Manager of Medina quits, cites opponents on council

Medina City Manager Mark Weinberg will resign next month after just a year on the job.

Weinberg, in a letter submitted Monday night, said he had "fundamental and irreconcilable differences" with the City Council on the city's future, the role of local government and "how public employees should be regarded, treated and valued."

Weinberg came to Medina last March from Inglewood, Calif., where he had recently retired as city administrator. He entered a small city known for its megamansions and ultrarich residents, but also for a contentious City Council.

In an e-mail, Weinberg said the city has enough money to provide "the finest municipal services of any small city" in the country, including first-class facilities and staff. But, instead, a "core element" of the council is "steadfastly opposed" to giving enough city money or manpower to meet those goals, he said.

Mayor Mark Nelson, who joined the council just last month, said Weinberg's resignation was "very regrettable."

"He has a great ability and charm and was very well liked by staff and citizens," Nelson said. "We have nothing but good things to say about him."

City officials will likely appoint an interim city manager to fill in after Weinberg's last day, March 12, before finding a permanent replacement.

Weinberg had clashed in the past several months with some council members over personnel issues. Community activist Henry Paulman raised concerns last year about Police Chief Jeff Chen, including a conference the chief attended in Europe and a Clearwire wireless antenna he helped get built outside City Hall.

Some council members asked Weinberg to investigate, and last fall, he said the chief had done nothing wrong. The conference was an appropriate expense and helped the city learn more about policing, Weinberg said.

The new antenna, which also serves as a flagpole, was completed in January 2007. The company agreed to install the antenna for free to give police improved wireless Internet access, but it is not for commercial use, Weinberg said.

Paulman and some council members said they were concerned that Clearwire got a deal to improve its wireless network without council oversight.

The City Council on Monday night voted to end discussion of the flagpole issue, though city officials are still trying to determine whether Clearwire will need to apply retroactively for permits.

Mayor Nelson said Police Chief Chen "has the utmost respect of almost the entire city" and that a small number of people "are just on a fishing trip" for negative information.

The state Auditor's Office is reviewing the complaints about Chen's Europe trip as part of its annual audit of the city, Auditor's Office spokeswoman Kara Klotz said. The report should be finished next month.

Ashley Bach: 206-464-2567 or abach@seattletimes.com