Trust

 

After reading about Bell, California, discuss what techniques or steps you would take to instill trust in public administration. In 500-750 words, do the following:

1. Create a plan to instill trust with citizens in regard to public administration. Include specifically what action you as an administrator will take.

Use two to four scholarly resources to support your explanations.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

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CALIFORNIA
Where Our Profession Is

Makind a Differenoe

HOW MANAGERS STEPPED UP
TO HELP THE OOMMUNITY

RECOVER

By Kevin Duggan, ICMA-CM

On Friday, July 16,2O11, the recruitmentdeadline closed for an interim city managerin Bell, California (35,500 population).Applications were counted up. They totaled
zero. The Bell brand was definitely in trouble.

A little more than 18 months ago the local govern-
ment management profession was rocked by the com-
pensation scandal in Bell. Although there will always
be isolated examples of members of the profession not

TAKEAWAYS

>Bell, California, has been a difficult experience for
the local government management community, but
one day it might serve as a positive example for the
profession.
> The response to the call for assistance is a clear dem-
onstration of what the management profession and the
individuals who compose it represent.

meeting the demands of the ICMA Code of Ethics and
the expectations of their communities, the extreme
conduct in Bell, along with the intense media attention
it generated, created challenges for the profession both
in California and across the country.

While ICMA was already focused on efforts to
better explain the role and value of professional
management through its upcoming “Life, Well Run”
campaign, one of the worst possible examples of our
profession became the best-known city manager in the
nation. The greatest impact of this scandal, however,
was on the residents of Bell. It became their challenge
to reclaim their local government.

Painful Impacts
Among the impacts of the Bell scandal was an intense
interest in public sector compensation in both national
and local media. The response of the profession,
including ICMA, was to focus on communicating the
reality of compensation in the public sector and to

1 6

PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | MARCH 2012 icma.org/pm

identify best practices. Increased ef-

forts were undertaken in California and

other parts of the nation to develop

compensation guidelines.

While these efforts were under way.

Bell’s citizens began the hard work of re-

claiming their community. The city man-

ager and other high-level staff members

were removed from their positions, and

some had criminal charges filed against

them. By early 2011, the previous council

had been recalled and a new council was

in place. The new councilmembers faced

daunting challenges.

The scandal revealed not only outra-

geous issues regarding compensation but

also significant management and leader-

ship deficiencies and major financial

problems. Compounding the problems

was that the new council found itself with

a much-depleted leadership team and one

not of its choosing.

Councilmembers were also continuing

to deal with significant community distrust

and an overwhelming number of serious

and challenging issues. There also was

a lack of experienced leadership on both

elected and appointed levels. An additional

challenge was that all this was played out

in the glare of intense media scrutiny.

As the new councilmembers

struggled to try to move the community

forward, their aspirations were further

impacted by the impression that govern-

ment professionals were unwilling to

become involved in such a negative,

difficult, and demanding circumstance.

By the summer of 2011, the news media

were beginning to conclude that no one

was willing to help the city.

Although there were a number of

reasons for the challenges faced in

obtaining professional assistance, clearly

one was the stigma associated with the

previous city leadership and its impacts.

When it came to ICMA’s attenfion that

Bell was having difficulty obtaining the

professional assistance needed to rees-

tablish effective governance and services,

it was clear that action was necessary.

As painful an experience as BeU

continued to be, it was fime for our

profession to offer help. The mayor and

council immediately responded with

enthusiasm to ICMA’s offer to assist them

in finding professional interim leadership.

Also responding quickly and positively

to partner with ICMA and its California

affiliate, Cal-ICMA, were the League

of California Cities (LCC) and its City

Manager’s Department and California City

Management Foundation (CCMF).

The initial assistance consisted of

contacting the membership of these

organizations to request help. The

challenge quickly became urgent when

members of the new council determined

they did not wish to extend the contract

of the temporary chief administrative

officer they had inherited from the previ-

ous governing body.

In lieu of the contract being extended,

the mayor became the interim CAO, a cir-

cumstance that neither he nor his council

colleagues wanted to continue any longer

than absolutely necessary. ICMA, LCC,

and CCMF needed to move quickly to

identify professional interim leadership.

Ken Hampian’s Story
After some direct outreach by profes-

sional colleagues. Ken Hampian, ICMA

member and the retired city manager

of San Luis Obispo, California, offered

his services for a 30-day period. This

provided fime for the recruitment of a

longer-term interim manager.

