Live Oak council names new interim city manager

The Live Oak City Council unanimously approved the appointment of Mark Scott as interim city manager on Wednesday after the exit of its former city manager several weeks ago.

Scott will take over, on an interim basis, for former Live Oak City Manager Aaron

Palmer following an agreement between Palmer and the council to “enter into a separation agreement” after Palmer served in that role for almost five years. Palmer had become interim city manager in April 2019, replacing Joe Aguilar, who had held the interim position since April 2018.

Scott was slated to become the interim city manager for Live Oak after a closed city council meeting last month.

“Following interviews during a Closed Session meeting on March 15, 2024, the City

Council agreed to negotiate with Mark Scott for the position of Interim City Manager,” a city staff report says. “The agreement is being brought before the

City Council for review and approval.”

According to that staff report, the recruitment of an interim city manager “garnered a total of nine applications,” the Appeal previously reported. Interviews of three of the top four candidates took place on March 15. Scott was then “selected to serve as the City’s Interim City Manager.”

Scott, who has more than 40 years of experience in city management, was previously the interim city manager for the city of Lincoln, according to a report by Gold Country Media in May 2021.

Prior to his time in Lincoln, Scott had retired from his position as city manager for the city of Indio, after working there

for nearly four years, the news outlet reported. Scott has been a city manager for more than 30 years in seven different cities: Indio, San Bernardino, Burbank, Fresno, Culver City, Beverly Hills and Spartanburg, South Carolina.

“Scott began his career in city management in 1983 with the city of Beverly Hills as its assistant city manager where he served in that position until 1985 when he became the city’s Community Development director until 1989,” Gold Country Media reported. “He then left Beverly

Hills to become the Community Development director for the city of Santa Clarita in 1990, but returned three months later to Beverly Hills to become city manager. Scott’s position as Beverly Hills city manager was his longest-held position at 13 years as a city manager. He moved to Spartansburg, South Carolina in 2003 to become its city manager for six years before returning to California and serving several southern California and Central Valley cities.”

Because of his previous experience in government, Scott is identified as a “retired annuitant.” According to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CALPERS), a retired annuitant is a “CALPERS retiree who, without applying for Reinstatement From Retirement, returns to work with a CALPERS employer in a designated retired annuitant position.” Because of this, the council had to make the appointment and approve the employment agreement by resolution.

Under government code, the city must be actively pursuing a permanent replacement, the staff report says. The city said it is currently in the “process of selecting a recruitment firm to assist with the recruitment for a permanent” city manager for Live Oak, the Appeal previously reported.

“The interim appointment will end when the regular replacement for the vacant position of City Manager for the City commences her or his employment or, if earlier, the date that this appointment is terminated by the City or Mr. Scott,” the staff report says.

In accordance with the law, Scott will only be able to work 960 hours in any fiscal year, according to the proposed contract. He will be paid an hourly rate of $108 but will only be able to work 30 hours per week, the Appeal previously reported. The agreement is expected to be effective on April 8.

“Therefore, the cost to the City of Live Oak shall be the approximate sum of $3,240/week while

Mr. Scott is employed by the City,” the staff report says. “As Mr. Scott is a PERS annuitant, there will not be any additional benefits, travel expenses or compensation paid to him for his services.”

Also on Wednesday, the council approved a salary increase for the next full-time city manager.

The council unanimously voted to raise the city manager’s salary from $150,000 to $225,000.