Highlights of the City Managers' Conference 7
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CITY MANAGERS' CONFERENCE
A brief sunznary of some of the addresses and group discussions at
the 33rd annual conference of the International City Managers' Association
held in Coronado, California.
A total of 149 city managers from 31 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico
attended the annual conference of the International Citykanagers' Associa-
tion held in Coronado, California, on October 5 to 9, and the total regis-
tration for the meeting was 328. The management aspects of the city manager's
job was emphasized through a series of addresses and through group discus-
sions. A get-acquainted buffet supper on Sunday evening October 5 paved
the way for the opening of the conference the next morning by President
Don C. McMillan, City Manager of Alameda, California. Brief addresses
of welcome by the mayors of Coronado and San Diego were followed by two
special addresses under the general heading of "Looking Ahead at City Manage-
ment." Setting the stage for the conference, these addresses were given by
C. A. Harrell, City Manager of Norfolk, Virginia, and Emery E. Olson, Dean
of the School of Public Administration at the University of Southern Cali-
fornia. Later in the day Richard Graves, executive secretary of the League
of California cities, delivered the keynote address. Others includes an in-
formal address by Governor Earl Viarren of California, the presidential address
by Mr. McMillan, the annual banquet address by C. A. Dykstra, provost of
the University of California at Los Angeles, and a talk by Richard S. Childs,
consultant to the National Municipal League, at the closing luncneon.
The main business of the conference consisted of 18 group discussions,
with four or five sessions running concurrently. Four concurrent sessions
were held under the general heading of "How Would You Do It?" six sessions
were arranged on the basis of population of cities, five by interest groups,
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and four by special management topics. At a symposium session/the last day
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the chairman or reporters for these group discussions made brief reports to
the entire conference.
SPEAKERS Er.;PHASIZE i::ANAGF i T JOB
At the opening session the principal addresses were made by City
Manager C. A. Harrell and Dean Emery E. Olson. iur. Harrell, talking on
"The Job of the City Manager Now and in the Future", said that the city
people than with procedures,with eo
manager of the future will deal more p
techniques, and works because such problems will largely be solved. The
social welfare aspedts of government, such as schools, libraries, museums,
concerts, recreation, prevention of delinquency, preventive medicine, will
demand an increasing amount of the manager' s time. Thus, with council-
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manager relations solved he will give more ti:_e to public relations and
more attention to planning and to the economic life of the city. He
predicted a trend toward municipal ownership of local utilities, such as
gas, electric, and transit facilities, in order to give better service and
to get more income. The manager of the future also will have more dealings
with state, regional, and federal agencies than at present. To find time
for these expanded duties the city manager of the future will develop ways
of getting the detail and routine out of nis office, he will give more
attention to the training of personnel, and he must be the best informed
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and most open-minded man in town. With more andmore emphasis placed
upon the human element in government. I::r. Harrell believed that in
the future the cost of government will be largely shifted from property
to individuals , and he quoted Justice Holmes who said, "When I pay taxes,
I buy civilization."
In discussing what city managers can learn from industrial management,
Dean Olson said that city managers need to develop a better management
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approach. Success in management does not depend entirely on techniques,
manuals, and treatises on scientific management. I'either can a manager
"manage by crises" because panic destroys a sense of values. A success-
ful manager, he said, must have a philosophy of management, must be sensi-
tive to citizen needs and aspirations, must know the terminology and
literature of management, must be interested in executive development,
just be interested in administrative analysis, and must be management-
minded. He told the city managers to ask themselves the question, "how
do I look to my department heads?" because among department heads and other
city employees the city manager as the boss is the most interesting topic
of discussion at the breakfast table. "no you as city manager think ahead--
too far or not far enough? Do you have a sense of timing? Do you have a
sense of communications?"
Spotlighting a busy opening day of the conference, Richard Graves,
executive secretary of the League of California Cities, addressed the
dinner session. He warned that if the numerous communities in metropolitan
areas are to grow in an orderly manner, some vsr must be found to coordinate
their various activities. He predicted that cities will have more dealings
with state and federal agencies in the future and suggested that funds from
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these levels would aid in the solution of local problems. kr. Graves
devoted the greater part of his address in malting specific suggestions
on how city managers can do a better job of management.
