Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Redlands Hires Martinez as City Manager

Lynwood, CA - The City of Redlands has hired N. Enrique Martinez, who's on administrative leave in Lynwood as city manager.

Read story here.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

HE SHOULD TAKE THAT HAIRY ALICIA AND HIS TWO SLAVES DEBORHA AND AUTRA THE ELEPHANT WITH HIM.

Anonymous said...

Martinez fooled another City into hiring him. Perhaps they should have checked to see how he could hire his friends and cronies in Lynwood and destroy employee morale and Lynwood's finances. He will do to Redlands what he did to Lynwood. Perhaps now the City Council can get on with their priorities instead of the City Manager's. Lynwood is better off without this guy and his wife. Good bye. PS -- maybe now he will resign and Lynwood won't have to pay off his contract since he got a job without being fired.

Anonymous said...

Cool. Moving to a city with higher per capita income and lower crime rate.

Good for him!

Anonymous said...

Hiring N. Enrique Martinez was one of most stupid things the Lynwood City Council ever did. The Redlands hiring of N. Enrique Martinez is a blessing to Lynwood. Now the City of Lynwood is left with task of having to clean up the budget mess that N. Enrique Martinez left behind.

Anonymous said...

Hey Phyliss and Canisha!

We are watching you!

Tell miss Reed we said hi!

Figure out how to turn on your computer yet?

Anonymous said...

Good Bye ART!

Anonymous said...

The little jerk has to resign now. Good because he does not deserve a penny.

Anonymous said...

adios..kike tevamos aestranar

Anonymous said...

Good for him...he escaped from the sinking ship, and was able to move to a first class city, instead of being stuck in the low life City of Lynwood.

Too bad for the clownsel...now they have an inexperienced "yes man" at the helm, who didn't want the job in the first place, but doesn't have the guts to tell his bosses he wants to do what he was hired for, finance.

Moving to a clean city, good for Enrique.

Anonymous said...

10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, March 21, 2007

By NAOMI KRESGE
The Press-Enterprise

Redlands is the latest stop in a history of financially troubled cities for incoming City Manager Nabar Enrique Martinez, who compared himself Wednesday to an investor remodeling a fixer-upper for the real-estate market.

"My specialty has been to go into cities and turn them around when they have problems," said Martinez, 60, of Pasadena.

Martinez said he has worked in four other cities since resigning his last Inland job as city manager of Colton in 1996. Since January, he has been on administrative leave from his most-recent job as city manager in Lynwood.

He will take over in Redlands as the city looks for solutions to a budget crisis projected to leave the city without reserves in its $54 million general fund by mid-2008. Council members have said layoffs are possible as the city struggles to deal with rising pension and payroll costs and four consecutive years of outspending its revenue.

Martinez said his first task would be to ensure Redlands' employees, as well as its residents, understand the city's dire financial condition.

'A Skilled Tactician'

"He's a very skilled tactician regarding budgetary matters, and knowing that's a challenge in Redlands, I think he's very well-equipped to lead them," said Colton City Manager Daryl Parrish, who worked for Martinez as an assistant to the city manager during his two years in Colton.

Parrish called Martinez tough but fair, praising his privatization of Colton's solid-waste system. Two Colton councilmen later admitted accepting cash payments in connection with the trash contract, but Martinez was not implicated in the case.

Lynwood Unhappy

Lynwood Mayor Louis Byrd and Councilman Fernando Pedroza said Wednesday they were less pleased with Martinez's work in their city.

"I would say he had some grandiose ideas and came and changed a whole lot of things in the city of Lynwood," Byrd said. "We are still in dire straits for city finances."

The council members said Martinez added $3 million to the city's payroll and criticized him for his February 2006 marriage to his assistant city manager, Marianna Marysheva, six months after he hired her.

Martinez said he brought an additional $2 million in revenue to Lynwood by implementing development fees, common in local government, for the first time. He said he added less than $900,000 to the payroll by filling positions that had been sitting vacant.

"In Lynwood, the council members are accustomed to micromanaging and wanting the city manager to hire the people they want hired," Martinez said.

In March 2006, former Lynwood Mayor Paul H. Richards II was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for funneling consulting contracts to family members, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

Pedroza called Martinez a coward for bringing up the corruption case.

