W. Hollywood Hires Martinez City Manager

The West Hollywood City Council has hired Paul D. Brotzman of Martinez as its first city manager.

Brotzman, 38, was chosen in a closed council session Thursday night from a field of three finalists. He is expected to begin work in early May and probably will be paid about $65,000 a year.

Fred Bien has served as interim city manager while the council sought a permanent administrator for the 4 1/2-month-old city.

Council members said they are comfortable politically with Brotzman, who described himself as a liberal, but they said his service as Martinez city manager for seven years was a more important consideration.

“He has strong management experience with urban government and has worked with diversified groups,” according to Councilman Stephen Schulte. “We wanted someone we all felt comfortable working with, and he fit that also.”

Martinez is a city of 28,000, about 40 miles northeast of Oakland.

Brotzman said by telephone that he will be in West Hollywood Thursday and will observe a City Council meeting on rent control.

“I want to see what the community sentiment is on rent control,” Brotzman said. “I want to observe and listen.”

He is also studying rent control laws in Berkeley and other cities.

One of the new administrator’s first tasks will be to help the council set goals for the coming year. On July 1, West Hollywood will have the option of continuing to contract with the county for a variety of services or opening departments of its own.

A committee selected Brotzman and three other candidates from among 170 applications for interviews with the council.