The Napa City Council has appointed Napa Police Chief Steve Potter as the Interim City Manager, which will become effective immediately following the retirement of current City Manager Mike Parness on July 27th. Concurrently with Potter beginning his new responsibilities as Interim City Manager, he will be stepping down from the Police Chief position; and Robert Plummer, recently hired from the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, will begin his service as the new Police Chief for the City of Napa.
“I am thrilled that Steve is willing to take on this new challenge and opportunity,” says Mayor Jill Techel. “He has the background, community support, and departmental knowledge – all key to a seamless and successful transition to this new role. We are eager and excited to begin this new chapter, and to keep our employees and our community connected.”
City Manager Mike Parness announced earlier this week he will retire on July 24, 2018, after over 11 years of service to the City of Napa. He had hoped to serve through the rest of the calendar year, but it has become necessary to schedule another knee surgery and delaying further is not an option. (Please note: Parness' retirement date is now July 27, 2018).
“Steve has been an integral part of the City for decades, and I know the City will be in good hands under his leadership,” says Parness. “Our community will continue to flourish with Steve at the helm. His strong connection with the community combined with his excellent communication and management skills will serve everyone well.”
“I am very pleased to have the support of Mike Parness, the City Council and the community as I accept this new role within the City,” says Potter. “Napa is in a good place and I look forward to continuing to serve and help to improve the quality of life for all Napans.” Potter began his career in law enforcement over 36 years ago, with over 30 of those years at the City of Napa. He assumed the role of Police Chief in 2015 – an appointment decision that came easily to Parness – and is set to vacate his currentrole in the department after nearly three years.
A closed session meeting of the City Council was held this morning, after which City Attorney Michael Barrett reported out the unanimous action of the Council to appoint Steve Potter as the Interim City Manager, and to delegate authority to the Mayor to negotiate terms of employment. Following the closed session, the Mayor successfully negotiated terms of employment with Steve Potter, and the terms will be presented to City Council for final approval at the next regular meeting, at City Hall on July 17th at 3:30 pm. This appointment is for a term of up to one year, allowing time for the Council and Potter to consider alternatives and next steps at that time.