"This city has long turned a corner," he said. "I'm glad he's leaving the city, because his evaluation is not looking very good."

Redlands Contract

The Redlands council unanimously approved Martinez's $218,000 contract on Tuesday after interviewing five finalists from a 44-person field of applicants. Former City Manager John Davidson resigned in the fall amid controversy over an investigation into the Redlands Police Department, and took a city manager position in Hemet.

Redlands council members Mick Gallagher and Pete Aguilar said the council was impressed by Martinez's budget knowledge. They declined to speak in detail about how Martinez explained his work history.

"I think he probably stood up for something they asked him to do that probably wasn't right," Gallagher said. "I really liked him for that."

Reach Naomi Kresge at 909-806-3060

Anonymous said...

para elconsejal sr fernando pedrosa a usted sr como le duele que ablen mal de su marido paul richards oke token lo que paso con el arresto de richie mira fernie pervie nose porque los del f b i se estan tardando en venir porti y tu dos mallugas tu pajaraco y tu san martin olle fernie parece queno le tienes miedo al f b i verda me alegra que te sientas tan inteligente sabes asi pensaba tu richie pero ahora que esta en la carcel se canbio de nonbre ahora es la negra tomasa jajajajajajajajajajj siguele dando contratos atu suegrito para que agan un trisom en la pinta carnalito las 3 maravillas miss tomasa yla loca fernandita yla raulita las servidoras sociales dela la pinta jajajajajajajjajjajajjj asta pronto y para mi amigo kike buena suerte mi gracias por lo que iso con los enpleados de lynwood usted si tiene huevos merese mis respetos porque no un puppet delos ladrones estoy esperando su llamada dijo que me iba allamar nomas lo quiero felicitar presonal mente usted sabe quien soy bueno kikin asta la bista y suerte mi amigaso graciassssssssssssssssssbyebybebyebybeybyebyebyebyebybebybe

Anonymous said...

thankyou blog owner please suport the public enployees these people work very hard council only says that we are hard workinng enployees but look we are negosation with council and they don't want to give us a decent raise please supurt this enployees thank you bliog owner sincerly a 18yrs enpoyee chao..good bye

Anonymous said...

Post 9:35. We all know you are Enrique posting about yourself. You're in San Bernardino County now, the armpit of California. It stinks just like you. Good Riddance. Who cares about your wife's stinky cuchie. I heard Billie Martinez tapped it way before you did!

Anonymous said...

Haters!

Phyllis -
Press the ON button, you IDIOT!

Canisha - The way it works is:

1) When the thingy rings, pick up the handle part...

2) Place next to your ear

3) Say, "hello"

4) when the call ends hang the handle part up back on the thingy.

easy, huh?

There...now you can two tell everyone how you earned your salary today and how everyone is racist against you! No need to thank me. It will be our little secret!

Just dont put it on the blog 'cause everyone will know...

Anonymous said...

Now that the menace Enrique Martinez is gone and thank goodness, lets take him off our website.

Anonymous said...

We all know that Enrique was a piece of Sh!t.....the only came to the city for the benefit of his family, friends, and cronies. He claims that he did nothing wrong and that the city is in a good shape financially, but we all know that this bastard never had good intensions for the city. He was only here for the riches the city never had.

The only thing him and his wife mariana did was embezzle thousand of dollars through contracts and developers. not to mention all the lazy a$$es he brought in to do little work for very high salaries. I hope he takes this lazy people with him soon....especially the elephant Autra. I just hope the city of redlands will see right through this corrupt man.

Anonymous said...

What are you talking about Autra has been here, since Paul!

Embezzeled Thousands of Dollars? If that were the case, council would have fired him and had him prosecuted. The fact is, Pedroza, Byrd and Johnson couldn't find anything to get him on. They are still investigating. he,he,he

Anonymous said...

You have got to love all the baseless accusations made on this useless blog.

Anonymous said...

Very simple, DON'T COME BACK!

