pay for independent evaluations(The Desert Dispatch (Barstow, CA)(KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 12--BARSTOW -- Barstow City Manager Frank Mike Stewart announced his resignation on Tuesday, ending what was at times a contentious relationship with some City Council members. Stewart has served for a little more than two years and still has another nine months left on his contract before it is up for renewal. He will be taking up a management position at the new Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization at the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin. He is required to give a 60-day notice, but may leave on April 28 if he has the council's blessings. The city could choose to get an interim city manager while conducting a national search for a permanent city manager. Stewart declined an interview for this story. In a press release he stated, "This is an opportunity to serve my country once again in a war fighting organization. Improvised explosive devices have caused more than 65 percent of our soldier and Marine casualties during the war on terror. It is something I think about every day when I read the casualty list. This will give me an opportunity to once again make a difference by contributing to the war effort." He also said, "I want to thank the Barstow City Council for giving me the opportunity to serve them and the citizens of Barstow. We have made tremendous progress over the last two years and improved the quality of life of our citizens." The announcement comes on the heels of a council decision last month to pay a consulting firm up to $2,000 to assist with Stewart's performance evaluation, which was in addition to the quarterly and annual reviews he has been receiving from the council. Stewart, as the city manager, is the city's CEO. He is charged with managing a staff of 126, overseeing a $31 million annual budget and implementing the council's policies. "As far as I am concerned, it's going to be a great loss to the city," said Mayor Lawrence Dale. "I am pleased with the city manager's work as long as he has been here. He's done an excellent job for us." Councilman Joe Gomez said, "I wish him the best of luck. ... I feel that he and his wife have always welcomed me. They're very nice people." Mayor Pro-Tem Gloria Darling said Stewart will be an asset to Ft. Irwin and added, "We are very resilient. We've made a lot of progress and, we'll continue to go forward." Councilman Paul Luellig could not be reached for comment, but he previously said, "I personally believe that he's doing a great job, and I don't want to lose him." Dealing with a council that's known to be divided may have contributed to Stewart's resignation. Some on the council had criticized his work performance and lack of experience in city government while others felt he was coming along fine. Being on a volatile council, council members also blamed one another for hindering the city manager's work. "I think he could see the handwriting on the wall that eventually, he was not pleasing everyone on the council. He had to have three votes (to keep his position)," said Councilwoman Helen Runyon. Runyon, Darling and Gomez have maintained that the mayor influenced Stewart's decisions heavily, a charge the mayor denied, saying it's based on assumptions. Runyon also said Dale got Stewart to do what he wanted but that she was willing to give the man more time to develop himself as a city manager. Gomez, on Tuesday, declined to comment on Stewart's performance. Darling, on the other hand, said the city manager did not keep the entire council abreast of all potential development contacts in the past, and that if things had been done differently, Barstow would have been farther along with the casino issue. Luellig said last month, "(Stewart) is caught in the middle of a very split council. He follows the council majority, and there are council members who feel they're being ignored. He gets it from both sides." At the time, Luellig said Darling and Gomez were not satisfied with the city manager. Stewart served 29 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was assigned to the Marine Air Ground Combat Center as chief of staff in Twentynine Palms before he retired a couple of years ago. He then worked as a Yucca Valley Town Manager for about a year before coming to Barstow in 2004. In an interview last month, Stewart shared his goals and accomplishments. During his time, the city's Business Enterprise Zone was adopted. Stewart also helped conclude negotiations for a new hospital. He helped secure more than $10 million to improve roads and strengthened code enforcement. A Home Depot and Wal-Mart Food Distribution Center agreed to come to Barstow while Stewart was city manager. Stewart also commented on his strong military background and city management experience in March. "I am no stranger to running staffs and getting things done," he said then. "A city manager runs the staff, makes things happen for the council, implements their goals and objectives, their policies, and I have done that for 29 years as a Marine officer." Contact the writer: (760) 256-4126 or [email protected] |