Not only was Ken willing to change

a number of personal plans for those

first 30 days, but he also insisted that he

serve without compensation. He did not

want any questions raised regarding his

motivafion to assist.

Since retiring from city management

in January 2010, Ken had not been

interested in pursuing interim manager

positions. He was enjoying other kinds

of work and service and believed the city

hall portion of his life was over. But, as

Ken describes it, to his surprise he had a

great urge to “answer the Bell.”

He viewed the opportunity as a mis-

sion and not a job and an opportunity

for our profession to demonstrate what

professional service and management are

really about. He was also motivated by

a strong desire to change the impression

created by those who preceded him and

claimed to be public servants.

Within five days of the vacancy

occurring, Ken interviewed with the Bell

council. Within 30 minutes of meet-

ing Ken, councilmembers appointed

him interim CAO, and he immediately

found himself sitting in the CAO’s chair

for a jam-packed council meefing. He

provided advice and suggestions at the

meeting that lasted until 2 a.m.

As Ken quickly found out, the chal-

lenge was much greater than helping

the organization and community recover

from the compensation scandal. He

found an organization in shambles. Poli-

cies, processes, hierarchy, equipment,

training—the normal accoutrements of

organizational life—were nonexistent or

severely withered.

There were no department heads or

citizen advisory bodies. Ken found the

remaining staff dedicated but skeletal

and shouldering an overwhelming work-

load. He also found Bell entangled in a

net of bad debts, bond levies, lawsuits,

and grant violations.

Ken was immediately immersed in an

almost overwhelming number of issues

ranging from those having great signifi-

cance to the mundane. Compounding the

challenge was the absence of staff support

in key areas and the complete lack of

organizational infrastructure to address

even the most routine of inquiries.

He also quickly discovered that,

although this working-class com-

munity had accomplished through the

recall process the initial recapture of

their community, they were severely

handicapped by a lack of governing

experience and civic involvement. The

community’s dignity and self-respect

had also taken a serious hit, and trust

was greatly lacking.

Although a dedicated, committed,

and intelligent mayor and council had

been elected, they were not experienced

in local government and its services.

It became apparent immediately that

the challenges were so great that Ken

needed some direct assistance. Within

icma.org/pm MARCH 2012 I PUBLIC MANAGEMENT 1 7

days, additional local government

professionals offered their help.

Of particular note was the assis-

tance of the city of Santa Monica (City

Manager Rod Gould), which immediately

freed up Deputy Police Chief Al Venegas

to serve as a chief of staff to Ken and

assist with addressing the overwhelming

number of pending issues. Deputy Chief

Venegas used two weeks of his personal

vacation time to help out during this

critical initial period.

While immediately prioritizing a wide

array of serious issues and problems

and providing stability to the provision

of essential daily services, the manage-

ment professionals realized that a major

challenge was to find a highly qualified

professional to replace Ken after his 30-

day emergency assignment. Again, ICMA,

CCMF, and the LCC joined together

to advertise and review applicants for

recommendation to the council.

A committee, under the leadership of

retired city manager and Cal-ICMA mem-

ber Kevin O’Rourke, ICMA-CM, sprang

into action. The response to an extended

deadline and additional professional

outreach was gratifying. A strong group

of candidates was identified, with three

ultimately recommended to the council

for interview.

Ken and other dedicated volunteers

made great strides toward stabilizing

the Bell organization and to help the

council move the community forward

during this initial period. Trust and

confidence in professional management

was already significantly restored after

Ken’s time in Bell.

His service was greatly appreciated,

and when he completed his 30 days of ser-

vice the community graciously expressed

its gratitude, not only to Ken but also to

ICMA/Cal-ICMA, LCC, and CCMF.

Arne Croce’s Story
Arne Croce, ICMA-CM, ICMA Life

Member, and the retired city manager

of San Mateo, California, has had a

number of professional adventures since

leaving full-time city management in

2008. In addition to providing consultant

assistance to several California public

agencies, he also promoted professional

local governance through service in Iraq

and Kosovo.

Shortly after returning from Kosovo,

he was encouraged by fellow local

government professionals to consider the

challenge of the long-term interim CAO

assignment in Bell. He was one of the

several highly qualified applicants solic-

ited to apply and was one of three final

candidates recommended to the council.

He was subsequently interviewed

and selected to replace Ken. The joint

recruitment and selection process by

ICMA, CCMF, and LCC was, amazingly,

completed in less than three weeks.

