CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Saying he's unwilling to work with the two newly elected Clearlake City Council members, the Clearlake city administrator tendered his resignation to the council Thursday morning, shortly before the police chief also announced his departure.
City Administrator Dale Neiman and Police Chief Allan McClain both arrived in 2007, and both will be leaving soon, they confirmed Thursday.
Neiman said his last day will be Nov. 10, while McClain, who said he is retiring, will leave effective Dec. 30.
“I'm not willing to work with the two newly elected council members, and I think they would prefer that I be gone also,” Neiman said of Jeri Spittler and Joey Luiz, who were elected on Tuesday.
He said it doesn't make sense for him to stay on with the Lowe's project no longer viable.
“I plan to retire but I may do some additional work, I'm not sure,” added Neiman, who is 59.
Adding that he knew what he was going to do before the election, depending on the outcome, he sent an e-mail to the council Thursday morning with the news, and also met with staff to inform them.
Luiz and Spittler were sharp in their responses to Neiman's statement about them.
“We knew this was going to happen. That's his MO,” said Luiz. “If he has to be asked hard questions, he resigns. That's what he did in Fortuna, and that's what he's doing here.”
Spittler called Neiman's statement “hilarious.”
She added, “Now that he can't have his own way, he's going to go home.”
McClain, 51, has been in law enforcement for 30 years, said he announced his retirement to staff at a Thursday morning meeting.
He and his wife are planning to move to Hawaii, where some of their friends reside.
As to the timing of the announcement, McClain said, “This is something that I discussed with Dale prior the election, he just didn't want me to announce it until after.”
Spittler took shots at McClain who she said needed to go, calling him “dirty” and stating that many of his officers have told her privately of their dislike of him.
Calls to Mayor Judy Thein weren't returned and Councilman Curt Giambruno said Thursday evening, “I just don't have anything to report.”
Outgoing Councilman Roy Simons, who was with Spittler during the interview with Lake County News, said Neiman's departure was the best thing that could have happened. Simons and Neiman have repeatedly clashed during Simons' single term, especially when it comes to redevelopment issues.
Vice Mayor Joyce Overton gave some context to the situation, pointing out that, “This isn't unusual when there's a council change,” and that there was a change in the city administrator when she came on the council, too.
She said Neiman had promised the council to stay for three years, and stayed on longer due to the city's financial situation. During that time he took on increasing responsibilities.
“When you're wearing 10,000 hats, it's really hard to do good at all of them,” said Overton.
While they didn't always agree, she felt he was a dedicated worker. “I think in his heart he did the best that he could do.”
When Luiz decided to run for the council he said he called Neiman and told him that he wasn't running to get rid of anyone. He recalled Neiman replying the he doesn't “play politics.”
“I made it really clear that I was willing to work with him from the beginning,” Luiz said.
On the campaign trail, however, Luiz said he heard from city residents who wanted to get rid of Neiman.
Beginning the work of hiring
The cash-strapped city must now begin the process of hiring not just two but four positions.
In addition to Neiman's and McClain's jobs, the finance director position has been vacant since last Thursday, when Roy Mitchell abruptly resigned, as Lake County News has reported. Earlier this year Michael Vivrette, the previous finance director, also resigned with no notice.
Neiman also has covered the Community Development director position, which the council has supported because of the need to save money.
He said his recommendation to the council was that it was better for him to leave as soon as possible, and allow the new council to embark on filling the positions.
“I don't think that I should be involved, and if I was then I think there would be criticism that I was involved,” he said.
Regarding the police department leadership, “I don't have any idea what the council will want to do,” said McClain. “If they ask for a recommendation I'll be more than happy to give it to them.”
Overton said he doesn't feel a finance director is needed; instead, she wants to create a senior accounting position. Community development work can be contracted out, she suggested.
The only positions she thinks need to be filled immediately are the administrator and a grant writer. She said there have been at least three to four grants that were never filed due to no grant writer and Neiman not having the time to do them.
“If we had a grant writer we wouldn't be in the shape we are right now,” she said.
Overton also intends to bring forward a discussion on contracting with the Lake County Sheriff's Office to provide policing services, and eliminating the police department altogether.
McClain, formerly the sheriff of Kings County, said that agency contracted with some cities for police services. He said the situation can become a political nightmare that offers insignificant savings and lower levels of service.
Neiman said he will spend next Tuesday and Wednesday writing a memo to the council, outlining his knowledge on what needs to be fixed and offering suggestions.
Pointing out that the council has hired interim city managers in the past, Neiman said, “They may want to do that.”
He will not be at the Nov. 12 council meeting. That's because his recently amended, part-time employment contract expires the previous day, and he said the council would have needed to extend the term by one day to cover his service.
After talking with Thein, Neiman said she didn't feel it was important for him to be there based on the agenda.
With the council's second meeting in November canceled because it falls on Thanksgiving, Neiman said, “Nothing is going to happen between now and the first meeting in December.”
Although his part-time employment agreement doesn't allow him to accrue vacation or leave, the July part-time contract requires that the day Neiman leaves his employment, the city must pay to him $13,902.24 for 241.19 hours of accrued vacation and executive leave held over from his previous contract.
Spittler said Thursday that she wanted the city's checkbooks locked up until a thorough audit is completed. “I don't care if we stop everything and audit those books.”
She also wanted Neiman locked out of his office, and told Simons he should go and prevent Neiman from having access to a shredder.
“I like that the people are getting to have what they want,” she said, noting that she also believes community members “have a sense of relief right now.”
Luiz said he's optimistic that the council can find decent candidates for the city's top positions.
“Clearlake isn't the only city struggling and laying talented people off,” he said.
However, he added, “It's going to be something to work through.”
Overton said, “I think this is a new beginning for Clearlake and I think this time, if we do it right, we can succeed at it.”
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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