Anonymous said...

hy lynwood ..this is for pedroza fernando porque estas tan enojado con kike ablas mucho de contratos verda segun el iso bueno fernie el no tiene tanto tienpo como tu que ya conoses el teje y maneje de la city desde que estabas con reyes y el pendejo de sanches como le echavas atu camote richard perdon tu negra tomasa jajaja que era un dictador pero tedio buenas clases verda y ahora te duele lo que ase kikin verda si los unicos hijos de la gran pu.. tu y tu p..... suegro son los que estan mandando al chingada esta city si estoy mal rayamer la madre porque no dices que antes que entra kike ya le abias dado contratos atu suegro con las gruas estoy mal oh mereso ok sigo onde tienen el inpound tu suegro ya pago los 80.000 que le presto la city cuanto cobra al la city por levantar carros nomas un 500 dolaritos y puros carros de contong sales ablando en el lynwood press como si fueras un luchador de la city asi como dices que quieres regrese el dinero que segun el se robo tanbien regresen loque se anrobado tu y tu suegro y luego ablamos boy bien oh me regreso ok sigo jajajajajajaj,,bueno fernie espero tu respuesta ok ladron ladron espoco es mejor sin verguensa thank you blog page your the numro uno uno chao lynwood good nite byebyebyebyebyebybebybebayyyyyyyyyyyy jijijijijijijijijijijijijij

Anonymous said...

FROM: PHYILLS COOPER

TO: ALL MY BELOVET HATERS.....

listen to all the tax payers of lynwood. i am truley sorry, you all have knowen for years that i am a stupid incompedent idiot. you all have also knowen that i cant use a computer, and can barely read and write. the only reason i hold a manager tilte is because i play the racecard and poltics. i really know who to kiss up to and who to really kiss up to. but wouldnt you do the same if you were me?

think of, if you are a 60 year old unqualified moron, who wouldnt even be able to sweep the floors at any other real city, wouldnt you play these race games, kiss mr bryds ass, and do whatever you got to just to hold on and keep getting that check, so that you can pay for chestors dinner?

you know you would.

so leave me alone before i call mr bryd!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Miguel Figueroa's commentary on March 29, shows his drunken mentality; My guess is that instead of being in our community, he should be in rehab, and when he gets out we should send him back to Mexico.

Anonymous said...

ok all i want to know is why my son's teacher has put her personal life on a website that kids look at.

http://myspace.com/louisacollins

problem number one - its obvios lynwood unified needs to be randomly drug testing their teachers

problem number 2 - why are our teachers allowed to publicly list where they teach along with this distasteful personal information about thier own sexual perversions

someone needs to talk to dr. lal about this teacher.

i am going to file a complaint.

Anonymous said...

Lynwood Blog!

What is going on?

Anonymous said...

I heard that someone from the D.A.'s office was there yesterday.....

It's countdown.

Anonymous said...

N. Enrique Martinez getting looked into by local papers covering his new city of Redlands.

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_martinez06.3d74093.html

Some blog discussion here:

http://www.redcountysb.com/rcsb/2007/04/mas_martinez.html#more

Anonymous said...

New Redlands city manager's past jobs ended amid disputes

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_martinez06.3d74093.html

By NAOMI KRESGE
The Press-Enterprise

Survey: In light of the disclosures concerning the new Redlands city manager, what should city leaders do?

With an average tenure in his previous city manager posts of two years, Redlands' new top city executive has described himself as a rehabilitator of troubled cities.

But a review of public records and court cases in cities Nabar Enrique Martinez has managed shows he also received a series of large settlement payouts and left behind romances with subordinates and harassment complaints.

Martinez, who will start work in Redlands on Monday, received almost $400,000 in settlements and severances from four of his past six employers. He recently filed a claim against his most recent previous employer, Lynwood.

He dated an employee while working in Lynwood and Bell Gardens. He married his Lynwood deputy city manager while she still worked for him.

Employees in Pasadena and Bell Gardens took legal action against Martinez, claiming he harassed them, and he was forced out of a city manager position in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., after employee complaints.

Martinez, 60, said he was targeted by people who were upset because he had spoken out against unethical dealings.

"I stand up many, many, many times for the residents of the communities, and sometimes it's very lonely, and you have to do it yourself," he said.

In Redlands, Martinez will be paid $218,000 per year, and receive a $600 per month housing allowance and $800 per month vehicle, phone and computer allowance.