Arne knew that this task would

require him to be away from his home

in northern California for at least nine

months while working for less than

would normally be expected for this type

BELL HONOR ROLL
The number and diversity of professionals and professional organizations that came together
to assist in restoring Bell and to demonstrate the difference that professional management
can make in a community is impressive. These groups and individuals deserve our thanks and
appreciation for their efforts.

INDIVIDUALS

Ken Hampian, Retired City Manager,
San Luis Obispo

Pam Easter, ICMA Senior Adviser,
Rancho Cucamonga

Arne Croce, ICMA-CM, ICMA Life
Member, San Mateo

AI Venegas, Deputy Police Chief,
Santa Monica

Kevin O’Rourke, ICMA-CM, Cal-ICMA
Committee on the Profession. Fairfield

Dave Mora, ICMA-CM, ICMA Senior
Adviser/Range Rider, Salinas

Linda Barton, ICMA-CM, Past President,
City Manager’s Department, League of
California Cities, Livermore

Ciiris McKenzie, League of California
Cities, Sacramento

Wade McKinney, ICMA-CM, President,
California City Management Foundation,
San Diego

Bill Garrett, Executive Director, California
City Management Foundation, San Diego

Bill Statier, Retired Finance Director,
San Luis Obispo

Mike Multari, Retired Community
Development Director, San Luis Obispo

Bill Smith, Retired City Manager,
Westminster

Susan Loftus, City Manager, San Mateo

Norma Gauge, City Clerk, San Mateo

Wandzia Rose, City of San Mateo

Marvin Rose, Retired Public Works
Director, Sunnyvale

Dave Hiil, Retired HR Director, Anaheim

Linda Spady, HR Director, San Mateo

Sheila Canzian, Parks and Recreation
Director, San Mateo

Dave Bass, Retired Finance Director,
Bell Gardens

Vern Fickiin, Retired Manager, Public
Works Department, San Mateo

David Schirmer, IT Director, Beverly Hills

Melissa Lindiey, Housing Department,
Santa Monica

Rod Gould, City Manager, Santa Monica

Jeff Kolin, City Manager, Beverly Hills

Steve Belcher, Interim Police Chief, Bell

Debra Kurita, Interim Community Services
Director, Bell

Kristine Guerrero, League of
California Cities, Sacramento

Julie Hernandez, International Hispanic
Netvi/ork, San Jose

Nancy Fong, Interim Community
Development Director, Bell

JoAnne Speers, Institute for Local
Government, Sacramento

ORGANIZATIONS

International Personnel Management
Association

Alliance for Innovation

1 8 PUBLIC MANAGEMENT I MARCH 2012 icma.org/pm

of interim assignment. He was drawn to
this challenge by his desire to assist the
community after it had been ravaged
by an individual who claimed to be a
member of the management profession.
He also was drawn to the opportunity
to work with elected officials who were
committed to making things right again.

Although a great number of problems
had been inifially addressed by Ken and
his team of volunteer professionals, the
vast majority of problems still faced Arne.
Among these were helping to establish
effective community dialogues, including
at council meetings, addressing the daunt-
ing financial and budget challenges, and
hiring a team of department heads.

EIGHT LESSONS
OF BELL
Bell, California, represents both the worst and
the best of our management profession. In reflect-
ing on the story of Bell up to this point, these
lessons are suggested:

• Significant authority is part of being a local
government manager. Managers can make a great
impact on a community by the way in which they
undertake their professional responsibilities. This
authority must be exercised in a professional and
ethical manner.

• Successful communities need to have effective
professional management, effective and public-
spirited elected officials, an interested and
involved community, and a vigilant media.

• Personal interests can never impact professional
decision making.

• Openness and transparency are essential
ingredients for effective local governance.

• Professional management can have a significant
positive impact on local communities.

• Our profession is often more valued and ap-
preciated by residents and elected officials than
we fully realize.

• Members of our profession believe in good gov-
ernment and the value of professional manage-
ment and are willing to sacrifice to demonstrate
their belief.

• Without adequate checks and balances and the
willingness to confront inappropriate conduct, all
organizations are at risk.

At the same time, Arne felt warmly
welcomed to the Bell organization and
community. He found the community
positive and supportive. There was
obvious appreciation for his willingness
to join them in their efforts to restore the
community. He also sensed their relief
in having professional management that
they could trust and that would provide
good advice and day-to-day manage-
ment to their organization. He found the
employees receptive to new ideas and
open to change.

Among Arne’s immediate priorities
was to further expand the cadre of
professional volunteers to help on a
wide variety of projects and assign-

ments. These included
the development of an
RFP process for a refuse
collection contract, the
need to create basic HR
policies and procedures,
and the necessity to ad-
dress poorly maintained
mobile home parks that
he had discovered were
owned by the city.

