The Pacific Grove City Council will consider hiring the current assistant manager of Marina, Matthew Mogensen, as the town's permanent city manager at its council meeting on Wednesday, April 17. If the council votes to approve his hiring, Mogensen will begin the job on May 6.
Mogensen has served as Marina's assistant city manager since 2018. Before that he worked for the City of Fountain Valley since 2008, first as an assistant to the city manager and then as the city's planning and building director from 2015-2018.
If hired, Mogensen will step into what has been, and continues to be, a rocky time for P.G. City Hall. The last permanent city manager, Ben Harvey, was often criticized by Mayor Bill Peake and other councilmembers, especially Councilmember Luke Coletti.
The conflict between the city manager and councilmember resulted in Harvey filing a complaint in 2022 against Coletti for mistreatment of employees. All three of Harvey's allegations against Coletti were substantiated by an investigator hired by the city. Last July Harvey and the council agreed to part ways. The city hired an interim city manager, Robert Perrault, until a new permanent manager could be found.
At least three other employees have filed complaints against Coletti, but so far the complaints have only been discussed in closed session. It's unknown how exactly how much the city has spent on investigations. A few employees have left the city to work elsewhere.
In addition, sources say employees were angered by a proposed ordinance put forward by Coletti regarding "inquiries" put to staff by councilmembers. Coletti has maintained that the ordinance was merely to "codify existing law." Employees worried that it would subject them to further mistreatment.
A revised version of the ordinance was passed by the council on April 10 with a vote of 5-2. Councilmembers Joe Amelio and Chaps Poduri voted against it.
If Mogensen's hiring is approved, he will draw an annual salary of $251,680, with a benefits package of approximately $41,000.
The council meeting at 6pm, Wednesday will be held inside P.G. City Hall, 300 Forest Ave. It's also available virtually. Instructions on how to participate are available on the meeting agenda here.