He was hired to address a budget crisis declared earlier this year. The city expects to be without reserves by mid-2008, in part because of labor costs. The crunch could result in a lack of money for basic city services, including an estimated $150 million in road repairs.

Council members said in a statement last week they chose Martinez because of his experience, professionalism, integrity and "uncompromising stance on matters of ethics and good government." The council chose him unanimously on March 20 from 44 applicants.

Mayor Jon Harrison said the council knew when it hired Martinez about his February 2006 marriage to his Lynwood deputy, Marianna Marysheva, but did not know that the couple had waited several months to disclose the relationship.

"We felt it was something we could accept about him," Harrison said. "It's not like any marriages were broken up."

Harrison declined to comment on the Bell Gardens relationship or harassment allegations.

"I think he's going to be a tough leader. He's going to expect performance out of people," Harrison said.

Work History

Martinez began his city management career in Texas in 1981, first as a budget analyst and manager of administration in Dallas, then as assistant city manager in Lubbock. He moved to California in 1989 to become a deputy city manager in San Jose.

He was not known for working well with city departments in San Jose, according to an April 1993 editorial by the San Jose Mercury News, but was well liked in the community.

Martinez's first severance payment, $40,000, came after residents protested when San Jose City Manager Les White laid him off because of budget cuts in 1993. According to the Mercury News, residents were angry that White had let go the only Hispanic among his five deputies.

Martinez went to work in September 1994 as city manager in Colton. He stayed two years, not an unusually short period in a city that cycled through eight managers between 1989 and 1997. He resigned in July 1996 with a $105,000 severance package.

Current Colton City Manager Daryl Parrish, who worked under Martinez as an assistant, said he saved the city money by privatizing its solid-waste system. Two Colton councilmen later admitted accepting cash payments in connection with the trash contract, but Martinez was not implicated in the bribery case.

Martinez then went to work in Bell Gardens, a south Los Angeles County city with a reputation for corruption. He was put on administrative leave there in May 1999 after clashing with then-Councilwoman Gloria Chacon, according to court records. His employment there ended in December 1999; Martinez said his contract was allowed to expire.

A stint as city manager in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., lasted less than a year, from December 1999 to October 2000. The City Council requested Martinez's resignation under pressure from city employees who complained of intimidation and name-calling, council minutes show. The city paid Martinez a $73,000 severance.

Martinez spent four years as an assistant city manager in Pasadena before taking his next top management job in Lynwood in April 2005. There, he said he secured $2 million in new revenue by implementing the city's first development fees.

But Lynwood Mayor Louis Byrd said Martinez added $3 million to the city's payroll, a figure Martinez disputes.

The Lynwood council placed Martinez on administrative leave in January. Councilman Fernando Pedroza said the council was displeased with his marriage to Marysheva and with his handling of major development projects.

Martinez has filed a claim in Lynwood, the precursor to a lawsuit. The council discussed the claim on Tuesday but has taken no action.

Severance clauses are common in city managers' contracts but generally only go into effect when termination is involuntary, said Michele Frisby, director of public information for the International City/County Management Association.

"You don't get a severance package if you just decide to change jobs," Frisby said.

Lawsuits Filed

In 2001, Martinez sued Bell Gardens and Chacon, claiming breach of contract, breach of implied covenant and that the city had retaliated against him for testifying against the police chief in a lawsuit filed by Bell Gardens police officers. The city paid Martinez $175,000 in a settlement the following year, a letter from Martinez's attorney shows.

The city also settled a lawsuit that its community services director filed in 1999 after Martinez fired her. The director, Rosemarie Vasquez, claimed Martinez and then-Mayor David Torres opened an investigation that led to her firing after she complained of harassment and discrimination. Vasquez could not be reached for comment.

Court records show the city reinstated Vasquez later that year, paying her back pay and an additional $20,000.

Chacon was arrested on conflict of interest charges after she took over as city manager. The California Supreme Court ruled in February that she could not avoid prosecution by saying she had relied on the city attorney's advice when she voted for an ordinance that allowed her to move from the council dais to the manager's job.

Records in the Bell Gardens lawsuit show one point of contention with Chacon was Martinez's romantic relationship with Gloria Lujan, an employee in the city's personnel department.

Court records show Martinez began seeing Lujan in January 1998, two months before separating from his second wife. Lujan could not be reached for comment.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Martinez said this week of the relationship.

