Lawndale Loses 4th Top Official Since December

The revolving door at Lawndale City Hall continued turning last week, with Assistant City Manager Paula Cone’s announcement that she is resigning effective March 23.

Cone, the fourth top city official to resign since December, had worked 24 years for the city.

She could not be reached for comment. City Manager Jim Arnold said Cone did not disclose her plans.

City Councilman Dan McKenzie said he talked to Cone on Friday morning, but she did not tell him why she had decided to resign.

Two months ago, Hyrum Fedje, the city’s planning director, resigned after less than two months on the job to become building and safety director for El Segundo. In December, Housing Coordinator Rufus Washington left after 2 1/2 years on the job. And about two weeks ago, planner Kendra S. Morries announced that she was also departing for El Segundo to become planning manager.

Fedje said at the time of his departure that he was leaving because El Segundo had offered him a higher salary. According to Arnold, Morries left for the same reason.

Washington, however, cited what he termed Arnold’s poor leadership and management abilities as reasons for his decision to leave. Arnold responded by calling Washington a “mediocre” employee who was “playing to the media.”

On Friday, City Councilwoman Carol Norman attributed the high turnover to staff reductions in recent years that have left City Hall employees overworked and feeling harassed.

“The pressure is tremendous and more and more people leave,” Norman said. “. . . The few people left are just inundated.” Norman said she has telephoned City Hall on occasion only to discover that Cone was answering the phones.

However, Councilman Larry Rudolph disputed Norman’s views. He said a large part of the turnover can simply be attributed to people leaving one job to go to another with a higher salary.

“It’s hard to keep somebody when they are offered more money,” Rudolph said.

Rudolph and several other city officials praised Cone as an outstanding employee who will be sorely missed.

“If you wanted something done, you went to Paula as far as I was concerned,” McKenzie said. “. . . You just kind of depended on Paula Cone. That was the way it was.”