Interim city manager brings interesting experience to temporary
job
If he saved the Shah’s family from 2,500 angry Iranians storming
the hills around Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive, maybe Edward Kreins
has what it takes to save Hollister from the state water board’s
wrath.
If he saved the Shah’s family from 2,500 angry Iranians storming the hills around Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive, maybe Edward Kreins has what it takes to save Hollister from the state water board’s wrath.
The City Council selected Kreins, 68, the former police chief and city manager of the city of “swimmin’ pools and movie stars,” to be the interim city manager of Hollister. He will take over from outgoing manager George Lewis on Jan. 11 and promised not to be just a caretaker until a new one is chosen, perhaps by summer.
“I’m not a person who puts his feet on the desk and opens his mail and waits for the new manager to come,” Kreins said.
He’d better not be.
Kreins will be paid $12,949.66 monthly, plus the city will reimburse him for an apartment, the use of a car and all business expenses. Members of the council say he’s worth the money.
“We had three candidates, but this guy really stood out as exceptional for the interim job,” said Councilman Tony Bruscia. “I think he has a combination of tremendous experience, and he seems to have a great work ethic.”
Bruscia stood in as mayor pro-tem during Monday’s council meeting and handed the outgoing Lewis a plaque.
“Truly this has been one of the most rewarding jobs that I’ve held,” Lewis said. “It’s really been a privilege to be here and I will always remember my time in the city of Hollister as the city manager.”
Kreins will be taking over a city forbidden by the state from building because
of mismanagement of the sewage system. Once in place, Kreins will meet with each member of the council one-on-one and try to build consensus among their goals. Bruscia, for instance, wants to see Kreins set up performance standards for city employees and reward outstanding employee performance.
Mayor Brian Conroy said Kreins would help the city look for a permanent replacement for Lewis. He commended Councilman Tony LoBue and former Councilwoman Peggy Corrales for their work on the council’s selection committee. The committee took Kreins’ name from a list provided by the California League of Cities.
Lewis, a developer engineer by trade, leaves amid controversy, communication breakdowns and accusations that department heads have not been held accountable, especially in regards to public works and the sewage treatment plant. The city faces $1.2 million in fines for the May sewage spill, and when the state sent a warning letter to public works director Jim Perrine, it sat on his desk for two weeks unbeknownst to council members. In addition, the county filed a lawsuit against the city in November to force accountability in sewage system fixes and has withheld funding for the animal shelter because it says the city has not provided requested financial information.
Since retiring from Beverly Hills in 1990, Kreins has since served as an interim city manager in five other cities, including Pismo Beach, Seaside and most recently Livermore, where he received high marks for his performance.
“He didn’t have a need to prove anything to anybody,” said Councilwoman Lorraine Dietrich of Livermore. “He’s a real straight shooter. He doesn’t do things behind peoples’ backs.”
Kreins improved strained relations in Livermore between the police union, which had worked without a contract for two years, and the city administration by handling the negotiations personally. Kreins even saved the city money because no consultant had to be hired to negotiate the contract, she said.
“Kreins has a very strong presence, a lot of experience and he’s very well spoken,” Conroy said.
The 6-foot-4 Kreins began his 24-year police career as an officer in Hayward and ended up as the Beverly Hills police chief. Kreins was chief there in 1979 when thousands of angry Iranian demonstrators set three homes on fire and charged the house of the Shah’s mother and sister.
“It was pretty hairy,” Kreins said.
With only 26 officers and a few guards assigned from the U.S. State Department, Kreins thwarted the attackers, some armed with guns, until backup arrived from Los Angeles.
Kreins was appointed Beverly Hills’ city manager within a year of that incident. He inherited a city with deficit spending in the millions, but soon put the ledger books into black ink.
Kreins mentored the current city manager of Beverly Hills, Mark Scott, who describes Kreins as a strong leader who avoids micromanagement, yet holds high expectations for his staff.
“He pretty much let us learn by doing,” Scott said. “It’s hard for managers to let their subordinates learn by doing. He’s a very strong manager; when you work for Ed you know who you’re working for. He didn’t tolerate people who were incompetent.”
Kreins’ term did not end without controversy. The Beverly Hills council embarked on a massive civic center project in 1982 that became mired in lawsuits and led to millions in cost overruns. By his and Scott’s account, Kreins agreed to see the troubled project through its completion in 1990.
Kreins also brings extensive experience to Hollister as a consultant, having performed management audits, sexual harassment investigations and background check services for 35 cities around the state, according to his own count. While he will likely stay on for no more than six months, his protege said that may just be what Hollister needs.
“The good thing about interim managers is they can make hard decisions,” Scott said.