Employee Complaints

A secretary filed a claim against Martinez and his employer, Pasadena, in 2003 claiming Martinez harassed her, records show.

Carolyn Gray filed the claim in October 2003 but did not file a lawsuit after the claim was rejected the following month, claims coordinator Bob Hays said. Gray was moved to a different department, city spokeswoman Ann Erdman said.

Gray could not be reached for comment, and her attorney was out of the country this week.

A report by EXTTI Inc., a Bell Canyon law firm that investigates employment issues, concluded there was no harassment.

But the investigator found Martinez's demanding management style could have contributed to the problem.

"He seems uncomfortable with many of the changes in the workplace -- particularly those wrought by technology," the report states. "For example, Martinez still utilizes his secretary to send emails and to keep (even to turn the page on) his calendar."

An Oct. 2, 2000, letter from Palm Beach Gardens Police Chief Peter Bergel also stated that Martinez had problems working with people. Bergel writes that he was initially impressed with Martinez but became disillusioned. Bergel writes that he often saw Martinez berate and belittle staffers.

"Mother Teresa could have been there, and those cities with those histories would have had the same results," Martinez said.

Ruffling Feathers

Grant Taylor, director of development services in Lynwood, defended Martinez as a man who played strictly by the rules.

"If there was ever an issue where a request came to do something that wasn't by the letter of the law, he would always back me up in my decision," Taylor said.

Martinez said Redlands residents need to move ahead to planning for the city's financial future.

Councilman Gilberto Gil said the council asked tough questions about Martinez's past during the interview process. Both Gil and Councilman Mick Gallagher noted that his contract in Redlands specifies he will not get a severance if he leaves before a year.

If the council terminates his employment after a year, he could get a severance package of one year's pay and medical benefits.

"When you're an agent of change and have a direct approach, sometimes you ruffle some feathers," Gil said.

Reach Naomi Kresge at 909-806-3060 or nkresge@PE.com

Settlements and severance

Incoming Redlands City Manager Nabar Enrique Martinez has collected almost $400,000 in settlements and severance packages from city management jobs he has held over the past 14 years.

Lynwood (2005-07): Filed a claim, the precursor to a lawsuit. No further action has been taken.

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (1999-2000): $73,000 severance.

Bell Gardens (1996-99): $175,000 civil lawsuit settlement.

Colton (1994-96): $105,000 severance,

San Jose* (1989-93): $40,000 severance.

* Martinez was an assistant city manager.

Source: Court records, settlement documents

Anonymous said...

are we forgetting Laura Alderete, another one of Mr. Martinez's hires. She is never at work before 9 am and if she does show up she sits around delegating work to her staff. What is she getting paid for agaiN????

Anonymous said...

take it back, the laura has done a great job with the newletter, and the christmas dinner, and other functions. OH NO WAIT, Jamel Goodloe desigs the paper, while Laura does not even proof the spanish part. As for the city functions, thank god her staff can pull it off, becuase all she is good for is getting dressed for the occassion.

Anonymous said...

I hope Redlands knows what they are getting themselves into because we know the piece of shit manager that we had and we are glad that the Council finnaly through out the trash. This manager was incompetent and probably the worse manager Lynwood has ever had next to Lawrence Adams and Mike Heriot. He didn't do anything never made any recommendations and did not improve the City. The City is the dirtiest it has ever been.

Anonymous said...

The little shit won't last in Redlands. The question you have to ask yourself is at 60 yers of age why is he still working. Could it be he doesn't know how to manage his finances. Look at the finacial mess he left in Lynwood. We now hear that Debbie Jackson is looking to go to Redlands.

Anonymous said...

Yeah.....and hopefully he'll take the Elephant Autra, Laura, Alicia, and Rigo with him as well. We don't need lazy incompetant people like these in the City of Lynwood. They are simply good for nothing!!!

Anonymous said...

Who's Debbie Jackson?

Anonymous said...

Who is Bubble Butt?

Anonymous said...

Just found you guys! Come see what the midget is doing in Redlands. Follow the link and leave your comments.

http://www.topix.net/forum/source/redlands-daily-facts/TJJQ6HVCC9DT8LUEH