DHS appoints new interim City Manager

The city of Desert Hot Springs appointed Charles “Chuck” Maynard as its interim city manager Monday, following Martin Magana’s abrupt resignation last week.

Maynard was appointed during a special meeting, in which the City Council unanimously approved an interim city manager employment agreement with
Maynard, effective immediately.

He will be paid a flat rate of $90 per hour, according to City Attorney Steve Quintanilla. Maynard will not receive employee benefits, and is not entitled to overtime, as part of his previous retirement with CALpers.

Maynard previously served as Desert Hot Springs’ Interim Police Chief in 2014 and assisted in recruiting current Police Chief Dale Mondary, according to city officials. He went back into retirement in January 2015 after helping guide the city through a possible takeover by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

“We weren’t getting anywhere with (the police union in contract negotiations) until (Maynard) came on board,” said Quintanilla, “And I think (our headway was) because he has a good relationship with them. I think he saved the city a considerable amount of money, and he is worth the investment. He is very familiar with the operations at DHS, and very aware of the limitations the city has with respect to its finances. I also believe all the staff really like him.”

As a stipulation of his retirement, Maynard is only allowed to work a total of 960 hours per fiscal year. So his contract will be up when he fulfills those hours, or Dec. 27, 2016.

Maynard steps into the role after Magana announced he was resigning last week “for personal reasons,” according to the city.
Magana’s work in Desert Hot Springs was described as “commendable, reliable and exemplary, and he will be missed greatly by members of the City Council and his staff,” according to a city release.

Magana made $232,000 per year, or $111 an hour, including benefits, said Quintanilla.