Governor Earl barren made a special trip from Sacremento to address
the city managers. He cited the unusual growth of California during the
war and postwar periods, pointing out that the state has acquired 2,700,000
people since the 1940 census. Stating that the council-manager plan is the
prevailing form of local government in California, the Governor said "as
long as we can keep local government sound and efficient our form of govern-
ment will be secure. Local government in the end has the real responsibility
for keeping the spirit of true Americanism alive. "
The annual banquet speaker, C. A. Dykstra, provost of the University
of California at Los Angeles and City iianager of Cincinnati from 1930 to
1937, said that so-called municipal reform has a 50-year impressive record
and that city managers had such to do with this record. "From the council-
manager cities we can expect the most-- municipal housekeeping under managers
has been good and usually economical, budgets and debts have been well managed,
but I am not sure we have been sufficiently imaginative or have had enough
inspired leadership. It's the look ahead that I am asking for. This means
more reading, more thinking, more study and research, and more planning.
The city manager has to be the student for the community. He must be more
than the administrative head of his city and hd must bake intelligent plans
for the future."
At the closing luncheon session, Richard S. Childs, father of the council-
manager plan, discussed the advantages of the council-manager plan over other
forms of government and outlined the theory of the plan. "Under the council-
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manager plan there can be no buck passing. The council has complete ulti-
mate responsibility for administration by way of its power to Hire and fire
the chief executive." The theory of the plan, he said, is that the ballot
must be short, the office must be important, powers must be unified in the
council, the election district must not be unwieldy, and all administrative
work must be unified under a single controlled executive.
One of the highlights of the conference was the general summary session
on the last day when 18 chairmen or reporters gave brief resumes of allthe
group discussio sessions held during the four-day meeting. The chairman
of this symposium session was Roy S. ,Braden, Raleigh, North Carolina, who
ended the session with a brief appraisal of the entire conference. Follow=
ing is a brief summary of these group discussions.
HOW 'WULD YOU DO IT?
The afternoon of the first day of the conference was devoted to four
concurrent group discussions based on actual case problems submitted by
city managers prior to the conference and distributed to each participant
in the form of a mimeographed statement. This was a new technique for city
managers' conferences. The 30 to 40 city managers attending each session
worked hard on their problems and a lively discussion resulted. The four
problems discussed by these groups related to the selection of administrative
personnel, grouping jobs in a small city, employee morale, and handling
insubordination. The managers agreed that their approach, if they were faced
with similar problems in their own cities would be to break each problem
down into its various parts, get all the facts possible, obtain the opinions
and comments of those who would be vitally affected by any decisions, formu-
late a definite program, and then sell the program. Proper timing of actions
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taken was considered of first-rate importance. Tne city managers who
were chairmen of thses four sessions were: George E. Bean, Pontiac,
Michigan; 0, W. Campbell, San Jose, California; Lyman S. i oore, Portland,
Maine; and Donald C. v7agner, Long Beach, New York.
INTEREST GROUPS
Five discussion groups devoted one-half day to nonproperty tax revenues,
police department operating problems, financing public works constructions,
traffic and parking problems, and utility management. There was ample time
for informal discussion ,f the various aspects cf these problems because
each session was attended by 30 to 40 city managers and others. Only a
very brief summary of these discussions is presented here.
onproperty Tax Revenues. Walter B. Hogan, Stockton, California,
chairman; Bill N. Taylor, Pelly, Texas, reporter; and Miner B. Phillipps,
Director of iwunicipal Finance Officers' Association, consultant. Following
a brief presentation of various nonproperty tax revenues used by cities an
argument develo;ed over the best methods of t axing businesses. A majority
of those present believed that business should be specially taxed but there
was no agreement on the best method of taxing business. It was suggested
that the peculiar local conditions should be analyzed to see what revenue
source is best adapted to that type of city, and that the city should learn
what other sources of revenue have been tried by other cities, egpecially by
cities in the same state, so as to profit by their mistakes and successes.
The long-run implications of a particular revenue measure should be analyzed
and administrative difficulties should bo anticipated. La.nagers from. other
parts of the country were amazed to find that 64 California cities now impose
a sales tax.