A major step forward
was Arne’s ability to
assemble a small but
highly skilled and profes-
sional group of full-time
interim department
heads. Although they are
compensated, they have
been willing to serve for
payment that’s below
what they could oth-
erwise earn; they have
accepted their temporary
jobs because of their
belief in the important
work being done. He
has seen tremendous
progress through the
efforts of these dedicated
professionals.

Arne has also greatly
expanded the number
of volunteer part-time
professionals who
provide valuable help on

a wide variety of topics. Also, a number
of professional associations including
ICMA, the Alliance for Innovation, the
Institute for Local Government, and the
International Personnel Management
Association have offered assistance in a
variety of ways. Other cities, including
San Mateo, California (City Manager Su-
san Loftus) and Beverly Hills, California
(City Manager Jeff Kolin, ICMA-CM),
have provided specific assistance in
such areas as upgrading the technology
infrastructure in city facilities.

Arne sees the organization moving
in a positive direction, with the greatest
achievements so far being the establish-
ment of professional interim leadership
in departments, triage of critical prob-
lems and issues, initiafion of an effective
budget process, and creafion of an
expectation for openness and transpar-
ency relating to all municipal business. *”

His overarching goals for his time in
Bell include stabilizing the organization,
establishing permanent professional
staff, creating needed internal organiza-
tional infrastructure, and stabilizing the
city’s financial condition. The bottom
line for Arne is to have his time and
the time of his fellow professionals
demonstrate what can be expected from
honest, open, and professional local
government management.

Pam Easter’s Story
Pam Easter, a retired city manager,
assistant city manager, and ICMA Senior
Adviser, is one person in an extraordinary
group of dedicated volunteer profession-
als who stepped in to support Ken and
subsequently Arne and who is continuing
to provide assistance to the Bell commu-
nity. As she watched the compensation
scandal unfold, she fully appreciated the
negative impact it had on the Bell com-
munitŷ cmd on our profession.

Immediately upon hearing of the
challenges encountered by Ken Ham-
pian, Pam volunteered to serve and
subsequently undertook a long daily
commute in order to help stabilize the
organization. Like Ken and Arne, she
wanted to be part of the effort to help

PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | MARCH 2012 icma.org/pm

Bell recover as well as demonstrate the
positive impact that professional and
ethical local government management
can have on a community.

Pam found that the councilmembers
and staff were dedicated to the difficult
work of reforming and rebuilding the
organization. Although greatly impacted
by the actions of a few Bell leaders, the
staff was committed to creating an orga-
nization and community of which they
could be proud. Pam was encouraged
to find that the new council understood
the importance of professional and
ethical management.

What had initially been an offer to
assist Ken for the first few challenging
days of his service turned into a much
longer commitment. Pam provided
critical support during Ken’s month
as interim city administrator and then
continued her service after Arne arrived.
Pam has served in a variety of capacities
ranging from interviewing employees
to helping assess the organization,
undertaking administrative analysis, and
serving as acting interim city administra-
tor and interim finance director.

She found a group of employees who
were still committed to providing public
services but who had suffered from
the absence of professional and ethical
leadership. Employees had also been
severely impacted by the barrage of nega-
tive publicity and the constant negativity
regarding all things related to Bell.

They also were operating in an atmo-
sphere of great uncertainty on almost all
levels, ranging from finances to organi-
zational leadership. Pam was impressed
to find that, after looking deeper than
the now stereotypical view of what to
expect in a “Bell employee,” she found
a committed and concerned group of
staff members doing their best to provide
services under difficult circumstances.

Pam was able to help employees
stay focused on their obligation to
provide important and often vital public
services. She also got great satisfaction
from being able to serve as an example
to the staff of how professional manag-
ers conducted themselves.

Working with Ken and Arne, she
was able to demonstrate that organiza-
tional leaders can serve as role models
and can work positively and construc-
tively in a team environment with
their fellow employees while providing
support and encouragement.

Pam’s commitment and the commit-
ment of many other volunteers to the
management profession and all that it
stands for is being demonstrated every
day in Bell.

Conclusion to Date Is Positive
Ultimately, as is the case in all of the
communities in which managers serve,
the success of Bell and the Bell com-
munity is in the hands of its residents
and council. Even with the great
progress that has already been made, it
could take years for the community to
recover from the poor leadership and
governance of the past.

