While we still would like know more about the decision to oust
former City Manager Larry Cain, we’re glad to see that the San Juan
Bautista City Council moved quickly to find his replacement.
Jennifer Coile, who lives in Hollister, will take the Mission
City’s top job in July 1.
While we still would like know more about the decision to oust former City Manager Larry Cain, we’re glad to see that the San Juan Bautista City Council moved quickly to find his replacement. Jennifer Coile, who lives in Hollister, will take the Mission City’s top job in July 1.
Cain’s dismissal in March caused a huge stir in the little town. It even led to a failed attempt to recall two of the three city council members who voted to fire Cain. No doubt, there are still hard feelings about the episode, but dragging out this fight would only distract the council from the important issues facing San Juan Bautista.
Now is the time to focus San Juan’s political energy on solving the town’s problems and Coile, who has a master’s degree from Harvard in city planning, comes in with a strong, tightly-focused agenda. She wants to:
Balance the city budget and increasing revenue through grants
Increase customer service
Strengthen San Juan businesses
Maintain a good working relationship with the San Benito County Water District as the city uses a multi-million dollar grant to improve its infrastructure
Coile’s plan hits on many of the issues that are important to San Juan. Working cooperatively with the council, which voted unanimously to hire her, to accomplish those goals will be good progress for a city looking at budget problems and significant infrastructure issues – namely and an aged and rotting water system.
Still, we’re concerned about Cain’s firing because the council never made the full story behind its decision clear. Councilmembers Charles Geiger, George Dias and Mayor Arturo Medina ousted the popular city manager citing a lack of communication, sloppy contracts and poor performance evaluations. But they did not make public any detailed examples of those problems, problems that troubled them enough to fire a man many people say is honorable and hard-working.
However, it’s obvious that there was not enough anguish over the move to force a recall.
And by hiring Coile and tackling a focused scope of work, this council has an opportunity to do a lot of good for San Juan Bautista.