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Police Department Operating Problems, J. R. French, 7erdun, Quebec,
chairman; Ross Taylor, Enid, Oklahoma, reporter; and James L. Fulton, Los
Angeles police department, consultant. The managers agreed that one-man
patrol cars were preferable to two-men patrol cars if accompanied by proper
training and strict supervision ---In most areas there is need for more
coordination between county and city police forces, and it was suggested
that county and city police officials should meet every month to discuss
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mutual problems and that a city-county committee work out uniform traffic
rules and policies--- Combining fire and pc:lice departments was not generally
accepted as feasible except in the smaller cities. The combining of staff
personnel, however, in the records systems, communications, training, and
the like, was considered feasible. A surprisingly large number of city
managers reported hiring civilians for the clerical work of the fire and
police departments, in order to put more officers out on the street and to
reduce salary costs. The need for rules and regulations to guide polic ePn
in their daily work was generally agreed as desirable.... Training for police-
men was considered a topmost need, not only for new recruits but especially
for superior officers who need to know more about organization and administra-
tion. Recognizing that police officials generally prefer to have their own
pension funds, the city managers concluded that a state-wide retirement system
was perhaps themost desirable arrangement with all employees treated alike
except possibly for some age difference in the r etirement of firemen and
policemen.
Financing Public Iiiorks Construction. L. P. Cookingham, Kansas City,
Missouri, chairman, Russell Rink, assistant to the city manager of San Diego,
reporter; and Harold S. Buttenheim, editor of the American City as consultant.
It was the consensus of the city managers present that twice the engineer' s
estimate should be rejected and projects postponed except those most urgently
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needed. Some of the managers felt, however, that prewar prices will never
be realized. But where it is necessary to undertake construction now, only
in the cases of grading, earth moving, and dredging did the managers believe
it was possible to obtain a fair price... Pay-as you-go financing was con-
sidered highly desirable. The use of revenue bonds to pay for capital improve-
ment was generally supported on the basis that the cost of a special service
snould be borne by those using the service. But revenue bonds should be used
only where a sufficiently stable revenue invited low interest rates. In any
event, such bonds should be callable so they may be retired before maturity.
Escalator classes in public contracts were found to be necessary by many
cities in order to begin construction of a project, but some cities put a
ceiling on these classes so that sufficient funds would be encumbered. To
postpone municipal capital expenditures until a depression comes along might
help soften the impact of the depression, but to do this cities Nast have
either large cash reserves or substantial debt margins, neither of which will
remain if projects are constructed during the present period of high prices...
It was generally agreed that real estate subdividers should be required to
install all utilities in the quantity and kind required. In some cities such
stringent standards would encourage subdividers to go outcide the city i_,to
uncontrolled areas, except where the state or county had adopted subdivision
regulations.
Utility Management. E. L. !-osley, Colorado Sprin`,s, Colorado, chairman
and consultant, and Warren D. Toyne, Painesville, Ohio, reporter. Most of the
cities represented charge from 10 to 50 per cent higher rates for utility ser-
vices outside their limits. The city managers were divided on whether the
city should bear any of the cost of utility construction inside the city
limits, but all agreed that utility extensions outside the city snould be
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paid for entirely by the customer. It was agreed also the outside service
charge should he high enough to encourage annexation to the city. Practice
and opinion on payments made by the utility fund to the general fund varied
widely. Lost of the cities represented made some cash contributio: s, while
others gave some free services such as street lighting. The majority believed
that a percentage of the gross receipts, equivalent to the tax that utilities
would pay if privately owned, should be transferred to the general fund.
Hospital and airport problems were discussed from the utility angle.
Traffic and Parking Priblems. John H. Ames, Ames, Iowa, chairman,
Samuel E. Vickers, Vallejo, California, reporter; and James E. Reading, city
traffic engineer, San Diego, consultant. The loss of the metropolitan shopper
to the suburbs and the loss of trade and property values in downtown districts
made the managers realize that their cities must solve the problem of providing
parking space. Several cities reported the erection of parking garages, one-
way streets, parking meters, zoning ordinances, and so forth. No city should
blindly widen any street without analyzing the economic aspects of the problem.
