WILDOMAR: Council-elect adds finance and human resources directors

Two new hires were recommended by interim City Manager John Danielson

By AARON CLAVERIE - Staff Writer | Wednesday, May 28, 2008 11:23 PM PDT ∞

WILDOMAR ---- Two important officials who will work with Wildomar's city manager to set up bank accounts, establish a purchasing policy, secure insurance and develop a human resources framework for Wildomar were hired Tuesday night.

In two separate 5-0 votes, the Wildomar City Council-elect, which will be seated as the inaugural council when the community's incorporation becomes official July 1, extended contracts to Steve Stark and Terry Fitzwater.

Stark will provide financial services for the council-elect and, eventually, the city.

The former finance director for Santa Monica and director of administrative services in Santa Clarita will work to put together a purchasing policy and buy all of the necessary hardware and software needed to run a city payroll system, said Wildomar's interim city manager John Danielson.

Stark told the council-elect he is eager to be a part of the city's formation and he said his experience in Santa Clarita will be an asset.

"I started in Year 4 (of Santa Clarita's history as an incorporated city) and it was still a new city at the time," he said.

Council-elect member Marsha Swanson said the proposal submitted by Stark, who recently worked in Pasadena as finance director, looked to be exactly what the council-elect needs right now.

Danielson said Wildomar is fortunate that someone with Stark's experience was available because establishing the financial framework of a new city is a daunting task.

"It's not just QuickBooks," he said, referring to the popular home finance software.

Fitzwater, who said he has worked in human resources for his entire post-college career of 30 years, has worked with and for Danielson in the past, including when Danielson was general manager of the Incline Village General Improvement District in the Lake Tahoe area.

When Danielson was city manager in Elk Grove, a suburb of Sacramento, Fitzwater served as his assistant general manager.

Fitzwater said he will be working before the incorporation meeting to make sure that insurance will be in place when the City Council "flips the switch" on cityhood.

And he plans to get started as soon as possible.

"There's a lot to do and a very short time to get it done," he said.

Council-elect member Bridgette Moore asked Fitzwater if commuting from his home of Granite Bay, another suburb of Sacramento, would be an issue.

Fitzwater said there was plenty of work he could do from Granite Bay to limit his trips back and forth.

When the city incorporates, the members of the City Council will become its first employees, Fitzwater said.

That means, he said, that he will be asking for the council-elect's personal information, which will be submitted to the proper agencies.

Council member-elect Sheryl Ade thanked Stark and Fitzwater for deciding to work with Wildomar.

She said the city might have risked "floundering for some time" without the benefit of their experience.

Contact staff writer Aaron Claverie at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, or aclaverie@californian.com.

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