Momentum, Not Slowdown Usually, things quiet down as the holidays approach. But, not in Carmel this year. The December Council meetings will tackle issues that matter to residents and are essential to keeping Carmel safe, beautiful, and productive. The same is happening with our Commissions. I’ve also represented Carmel at the Mayors Association, the Monterey County Hospitality Association’s recognition awards, the Carmel Innkeepers gathering, and the Panetta Institute’s Linc

Typically, city leadership transitions happen one at a time. A police chief retires. A department head moves on. A new city manager is hired. It’s natural, and often healthy. But in Carmel-by-the-Sea, 2025 will be a year of unique opportunity. In one year, our Public Works Director, Police Chief, Library and Community Activities Director, Fire Chief, Planning Director, and City Administrator will retire or will move into a new role. In the last two years, we also welcomed a n

Recently, 2,300 city leaders from across California met in Long Beach for the League of California Cities Annual Conference and  Expo. Assistant City Administrator Brandon Swanson, HR Director Marisa Bermudez, and I split up to cover as many of the 100 sessions as we could. Topics ranged across HR, planning and development, wildfire readiness, IT, and legal issues. In addition, during coffee breaks and evening events, I compared notes with colleagues from cities like Livermor