It may be cheaper to prohibit parking on the street and put the money into
off-street parking facilities.
POPULATION'T GROUPS
On the third day of the conference the managers broke up into five
population groups to talk informally on problems of their onw choosing.
Only a brief summary of each session is given here.
Cities under 6,000: Walter J. Hoffman, Glenview, Illinois, chairman
and Ross W. Shoemaker, Wes-erville, Ohio, reporte_. Most of the discussion
centered on zoning problems and building codes, particularly the latter since
many cities in metropolitan areas are adopting uniform codes. Several of the
cities represented #dd architectural advisory boards to encourage better
design and other cities have adopted the practice of licensing contractors----
On the question of organization for recreation there seemed to be a trend
toward a full-time director working under an appointed recreation board,
with the city manager exercising budgetary control... In the traffic field
it was agreed that small cities should limit parking on the main business
streets to two hors and also provide some free off-street parking. ... The
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managers present believed that all but the most insistent or serious com-
plaints should be handled by department heads or other employees but that
a simple but effective follow-up system be set up to make .mure that all
complaints had been acted upon.... It appeared that the capital budgets
of smaller cities usually consist of rough estimates made in advance and
recorded as part of the engineer' s plan with revisions in costs made later
when and if projects are constructed...None of the cities represented had
ever jointly purchased and used equipment with other cities, although many
commented on having rented equipment to and from other cities, particularly
street and fire equipment.
Cities of 6,000 to 12,000: James 0. Convill, Astoria, Oregon, chairman,
and G. L. Opper, Riverside, Illinois, .reporter. On the question of pay rates
it was agreed that cities should strive to be a model employer and where
practicable to keep abreast of the prevailing wage scales of industries in
the area. Some i;tanagers felt that Nage adjustments based on a cost of
living factor were impracticable because of the rapid rise of the index
beyond the ability of the city to meet the change. Labor shortages forced
some cities to match local industrial pay rates in order to keep the nec-
essary personnel to operate municipal services. Several managers pointed
out that comprehensive personnel rules and a sound retirement plan are just
as essential as adequate pay.
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The managers present agreed that water and sewer departments should be
combined whenever possible and that where this uas not practicable some inter-
change of employees might be arranged... On the question of incineration of
refuse and garbage the managers were agreed that this method of disposal should
be avoided and the sanitary landfill method used wherever possible. Only two
or three of the cities represented in this group opera;;ed incinerators and
their high cost of operation dictated a resort to some other method of dis-
posU as soon as possible. ... A lively discussio on tax assessments, which
were handled by a separate board or by the count in two-thirds of the cities
represented, revealed that most assessors were not keeping abreast of increased
property values.
Cities of 12.000 to 20,000: W. Morgan Works, Longview, Texas, chairman,
and H. A. Thomason, Marshall, Texas, reporter. Among the many subjects dis-
cussed were self-insurance, financing construction in a period of inflation,
managing a personnel system, purchasing, organization for recreation, and
special assessment financing. Three city managers reported a successful
system of self-insurance. It was the consensus of the group of 34 managers
that the personnel system in cities of this size should be administered by
the manager. Similarly, it was thought that the purchasing job should be
handled by the manager. Most of the managers reported that their summer
recreation program at playgrounds and swimming pools was handled by faculty
members of the local school system. The managers expressed a need for improved
coordination between the city and the school board on financing local recreation
programs.
Cities of 20,000 and 50,000: John 0. Hall, Muskogee, Oklahoma, chairman,
and Ralph D. ilebes, Elmira, New York reporter. On reducing the number of
zoning variances, it was agreed first that only the highest type of public-
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spirited men be appointed to serve on appeal boards, and secondly that all
applicatio s for variations should be denied unless definite hardship could
be proved.
In discussing ways to measure the quality of municipal services, the
managers concluded that a good record and reporting system was essential
and that cost and measurement units should be used in measuring performance,
and appraising results... Position classification and pay plans were con-
sidered essential as a basis for adjusting salaries and it was agreed that
every three or four years these plans should be restudied to keep them up
to date. . .. The managers present reported a definite trend toward a shorter
work week for city employees. ? Any cities had adopted the five-day week.
