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Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Dave Knapp, Los Gatos' popular town manager, will be moving soon to Cupertino where he has accepted the job of city manager.
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Town faces challenge of hiring new manager
By Nathan R. Huff
As the town prepares to bid farewell to Cupertino-bound town manager David Knapp, the challenge of finding a new manager begins.
Despite being one of the top-salaried positions in the town--Knapp makes $123,000 a year--the through-the-roof cost of housing will play a major role in both the recruitment and retention of the town's next manager.
Knapp met with council members in closed session on June 14, to present a list of "headhunter" agencies the town could use, as well as options for the interim period.
According to Knapp, the ideal location and political climate in Los Gatos will hopefully counter the relocation issue. "It's a very desirable job," Knapp said, "and when somebody takes the job they consider the advantages--the council, staff and location."
The town could also use the same incentive they offered to lure Knapp here from Boulder, Colo., a decade ago--to finance a house for the new manager. When Knapp took over at the height of the town's post-earthquake financial troubles, the town made Knapp a loan to purchase his current home. The town received the same interest rate it was getting from its investments, which was lower than the prevailing mortgage interest rate.
Knapp now plans to refinance the house to repay the town's loan, but to keep his home as a rental and investment. Cupertino requires its city manager be a resident, and Knapp has six months to find a new home in Cupertino.
Whether or not the town will offer the same incentive to the next manager is unknown. When Knapp bought his 1940s two-bedroom bungalow through the town in 1990, it cost $420,000. The same house today would sell for close to $800,000.
"I don't see any reason why they wouldn't," Knapp said, adding that residency is important for a number of reasons. "Being manager of a community means being part of that community." Knapp said he received as much feedback in the grocery store and driving through town as in the office.
Council members appear less convinced that hiring an in-town manager is a necessity. Councilman Joe Pirzynski and Mayor Steve Blanton both said the housing issue was not at the top of their list of desirable characteristics.
"There are various ways to connect to a community," Pirzynski said. "My inclination is to go for the best person. If you can't give the highest dollar in the field, you offer other issues of equity, like the quality of this community."
Councilwoman Linda Lubeck wholeheartedly agreed. She said she saw no need for the person to be a town resident. "My primary concern is finding someone who will be a strong leader, manager and someone who gets things done," Lubeck said, adding that she felt the town would not have difficulty finding qualified applicants.
Councilman Randy Attaway holds the opposite view. He said he believes residency gives a town manager an automatic step up in job performance. "I feel there's an undeniable benefit of having the party that manages the community be immersed in it," he said, adding Knapp would be missed for his tangible and intangible qualities.
"His outgoingness in the community was a great asset," Attaway said. "But he brought in a whole lot of qualities others couldn't see."
Knapp is scheduled to begin his job in Cupertino on July 10. His last day as town manager in Los Gatos will be July 9.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
