Manager Gets Credit for Simi Stability : Personnel: Officials fear that filling Koester’s shoes won’t be easy.

When Lin Koester took charge of Simi Valley 16 years ago, the town was struggling with an exploding population, accusations of police brutality, and internal squabbles that prompted the firing of his predecessor and the recall of two council members.

Now as he prepares to leave his city manager’s post to run the county government, Koester leaves a stable, well-run city with a national reputation for safety.

If Koester could be cloned, Simi Valley leaders would jump at the chance to offer the other Koester their departing city manager’s job.

He has guided Simi Valley with a confident hand, ensuring that no problem was too big or unruly for the growing east Ventura County city. Along the way he has gained the trust and respect of 15 City Council members on 10 consecutive councils.

His departure leaves city leaders who have never worked with any other city manager struggling to fill the vacuum. Their main criterion: someone like Lin.

“We have all been very comfortable with Lin’s style,” said Mayor Greg Stratton, who began his tenure with the city when Koester was hired. “We’re not looking to go someplace new. We’re already there.”

Koester plans to leave his post June 9, after completing work on the city’s 1995-96 budget. The council is scheduled to begin discussing the search for an interim manager and a permanent replacement in a closed meeting on Monday.

Councilman Bill Davis said Koester’s departure is a personal blow: He and Koester had once said they would retire from Simi Valley government at the same time. Davis is skeptical that anyone will perform as well.

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“I’m going to keep an open mind,” he said. “But I just don’t see anyone else doing as good a job.”

Council members mentioned four likely contenders for the post, all of whom have worked closely with Koester. They are Assistant City Manager Mike Sedell, Deputy City Manager Don Penman, Bob Hunt, a former assistant manager who left to manage the city of La Quinta, and Jay Corey, another former assistant who now manages Brentwood.

In addition to leaving open the city’s top post, Koester’s departure raises other questions the council may have to face.

The city is midway through a search for a new police chief and hopes to fill the position by late summer. Council members must decide whether to speed up the selection process to include Koester in the decision-making, delay the search until a new manager is hired, or forge ahead on schedule.

Councilman Paul Miller, who formerly served as the city’s police chief, said he would like to hold off on hiring a new chief until the city replaces Koester.

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“It would be good for the new city manager to have a hand in selecting the new chief,” Miller said.

Councilwoman Barbara Williamson said she would prefer that Koester help select the new chief, while Stratton said the process should stay on track, with the council hiring a chief without the help of a city manager, if necessary.

Some council members also said they fear that Koester will try to lure Sedell, his second-in command, to the county. Sedell served briefly as interim city manager before Koester was hired. Over the years Sedell, Koester and Stratton have formed a stabilizing triumvirate in Simi Valley, rich in city expertise and institutional memory.

They came to city government at a time when a range of problems--including rapid population growth and political infighting--plagued Simi Valley. In the early years, they worked together to heal the wounds left by the recall of two council members. Later on, there was the public relations disaster of the Rodney King trial and the devastation of the earthquake.

Losing one of the three is difficult, but not the end of the world, said Councilwoman Sandi Webb. Losing two could be more problematic.

“If Mike left, that would be a problem,” she said. “As far as I’m concerned, he gets handcuffed to his chair.”

“The three of them have an absolute hold on all aspects of city government,” said Steve Frank, a former mayoral candidate and outspoken city critic. On Tuesday, he praised Koester for his hard work. His departure from the city “will be a major loss,” Frank said.

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PROFILE

Marlin L. Koester

* Age: 53

* Education: B.S., civil engineering, Oregon State University; Master’s of Public Administration, Pepperdine University.

* Career: Director of the Ventura County Environmental Health Department, 1971-73; director of the Ventura County Environmental Resource Agency, 1974-79; Simi Valley city manager since 1979.

* Family: Two children and two stepchildren; wife, Suzette, administrative clerk for the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley.

* Hobbies: Carpentry, gardening.

* Base salary as Simi Valley city manager: $114,000.

* Base salary as Ventura County chief administrative officer: $123,000.

* Quote: “This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever had in my life to make, whether to leave Simi Valley and come to the county. But in a way it’s like coming home.”