Since conditions vary in different sections of the country it was the con-
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sensus of the group that the length of the work week siouid be deterraind4
by each city in the light of local conditions an practice. . .Co_.siderable
emphasis was placed on the need for eliminating all "deadwood" among city
employees, on the desirability of having only the best qualified personnel
in filling Positions, and on the advisability of transferring employees from
one department to another to meet peak loads and thus reduce the need for
part-time employees.
Cities over 50,000: John B. Atkinson, Cambridge, Massachusetts, chairman,
and Charles R. Baird, Glendale, California, reporter. After some discussion
itn was generally agreed that police and fire departments might be combined
with advantage if each service was on a eight-hour snift. The managers were
asked to study the problem and to send their ideas to the Association.. .There
was a plea for new and better annexation laws to place the central city in a
more advantageous position with respect to outlying areas. ;Lamy officials
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reported that rapidly growing fringe area created numerous problems for the
city... The managers also discussed the closing of city halls on ilaturday,
the establishment of employee suggestioa systems, the need for #eeting with
department heads regularly, and police records systems.
M ANA GFON T TDPICS
The management topics which formed the basis for discussion at four
concurrent sessioe were: council-manager relationships, organization and
staffing, community-wide citizens groups to enlist public interest, and in-
ser-•rice training in city halls.
Council-Manager Relationships. Carleton F. Sharpe, St. Petersburg,
Florida, chairman, Jay F. Gibbs, Ferndale, Michigan, reporter, and Richard
S. Childs, consultant. To nre:-ent interference by politically minded council-
men, the managers generally agreed that a written agreement might well be
signed by the councilmen giving assurances that they would not interfere with
administration. Some managers urged that a manual outlining the duties and
responsibilities of mayors and councilmen be prepared by some national group
such as the National Municipal League. Other suggestions were to send copies
of the charter to all canditates for the city council and to hold an informal
luncheon or meeting with the council just before the formal meeting. The
managers present felt they should take the lead in developing community
programs and not wait for the Chamber of Commerce or citizens committees
to take the initiative. The managers also felt that they should participate
in developing policies, ideas, and suggestions originating from three different
sources--the administrative department, the council, and the ublic. The city
managers, however, were agreed that they should never carry questio s over the
head of the council to the public. Before a manager takes a new position he
should have a clear understanding with the council. Some managers believed
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this was easier to accomplish witz the first council under the council-
manager plan. In cities that have operated for years undder the manager
plan it is customary for a new manager to discuss local practices with the
!nr indt previo's city manager.
Organization and Staffing. C. R. Fontaine, Quebec City, Canada,
chairman; LeRoy F. Harlow, Fargo, North Dakota, reporter; and Herbert A.
Olson, Western representative for Public Administration eervice, consultant.
The consensus of the group was that it is the duty of the manager to sell
the council on the need for an administrative assistant. The city managers
felt it was necessary to show the work span between the manager and his
secretary, and the need for filling that gap with young technical assistants.
Oftentimes it is helpful to have someone beside the manager to talk to the
council on the need for mangerial assistants. In some circumstances it may
be best to draw upon some young man within the organixation and develop hi
for the position. Usually the assistant should start out in the manager's
office in order to get an over-all picture of the organization. Later he may
be assigned for a time to a particular department.
The next subject was analyzing the work load as a basis for determining
personnel needs. One approach is to make the same type of work load analysis
as id done in industry through cost accounting and measurement of performance.
Top personnel should be held res-,Donsible for analyzing and equalizing work
loads such as seasonal loads and to avoid having part-time workers. It was
pointed out that excellent outside assistance could be secured from Public
Administration Service in solving personnel problems.
When a department head hears retirement age an understudy should be
ready to take over. This situation should be anticipated and a trifling
program established. The managers felt that it was desirable to have the
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'deparUment heads ask for an assistant, and, if necessary, to send him on
trips or to conventions to find an assistant.
Everyone conceded the desirability of adjusting salaries to changes in
the cost of living, but some cities had difficulty with competition from other
cities and local industries. A position classification and pay plan helps
considerably but such plans must be kept right up to date so that salary
adjustments will be fair to all employees.
Community-wide Citizens Groups to Enlist Public Interest. Leonard G.
