City Manager Retiring in October

City Manager Don Penman told fellow co-workers Tuesday that he will retire in October, after nearly four decades of serving the city, according to the Pasadena Star-News.

The news came via a letter to city employees, where he expressed the desire to "slow it down" and eventually settle into a different phase in his life. 

"It's something I've been thinking about for a while," he told Patch. "I took some time off, and I decided ... I'm turning 60, I really enjoy what I do, but it's a big commitment. It's time for a change of pace."

That change of pace, he said, should including plenty of things that don't involve a "BlackBerry being attached to your hip," such as travel, volunteering and gardening.

"Me and my wife, we just want to get in the car and take off," he said. "We've wanted to see some things and just haven't had the time."

City Councilman Peter Amundson described working with Penman as a "real pleasure."

"What I really like about Don is that he didn't hide anything from us. When he told me (about retiring), I actually tried to talk him into staying a little longer," he told Patch. "With him, there were no hidden agendas. He was very forthright and open. When we hired him, one thing I asked for was a very open and sincere budget process, and he did exactly that."

Penman appreciated the praise, but he said openness has always been his style.

"I feel that's important, and that our city council expects me to be upfront with them," he said. "One of the best compliments a resident can give me is 'I appreciate the time ... I may not agree with you, but I appreciate the time you took.'"

Council members will decide how to move forward in closed session Tuesday, and Amundson said the hiring landscape has changed since Penman was brought on.

"The first reaction is to look internally ... when we brought in Don, he was already the assistant city manager," he said. "We've lost a lot of good experience in the past few years due to retirements, and Don just had so much expertise."

Penman hasn't set an exact date in October to step down, as he plans to discuss that with the council to determine what date "best works" for them.