Though the challenge is long
term, the current budget development
process is a clear example of progress.
A community-involved budget process
(totally lacking previously) is underway
and will lead to clear city goals and
priorities. The budget format is being
revamped to include basic workload
and performance measures. Progress
against goals, priorities, and perfor-
mance will be regularly monitored and
reported. While these steps may appear
basic for most communities, these are
major steps forward for Bell.

With the help of professionals
dedicated to the public interest, the
elected officials in Bell and the com-
munity as a whole are working to reform
and restore their community. Although
the experience of Bell has been difficult
for the local government management
community, the story is changing and it
is hoped that Bell can one day serve as a
positive example for the profession.

The response to the call to assist by
so many organizations and individual
professionals has been a clear demon-
stration of what our profession and the
individuals who compose it represent.
Only a small fraction of the many offers

REBIRTH OF BELL:
ONLINE ARTICLE AVAILABLE

An important commitment for profes-
sional local government managers
is to advocate professionalism in
communities outside their own. As
you will read in the article “Rebirth
of Bell,” ICMA, Cal-ICMA, and
the California City Management
Foundation worked together to help
Bell, California, overcome a year
of intense public scrutiny to make
significant strides toward restoring
the public trust.

Bell came so far that it celebrated
its “rebirth” at a special press confer-
ence on August 24, 2011, during
which ICMA, the League of California
Cities, and the California City
Management Foundation (CCMF)
were praised for their contributions to
the city’s success.

To learn more about this
fascinating story, visit the CCMF
website at http://www.cacityman
agers.org/rebirth-of-bell and the
article “Rebirth of Bell.”

of help could actually be accepted.
All of us who are committed to good
governance and effective and honest
local government management owe all of
these organizations and individuals our
gratitude and appreciation.

While the negative example of the
previous Bell leadership will be difficult
to overcome, we can be grateful to the
new community leaders and dedicated
professionals who are striving every
day to create a positive example of how
effective local governments can function.

Professional local government
management makes a significant
difference in our communities. This is
now being proven every day in the city
of Bell. R^

KEVIN OUGGAN, ICMA-CM, is
ICMA West Coast regional director,
Mountain View, California, and is
former city manager of Mountain View
(kduggan@icma.org).

icma.org/pm MARCH 2012 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT 2 1

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Course Code	Class Code	Assignment Title	Total Points
ADM-530	ADM-530-O500	Trust	110.0
Criteria	Percentage	Unsatisfactory (0.00%)	Less than Satisfactory (74.00%)	Satisfactory (79.00%)	Good (87.00%)	Excellent (100.00%)	Comments	Points Earned
Content	70.0%
Discuss what techniques or steps student would take to instill trust in public administration.		3			5.0%	Discussion of what techniques or steps student would take to instill trust in public administration is missing.	Discussion of what techniques or steps student would take to instill trust in public administration is vague, inconsistent, and not supported by research.	Discussion of what techniques or steps student would take to instill trust in public administration is present and supported by some research.	Discussion of what techniques or steps student would take to instill trust in public administration is present, clear, and supported by research.	Discussion of what techniques or steps student would take to instill trust in public administration is clear, concise, and supported by research.
Create a plan to instill trust with citizens in regard to public administration. Include specifically what action you as an administrator will take.	Creation of a plan to instill trust with citizens in regard to public administration, including specifically what action student, as an administrator, will take is missing.	Creation of a plan to instill trust with citizens in regard to public administration, including specifically what action student, as an administrator, will take is vague, inconsistent, and not supported by research.	Creation of a plan to instill trust with citizens in regard to public administration, including specifically what action student, as an administrator, will take is present and supported by some research.	Creation of a plan to instill trust with citizens in regard to public administration, including specifically what action student, as an administrator, will take is present, clear, and supported by research.	Creation of a plan to instill trust with citizens in regard to public administration, including specifically what action student, as an administrator, will take is clear, concise, and supported by research.
Organization and Effectiveness	20.0%
Thesis Development and Purpose	7.0%	Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim.	Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear.	Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose.	Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose.	Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.
Argument Logic and Construction	8.0%	Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources.	Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility.	Argument is orderly, but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis.	Argument shows logical progressions. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are authoritative.	Clear and convincing argument that presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative.
Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)	Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is used.	Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not varied.	Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are employed.	Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech.	Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.
10.0%
Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment)	Template is not used appropriately or documentation format is rarely followed correctly.	Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent.	Appropriate template is used. Formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present.	Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no errors in formatting style.	All format elements are correct.
Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style)	Sources are not documented.	Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors.	Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present.	Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct.	Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.
Total Weightage	100%