Howell, Madison, Wisconsin, chairman; H. G. Crow, St. Joseph, iichigan, reporter;
and Edwin A. Cottrell, consultant on local government, Haynes rourndation, Los
Angeles, consultant. Cor:munity-wide citizen groups were considered desirable
provided they do not try to usurp the pllitical functions of the city council
and have the general welfare of the city at heart. Large cities might well have
both city-wide and neighborhood groups. City-wide groups may be of two typ-s,
those interested in any public problem and those concerned only with particular
questions such as traffic and parking. Where neighborhood groups exist they
should have a clearing-house to supply accurate information on general matters
or be federated into a general city-wide organization in order to avoid splitting
the city up into small petty groups uninterested in the problems of the city
as a whole.
City officials should invite the leaders of these groups to council
meetings, and should be willing to meet with citizens groups. Even where a
group is formed in opposition to some municipal program, the mayor or the city
manager should accept invitations to speak and present the other side of the
argument. Holding open houses at the city hall and mailing out circulars
to every house in town also were mentioned as excellent devices for axg ¢a
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arousing public interest. No city should rely solely on local newsp?.pers
and the radio for getting information across to the people. It was believed
that no city official should serve as an officer of a citizen group.
In-Service Training in City Halls. Clarence H. Elliott, Jackson, kichigan,
chairman; Russell E. McClure, Wichita, Kansas, reporter; and John M. Pfiffner,
professor of public administration, Uni:-ersity of Soutn3rn California, con-
sultant. The managers in this session decided that employee training was
primarily the responsiblity of the chief administrator since it is his job
to get public work done effectively and economically, Which is the primary
justification for any training program. to the extent that the city' s work
depends upon the skill and competence of its employees, the city manager must
see to it that employees eithe possess that skill and competence when they are
selected or that they s e given the opportunity to develop it on the job.
Training public contact employees in -public relatio:s has proved fruit-
ful in many cities--but training in better human relations also is needed.
The managers admitted that too often the supervisors are not on the job and
are inclined to sidestep difficult inter-person relations. Points of tension
among the personnel should be sought out and studied, and a training program
developed to elminate those points.
Orientation courses were recognized as necessary in order to make new
employeed feel at home right from the start and to speed their assimilation
into the group. The immediate supervisor should perform the orientation task
by closely supervising the newcomer's work and at the same time indoctrinating
him in the customs and attitudes of the public service. The results of employee
training are, of course, difficult to measurebut usually there are noticeable
improvements in morals and better responses to customer's requests as well as
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a reduction in cisciplinary actions, The managers decided that any training
effort snould be ecorded on the employee's service record, that it should be
considered as a factor for promotion, and that public recognition. in the form
of a dinner meeting or an award snould be #ade by the mayor and council if at
all possible.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
At the annual business meeting of the Association, President McMillan
delivered his presidential address, Executive Director Clarence B. Ridley
presented his annual report, and new officers were elected. In accordance
._with the recently revised constitution the president and five regional vice-
• presidents were elected. The unanimous choice eor the presidency was C. A. Harrell
?:now managing his fourth city, Norfolk, Virginia, and attending his 19th annual
conference. The newly elected vice-presidents are John B. Atkinson, Cambridge,
tassachuesetts; V. J. Hultquist, Alcoa, Tennessee; Edwin A. Ingham, Alhambra,
':California, George F. Lidcile, Muskegon, iuicnigan, and Lowell ,.onroe, Lit.
Lebanon Township, Pennsylvania.
qhe 149 city managers in attendance was exceeded only by two previous meetings--
Hollywood, Florida, in '1941 wit': 152 managers present, and Liontreal, Candda,
last year with 164 managers. A number of managers had attended from 15 to 22
previous annual confei°ences. Also present was 0. E. Carr, one of the eight
city managers who atended the first annual conference of ICMA at Springfield,
Ohio, in 1914 and w_-.o had been city manager of six cities including Dubuque,
Fort erth, and Oakdland. The only woman city manager present was 'Mrs. Felisa
Rincon de Gautier of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The city managers and their wives
96 in all, and their guests mere entertained by the cities of San Diego County
with a sightseeing; tour of the San Diego area and a boat trip around the harbor.
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