Council sings city manager’s praises

Wednesday, March 2, 2005 | 8:45 a.m.

What a difference a year makes for politics in Boulder City.

This week marks the anniversary of the departure of John Sullard, who resigned from the city manager job under pressure from the City Council.

The City Council on Monday conducted its first closed-door evaluation of City Manager Vicki Mayes, and several council members said they couldn't be happier with her performance.

The council named Mayes acting city manager in February 2004 before selecting her for the job full time in August. She previously was city clerk.

"I think the main thing she is doing is she is very up front with everything and all the information is out there for the public," Councilwoman Andrea Anderson said. "There is nothing hidden. We are gaining back our credibility this city should have had. We have gone a long way to get that back up."

Sullard came under fire for his oversight of the financially struggling Boulder City Golf Club. The golf course opened in January 2003 at a cost of $22 million with predictions of profits, only to lose money instead.

The city, which took over the course management a year ago under Mayes, announced in February it is considering leasing the course to a private operator to help cover its $1.5 million a year debt payment.

The city is also preparing to return to voters on June 7 for permission to sell 45 acres of city land northeast of the golf course to help pay off the golf course debt. Voters rejected a similar measure in November.

"The golf course has gotten better since we have taken it over ourselves," Anderson said. "The credibility with the community has come up substantially."

Councilwoman Karla Burton said she's been happy with Mayes' performance so far. She said Sullard had lost the confidence of the community and was no longer effective in working with the council.

"She is a much better negotiator and has much better people skills," Burton said of Mayes. "I think she does a better job of prioritizing."

Mayor Bob Ferraro also praised Mayes for the amount she has accomplished in a short period of time. He said Mayes pays attention to detail and provides all the information the council needs to make good decisions.

"She is on top of everything," Ferraro said. "There is no comparison. Vicki has the ability to look ahead. You can tell someone is doing an exceptional job when they are down there working on Fridays on their day off or on Saturday morning."

Mayes said she appreciates the praise and that her goal is to accomplish what the council wants her to do. She said the city will continue to work to improve golf course revenue and reduce expenses.

"When I took the job, it was my job to rebuild our credibility, along with our finances," Mayes said. "I have worked really hard at both things."

Ferraro called Sullard, who was employed by Boulder City for seven years, "totally infective."

"He didn't know how to go about accomplishing what needed to be done for the city. He made a lot of enemies and lacked the personal skills that I think are important."

Sullard could not be reached for comment. Ferraro said Sullard still lives in Boulder City.

Anderson was reluctant to say anything bad about the former city manager but instead said she wants to focus on the city's future under Mayes' leadership.

"From my way of thinking, I would like to see more of the same direction we are going," Anderson said.