City Manager Ross Hubbard announces his retirement!

January 6, 2005
Pacific Grove Review

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. - City Manager Ross Hubbard announced that he will retire on July 7, 2005, after five years of service to the City. Hubbard began work with the City May 15, 2000, after an 11 year stint as Town Manager of the Town of Moraga in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In announcing his retirement Hubbard stated that the city's employees and department managers are the most dedicated and hard working that he has has worked with during his 34 year public service career.

Hubbard's time in Pacific Grove began with the need to resolve the major problem with the city's aging sewer system. Just months prior to his arrival, the city had experience a sewer spill into the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary of was estimated to be more than 70,000 gallons. This spill sent alarms through the Bay community and signaled a need to develop a comprehensive plan to control future spills while making improvements to both the operation and infrastructure of the system.

Under Hubbard's guidance, a multi-faceted sewer plan was developed for the immediate care of the system and a Sewer System Asset Management Plan was developed for future health of the system. These plans included a rapid response by fire department personnel to sewer upsets of all sizes, a complete residential and commercial grease control program, and a public engagement program.

During his five years of service Hubbard took control of budget issues presented by major reductions in revenue from the State and increases in costs due to the economy and employee retirement costs. The city budget remained balanced during this time and public services and improvements continued without disruption. Hubbard guided the construction of the Civic Center project, planning of the Golf Course Clubhouse including securing financing that is dependent only on golf revenues, construction of a storm drainage diversion program, and more than $4 million in sewer repairs.

Budget restraints necessitated the need for a reduction in staff, from 132 full time to 114 employees, which was accomplished with only minor public service changes. Hubbard also had success negotiating with the city's six employee associations. In 2003 he led all employees by taking a 5% salary decrease in order to save city jobs. Each of the Associations agreed to take 3.5% decrease for a year and forego increases during the year.

Following these reductions, several staff members were called on to take extra work, including the City Manager's office that took on the duties of City Clerk.

Hubbard said he and his wife plan to stay in the community.