Process to Replace Penmnan Begins

has begun the process of replacing retiring City Manager Don Penman. In a closed-door session Tuesday, the Council voted to hire a recruiting firm to manage the process.

Mayor Gary Kovacic and Councilman Bob Harbicht will vet interested firms before making a final recommendation to the Council.

Penman, 60, has worked for Arcadia for more than 13 years, three of which he spent as the city's top executive. Total, he will have logged 36 years of service in city government positions by the time he retires in October.

“We’ll do our best to keep him here until we get a really good replacement, but it will be hard to replace ... Don Penman,” Councilman Roger Chandler said.

Councilman Mickey Segal echoed the sentiment.

“We are certainly going to miss Don, but we're not going to let him out of here for awhile,” Segal said, joking. “We look forward to his guidance ... (in finding) his replacement.”

Penman will play a key part in the hiring of his successor, a process that could take up to six months to complete, city officials said.

Speculation as to who will take over the city manager's job has run amok ever since Penman announced his retirement July 26.

Assistant City Manager Jason Kruckeberg initially seemed the most likely candidate to fill Penman’s shoes. However, he declined to throw himself into the mix in favor of continuing working in his present capacity.

In other business, the Friends of received this month’s “Believe in Arcadia…Volunteer!” Founded in 1956, the Friends of Arcadia Library have created a number of programs for children and adults alike. The organization has also helped the library acquire the latest technologies.

The “Believe in Arcadia…Volunteer!” award is given monthly as part of the mayor’s initiative to promote more volunteerism in the community.