Tim Ogden — whose official last day as Manteca’s city manager was just 25 days after the current City Council and he agreed to part ways — was hired Thursday by Brentwood to run that city of 62,000.
Ogden was among a number of top Manteca officials the current council put on paid administrative leave since September. Finance Director Jeri Tejeda quickly found a similar positon with another city. The employment status of Police Chief Jodie Estarziau and Public Works Director Mark Houghton has yet to be determined. During the same time period, Community Development Director Greg Showerman quit his post to take a job with the City of Manteca.
On Tuesday, the Manteca council gave Miranda Lutzow — the human resources director Ogden hired and who the council had stepped in as acting city manager when he was placed on administrative leave — a year-long contract as Manteca’s interim city manager.
Odgen was Manteca’s city manager for 2½ years.
Ogden as chief negotiator was credited with salvaging talks with Great Wolf Resort to secure the $180 million private sector investment to build a 500-room hotel — the largest in the Central Valley from Redding to Bakersfield — and an indoor waterpark resort that will open this summer in Manteca just west of Costco.
Brentwood was one of the Bay Area cities that Manteca beat out to secure the Great Wolf commitment that will — based on the same analysis that the investment firm used to determine whether to loan Great Wolf the funds to build the resort — will result in more than $99 million in room taxes flowing into Manteca’s municipal general funds over the next 30 years. That was before voters increased the hotel tax to 12 percent from 9 percent. That means Manteca will receive from the Great Wolf deal to closer to $140 million over 30 years.
The resort will also generate 500 jobs.
“I thought Tim as Manteca’s city manager was a good man for the job,” said Steve DeBrum who was mayor when Manteca hired Ogden. “The current council didn’t think that was the case. I’m not privy to what prompted their decision (to end Ogden’s employment).”
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
