Werner named new Carson City manager

The Board of Supervisors accepted Linda Ritter's resignation Thursday and hired Developmental Services Director Larry Werner as the new city manager.

Ritter sent her resignation as city manager to the board Feb. 1. She will spend the 18 months left on her contract as an assistant to Werner, whom she endorsed for city manager. She will work on special projects like staff performance evaluations.

Werner has been head of the developmental services department - which includes the building, engineering and planning divisions - since it was created about a year ago.

He has also been the public works director for Carson City, Douglas and Lyon counties and has worked as an engineer for the state and a private company.

He told the board his style is different than Ritter's, but he liked the way she led the city. Carson still "has some struggles" because of the slow economy, he said, and he wants to help.

"I'm excited about it and hopefully I'll work out for you folks," he told the board. "But if not, I'll give it a hell of try."

Werner, 60, said in an interview there are two major issues he wants to deal with immediately: Fixing the budget shortfalls for this and the next fiscal year, as well as improving communication with supervisors and getting them all the information they need.

Both supervisors and department heads praised his skill and experience and said they were excited to have him as city manager.

"We all know him, we've all worked with him a long time and we all respect what he's been able to do," Public Works Director Andy Burnham said. "He's experienced. We're all elated."

Department heads went to supervisors to endorse Werner for the job because they knew he would stand up for staff, Burnham said.

Parks Director Roger Mollendorf called Werner open, honest and good at solving problems. Finance Director Nick Providenti said Werner would help the city work through budget problems.

The board unanimously voted for Werner. Supervisors Robin Williamson and Shelly Aldean added that they regretted that Ritter had resigned.

Aldean told the board she has "misgivings with what just occurred" after she voted "reluctantly yes" to accept Ritter's resignation. She said the former manager had done a "laudable job."

Williamson, who voted against accepting the resignation, said Ritter's new part-time job would let her continue her service and dedication to the city.

Ritter had been city manager since 2003 and had received positive job reviews. Her relationship with the three other supervisors had been tense since July, when Mayor Marv Teixeira asked her to resign.

Teixeira and supervisors Richard Staub and Pete Livermore had criticized her, saying she did not give the board enough information about city finances.

Ritter has said she's happy to be able to work on special projects she hadn't had time for as city manger.

She said she has no interest in the Douglas County manager's position, which was vacated earlier this week when Dan Holler accepted a position as the city administrator for Grass Valley, Calif.

• Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.

Other actions

Other actions by the supervisors:

• Supervisors voted to continue to consider the appeal of Kent Witt, manager of North Carson Crossing shopping center, who has asked the board to overturn the planning commission's rejection of a 65-foot-tall freeway sign.

Supervisors had said they rejected the appeal on Jan. 3 when they voted 2-2, but Melanie Bruketta, Carson City chief deputy district attorney, said the board made no decision because the vote was a tie.

Witt had also told the board he wanted time to respond to the concerns of residents in the Northridge subdivision near the proposed site of the sign. He has said he needs the sign to advertise stores such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot, but residents have said the sign is intrusive and unnecessarily large.

Richard Staub, the only supervisor to vote against the continuation, said Northridge residents will think the board has given Witt "a second bite of the apple." The continuation also broadens the board's power to consider an appeal, he said.

Other supervisors said the continuation does not mean the sign is approved and will give Witt and Northridge residents more time to reach a compromise.

Northridge resident Gary Nigro said Witt should submit his request to the planning commission again if he wants his proposal reconsidered.

The planning commission rejected Witt's proposal Nov. 28 but did approve a 45-foot-tall sign. The commission is looking at rules for signs along the freeway and has called a moratorium on permits for signs above 30 feet.

The shopping center is the largest in the city.

• City supervisors approved cuts to budgets and delayed projects, but wanted to know the effect of fee hikes on businesses before they made any.

Staff proposed a 24 percent sewer fee hike for residents and 25 percent landfill fee hike for out-of-town users, but supervisors said that could hurt businesses during the slow economy.

"That is no kiss on the cheek," Mayor Marv Teixeira said of the sewer fee hike. "It's something pretty substantial."

Supervisors rejected a 3.4 percent business fee hike, a 25 percent landfill fee increase for Carson City residents and suggested they weren't interested in an eighth cent sales tax increase for street maintenance.

The board made cuts in the building permit and street maintenance funds and delayed public works projects that haven't started.

The cuts and proposed hikes would help the budget shortfall for this year, which ends June 30.

Supervisors also approved an outline of a plan to fix the projected $3 million shortfall for the next fiscal year. This would probably include $1.5 million in spending cuts.