Meston to resign as acting SLT city manager
Updated April 6, 5:30pm:
By Kathryn Reed
South Lake Tahoe acting City Manager Jeff Meston has told the City Council that he wants to step down.
Meston’s full-time job is fire chief of the city.
He has had the added responsibilities since Feb. 7. That is when the council put then City Manager Nancy Kerry on leave before eventually permanently separating ways for reasons that still have not been disclosed.
Jeff Meston
Meston sent a note to the council saying, “I am unable to complete my duties as the fire chief while working as the acting city manager. I respectfully request that we move ahead in the next 30 days to find and hire an interim city manager.”
Mayor Wendy David was not immediately available for comment.
In Meston’s letter he cited the structure of the fire department and how with him being pulled out to do city work not related to his department it is taking a toll.
“We have several critical issues pending which include finalization of the Standards of Cover Document (council goal), hiring additional personnel, our communication system replacement plan as well as the lawsuit over the ladder truck. I am unable to complete my duties as the fire chief while working as the acting city manager,” Meston’s letter said.
The council also needs a city attorney because the firm acting as interim legal counsel has said they will no longer be performing those duties as of the end of summer.
The council last month had a brief conversation about what to do about the two leadership positions which it has control over. However, it is not clear what the five really want to do.
Meston had told the council he is trying to find a search firm to find a city manager.
The minutes from that meeting were on the April 4 council agenda. They were inaccurate regarding that conversation and had to be revised. The minutes fraudulently stated a motion, conversation and action that never occurred.
The council has not made any official decisions about what it wants to do with a city manager or city attorney. The resignation of Meston as acting city manager will now press their hands to do their job.
Mr. Meston is wise to recognize quickly the untenable position the city council had placed him in: Two full time jobs.
His legacy will be hiring three new fire fighters and increasing the salaries and bonuses of fire fighters and policemen.
We have Nancy Kerry and David Jinkens in town, both experienced city managers. Why could they not serve as interim managers while there is a search for an ultimate City Manager? There is a lot at stake.
The city council should swallow its pride and admit its recent failure to work on behalf of the best interests of this town.
I suggest that the City Council ask former city manager David Jenkins to fill in as City Manager until a new City Manager can be vetted and hired. I don’t know if he would even want to do that, but he still lives here and is a valuable member of our community.
I agree with Elie that Meston was wise to resign the additional position, and work to gt funding to bring our underfunded, response-compromised Fire Dept back into the position he knows we need in Tahoe. We live in a match box, and it seems so perilous that we have a fire department that is shut down! Also, it must be a challenge to work with the current mess at City Hall! They need to get an experienced Interim City Manager, and get the search started to fill those two critical positions – it’s been over a month! The City Council made a very big mistake!
The council should have discusssed filling these positions on the next meeting after they quit, one has to wonder why they didn’t? Talking behind closed doors? Not legal. What is so difficult that the city can’t get temporary professionals like everyone else, kinda simple. More shocking to read the meeting minutes about this were changed, say what? What a serious mess. Makes you wonder if whoever is wagging the dog at the city handed out blindfolds to the others? I’ve heard the pitter patter around town of a grand jury investigation brewing. It’s terrible to see our city once again becoming so embarrassingly dysfunctional.