It’s been just over a month since Hollister resident Jennifer
Coile officially took over as San Juan Bautista’s city manager, and
while it’s been a rocky start, those working with the neophyte
manager are pleased with her progress.
”
The toughest job in San Benito County is being a city
manager,
”
said Supervisor Anthony Botelho.
”
But I think she truly wants to work with people. She’s been very
willing to share information with the county and myself.
”
San Juan Bautista – It’s been just over a month since Hollister resident Jennifer Coile officially took over as San Juan Bautista’s city manager, and while it’s been a rocky start, those working with the neophyte manager are pleased with her progress.
“The toughest job in San Benito County is being a city manager,” said Supervisor Anthony Botelho. “But I think she truly wants to work with people. She’s been very willing to share information with the county and myself.”
Coile accepted the job when San Juan Bautista City Council members unanimously chose her from a host of applicants several months after the controversial firing of veteran manager Larry Cain. Cain’s firing spawned serious resentment from many city residents and even spurred a recall attempt against the mayor and vice mayor, which later failed.
But Coile stated in an e-mail Monday she couldn’t be happier at her new post, and while scheduling problems and issues in keeping city business moving smoothly can be difficult, she believes she has San Juan’s affairs under control.
Coile stated she has ample experience in dealing with multi-agency, multimillion-dollar projects – which come in handy where the city’s multimillion-dollar water grant to overhaul the city’s dilapidated water and sewer system is concerned – and she’s keeping busy overseeing a couple new housing developments and a new emergency plan in case of a major natural disaster.
Although Coile stepped into a sticky situation, made even stickier recently when council members decided to pursue the $3.7 million infrastructure grant without the help of the San Benito County Water District, those who have worked with her say given time, she has the qualifications to do the city some good.
But some new administrative procedures Coile recently implemented managed to ruffle some feathers.
Coile issued a notice to the local media stating that any request for information should go directly to her first – preferably in writing – and although elected officials “make their own decisions about how to respond to inquiries from the press,” they may chose to direct them to the city manager as well. The procedure garnered her some bad press in the Pinnacle newspaper, which lambasted Coile for what the paper claimed was her gagging of council members.
But Vice Mayor Charles Geiger dismissed talk of a gag order as ridiculous and said Coile’s management ideas are level-headed and practical.
“Do you think you’re going to gag me?” Geiger said. “She has her own administrative policy and she puts no restrictions on council members. She’s been putting in 70 and 80-hour weeks trying to get things organized and she’s doing a great job. If the public could see how dedicated she is to making San Juan more efficient they’d be real impressed.”
Geiger, however, was the only council member who returned phone calls Monday and Coile declined to be interviewed by phone, responding to questions via e-mail instead.
Botelho echoed Geiger’s sentiments about Coile and believes she “fell into a trap,” and that the negative news shouldn’t be a reflection on her or the city of San Juan.
But he stressed that Coile needs to put all her energy into working to obtain the best possible outcome for San Juan residents concerning the water grant – arguably the biggest challenge she faces, he said. The water grant, which the city must pad with almost $4 million in grants from other state sources and by raising residents’ water and sewer rates if they aren’t assisted by the water district, will give the city’s water and sewer system a complete facelift.
The water district was going to match the city’s federal grant with $3.1 million, however due to problems with the water district’s demands, San Juan city leaders are choosing to forge ahead without the district’s financial backing.
“Without question, the water grant is huge. The city and the water district aren’t communicating well at this point, and I would like to see the water district and the city put this grant forward together rather than the city go alone,” Botelho said. “I don’t believe it’s in the best interest of the citizens of San Juan Bautista or the county… for the city to go alone.”
Coile stated she’s confident the city will not lose the water grant and will have no problem going alone, and while she stated that she doesn’t listen to what her critics say, it’s the people who give her comments to her face who matter to her.
“More than a handful of people have told me to my face that they are glad I’m here,” she stated via e-mail, “and they like the changes they have noticed already.”
Outspoken political activist and long-time San Juan resident Rebecca McGovern, who initiated the recall against Mayor Arturo Medina and Geiger after Cain’s firing, spoke highly of Coile’s demeanor. Although she reminisced about the good ol’ days with her pal Cain at the city’s helm.
“It’s not the same,” McGovern said. “I think she’s trying very hard but she doesn’t have the experience in dealing with the city. It’s a big change for us.”
