HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 386-06City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL 5
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: City Manager’s Office
DATE:OCTOBER 16, 2006 CMR:386:06
SUBJECT:CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENT OF DIANE JENNINGS AS
LIBRARY DIRECTOR
RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends that the City Council confirm the appointment of Diane Jermings
as the City of Palo Alto Director of Libraries.
BACKGROUND
Municipal Code Section 2.08.020 requires that the City Council confirm the City Manager’s
appointment of City department heads.
DISCUSSION
After an exhaustive, nationwide search, the City’s current Interim Director, Diane Jennings, has
been selected to serve as Palo Alto’s Director of Libraries. She has been the Acting Director
since July 2006, following the departure of Paula Simpson; and also ran the Library Department
from September 2002 to March 2004, after the departure of Mary Jo Levy. Ms. Jennings has 29
years of public library management experience, twenty of which have been with Palo Alto. She
is knowledgeable in all aspects of the City’s library operations.
The nationwide recruitment involved the participation of not only top Library staff, but other
City department heads, representatives from the Library Advisory Commission, and a library
director from a neighboring city. Diane clearly stood out as the best person for the challenges
the Library Department faces in the next several years, the key being bringing together the
varying interests in the community to fashion a common vision to take the library system
forward in term of programs and capital infrastructure. Diane has demonstrated the skills needed
to lead this effort.
RESOURCE IMPACT
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The control point for the Library Director position is $139,318. Ms. Jennings will not become an
at-will employee since she is a current City employee, and will not require any relocation
assistance. She will receive an automobile allowance as a department head.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This recommendation is consistent with existing City policies.
PREPARED BY
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL
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