Column: ‘You can’t play politics,’ says Newport’s new city manager

As Newport Beach political watchers anticipate the Feet to the Fire forum, one of the topics we’ll certainly discuss during our political talk show is what played into the City Council putting pressure on City Manager Dave Kiff to retire early and the hiring of his replacement, Grace Leung.

I met Leung when she participated in the Leadership Tomorrow event I moderated in Newport on May 17.

I was impressed with her upbeat personality and concise answers and opinions.

I called Leung recently to discuss her new position as Newport’s first female city manager.

I wondered why she chose not to apply for the job in Irvine, where she’s been acting city manager for many months.

She started in Irvine as assistant city manager nearly two years ago and felt it would be “nice to have a fresh start somewhere else.”

Leung explained her “roots were in Sunnyvale,” where she spent 18 years, and “missed a full-service city, whereas Irvine is more of a contract city.”

“Newport has more in common with Sunnyvale as an older city with more redevelopment and revitalization” issues, which she feels are her areas of expertise.

Was part of her decision to apply in Newport based on the political atmosphere in Irvine?

Leung agreed Irvine’s contentious, but it’s “a fact of life in a lot of cities.”

And what about the contentious environment in Newport, where elections are pending?

Having worked on the “government staff side for over 20 years,” Leung said, “It’s how we work together that matters, and let the politics take care of itself.”

She said her job is to “implement policy” created by the council.

With the controversy surrounding the pressure on Kiff to retire early, is she concerned that if new council members dominate in the November election she could be out of a job since she wasn’t their choice?

Leung said she “can’t play politics,” and though she understands she serves at the will of the City Council, she’ll work with all members and “just do my job.”

“I am not there to serve one side, or one person,” she said. “I’m there to serve all seven.”

City managers today walk a fine line advising council on issues. What if Leung’s staff reports don’t support the will of the council, and she finds herself in an adversarial position?

“I certainly dealt with this almost daily in Irvine,” she said.

Leung tells me it’s important staff make recommendations that are “backed up by research and can explain all options, so they can defend the recommendations we put forth.”

“It doesn’t serve the city not to do this, and this does put staff and me in a particularly difficult position, but that’s part of the job,” she said.

With Leung starting her new job after Labor Day, a chapter will open in Newport.

Feet to the Fire changes

This week I have two important updates to the upcoming Feet to the Fire forum schedule.

The much-anticipated F2F on Sept. 22 for the 48th Congressional District race is canceled. Laguna Beach Democrat Harley Rouda was quick to commit, but incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) hedged.

After talking with the Rohrabacher campaign these many months, and the revolving door of consultants supposedly in charge of this decision, the latest of those consultants, Dale Neugebauer, gave the final answer.

“We appreciate the invitation to the September 22 forum, however, the campaign is not able to accept the invitation to participate in the event at this time, and must decline,” he wrote.

It’s disappointing that Rohrabacher won’t face Rouda and engage him in front of the voters, but we are planning a Feet to the Fire Podcast with Rouda soon, which will post on the VoiceofOC.org website.

The Newport council forum has also been moved from Sept. 20 to Sept. 21, as to not conflict with the Newport Chamber of Commerce Fire and Lifeguard Appreciation Dinner on the 20th. The annual dinner was planned over a year ago, according to Chamber President Steve Rosansky.

Moving the date will enable candidates running for office and others with an interest in attending both events to do so without conflict.

So far challengers Joy Brenner, Mike Glenn, Tim Stoaks and Roy Englbrecht have agreed to attend. Mayor Marshall Duffield and council members Diane Dixon, Scott Peotter and Kevin Muldoon have been invited but have not yet committed. I think we’d all like to see the incumbents participate, but if they don’t, we’ll do the forum anyway.

Barbara Venezia is an opinion columnist writing political and social commentary since 2007. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com.