DEAR PROBE

Q

Social media shows the Imperial city manager, Mayor Geoff Dale and the city manager’s assistant on a trip in Washington, D.C. It has been noticed the city manager’s assistant attends many trips such as this with him (at least two that I can see on social media), in addition to attending meetings in the Valley. I have never seen another city manager anywhere take his assistant with him/her for several two- or three-day trips. If the City of Imperial is so broke, why is a secretary going on these trips? Is the city manager incapable of attending meetings and providing updates to the council by himself? What is this costing the tax payers?

. — Concerned taxpayer

A

Imperial City Manager Stefan Chatwin tells us there is no official position on the city’s books called “city manager’s assistant” or “secretary.”

The position of “executive assistant has been replaced with one called the city’s “management analyst.” That position is currently held by Alexis Chalupnik.

“The management analyst position has direct responsibility for all legislative relationships and, more specifically, grant opportunities, which is what the business trip to Washington, D.C., was/is all about,” Chatwin said.

He added the management analyst has direct responsibility over economic development — “which is why they attended the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) conferences to promote the city and recruit potential businesses and other job creators and sales tax revenue generators to this city, thereby improving Imperial’s economic health.” He said the management analyst position also acts as the primary public information officer, ensuring that the city pushes information out to its citizens and pulls information from others into the organization so that flows are transparent and efficient.

Chatwin said a very small part of the management analyst’s position is providing administrative support to the city manager and City Council. “As far as attending meetings in the Valley,” he said, “there are very few that the management analyst does attend with the city manager other than those that are, again, directly related to the duties mentioned.”