Council Finds New City Administrator in Oregon
The City Council has chosen a new City Administrator according to Mayor John Chiang. Chiang reported on the Council’s closed session discussion of the recruitment of Paul Benoit, “We are in the midst of contract negotiations with him.” The salary will be $200,000 according to the Daily Astorian. Benoit was the Director of Community Development in Astoria, Oregon for 17 years, was appointed City Manager of Astoria in 2005 and will be retiring at the end of February.
“I am retiring from Oregon public employment, and I am going to be taking a job in California,” Benoit told the Daily Astorian, mentioning his grandchildren in California. Between his two positions in Astoria, Benoit spent four years in Alameda, California as Development Director and then Assistant City Manager. A major challenge in Alameda was the commercial reuse and development of the former Naval Air Station.
Paul Benoit photo dailyastoria.com
The Piedmont City Council appeared to be looking for a new City Administrator who is more development-oriented than the soon-to-retire Geoff Grote. In August 2013, the Astoria City Council embarked on a major project to develop new land use codes and/or new zones, master plan amendments, development code amendments and/or land use zoning map amendments. Astoria has two major development districts: Astor East and Astor West.
Astoria occupies 10.11 square miles including almost four square miles of its deep water port. The population is similar in size to Piedmont–9,477 according to the 2010 census. Unlike Piedmont, which is a residential community, Astoria has more than a dozen hotels, several dozen restaurants and tourist oriented businesses focused on the waterfront.
The Piedmont Patch reports:
Benoit has a bachelor’s degree in marine science and environmental management from the University of Rhode Island and a master’s degree in coastal planning from the University of Washington, his profile says.
Daily Astorian newspaper announcement of Benoit salary offer from Piedmont. News report of January 17 Benoit resignation.
Report on Benoit’s accomplishments in Astoria
Piedmont Patch coverage of Benoit.
Piedmont Patch coverage of retiring City Administrator Geoff Grote.
