The Daily Journal (San Mateo County), "Government Watch", 5/18/13.
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| Ann Ritzma |
"City government. Ann Ritzma was named Foster City’s new Human Resources director
beginning July 8. Foster City has been contracting for Human Resources
director services since September 2011. Ritzma will oversee Foster
City’s full service Human Resources Department, which is responsible for
employee and labor relations, benefits administration, recruitment and
selection, classification and compensation, organizational development,
workers’ compensation and all related aspects of Human Resources." Read more, weekly Federal, State and City updates.
Reference - City of Foster City Press Release. "Ann Ritzma named new Human Resources Director in Foster City appointment, effective July 8, 2013." "An
extensive Human Resources background has positioned Ms. Ritzma to carry
on the tradition of excellent employee/employer relations that makes
Foster City an employer of choice for a top quality workforce. She
commented, “I am committed to utilizing my knowledge and experience in
city government to further Foster City’s ability to provide outstanding
community services; to build an organization that not only responds to
demands but is prepared for new challenges, services and roles in the
community."
Most recently Ms. Ritzma has served as the Administrative Services Director for the City of Pacifica where she oversaw the Human Resources functions as well as the operations of the Finance and Information Technology Divisions.
Ms. Ritzma has a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Golden Gate University. She has been employed in local government for over 26 years. During her career, the responsible positions she has held in a variety of departments have given her experience with all aspects of local government management." Note: photograph from the press release.
56 comments:
Didn't someone from out of town keep insisting that Ritzma was going to be the next city manager?
hahahahahahahaha. somebody is so wrong it hurts.
She's no dummy. Foster City has lotsa money! They're filling the HR Director job that's been vacant for 2 years--a job that in 2010 paid more than she earns in our whacky combined HR and Finance job. Less work, more money.
Big plus...Foster City doesn't practice human sacrifice! Gave it up decades ago.
I wish both Ann and Steve the best but their departure within weeks of each other does not bode well for the City of Pacifica. Council now has to find replacements for it top two administrators while trying to forge a five year budget plan and backing whatever revenue raising plan they come up with. This is a huge work load for a group of people who also have demanding day jobs.
No Sinai, it was someone from within City Hall!
Why doesn't the council demand that the finance dept down in the basement do thier job and hire a city manager that can handle the HR part of our city?
we'd save a couple hundred thousand dollars.
That would make economic sense, therefore it is not allowed!
Rats off a burning ship!
"No Sinai, it was someone from within City Hall!"
No, it was someone who moved away from Pacifica four years ago and incorrectly thinks he knows what's going on in town.
Interesting how the "know it all" geniuses who wrecked our town with phoney frog, snake and plover causes are dead silent now.
Aw, he's just playin with ya'll.
The town fiscal genius spews. It's not as revenue problem it's a salary problem.
Surprising he is on the group of NO!
Wow, "Wrecked our town". That's ripe. What's next? A lynch mob?
@835 knock it off. what you're suggesting is too close to a solution. hey, what about outsourcing HR? think of the fun we all could have with even the rumor of outsourcing something else. council would absolutely wet their pants!
Rhodes retires and Ritzma goes off to endear herself to another city.
Next!
The end is near soon. Just put all the unpaid bills in boxes till the Bankruptcy!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Rhodes retires and Ritzma goes off to endear herself to another city.
Next!
May 19, 2013 at 12:33 PM
Saunders
Bertini=off to Menlo Park
Crabtree
Fernando Realy-Vasquez also left to go to the SMC Sheriff's Department and PB&R lost a couple key people. Yeah, for a city that has always had pretty stable group of employees, there's been a lot of movement to other employers along with the usual retirements.
9:55. It's not me!
The city attorney can go next. We'd be a lot better off.
Anonymous 4:18
The Job of City Attorney was outsourced more then a year ago.
Please Keep up.
They're dropping like flies.
The truth doesn't apply Tom. The trurth doesn't apply!
Sorry that all I got.
The city attorney's law firm can be replaced. Does it really not penetrate, that these people are incompetents? Haven't you been paying attention?
The fact that the "finance director," who had no experience in municipal finance, is going, is a really good thing.
Pacifica deserves better than it has received.
Little late for changes. They're all pallbearers at this point anyway.
It's difficult to soar with the eagles when you sit around with the turkey's!!
Ann's title was Administrative Services director. The finance dept reported to her. She worked pretty hard trying to get concessions from the Unions during this trying fiscal time. It's pretty easy to call someone incompetent when you most probably have never negotiated anything besides your Comcast coverage. I agree with Kathy..If you have something to say, put your name behind it or keep it to yourself. No guts, not interested in your continued disrespect for everything and everyone..city council, city manager, city staff, chamber of commerce, garbage service, water rates, sewer rates, fresh and easy, safeway, congested traffic, highway widening, the tunnel, the weather, the beach parking, the chamber book, the loosy restaurants and on and on and on.....and I do sign my name
Well said Chris
The blog master can give us a choice of pages to view. One with all comments, one with signed comments only, and one with anonymi comments only. No peaking!
Carry it further, make it easier, and edit those 3 categories of signed, anonymous, and all comments into sub-categories like pro/anti-city council, pro/anti-Recology, pro/anti-Chamber, pro/anti-widening, etc.
Make it easy for the users of this blog. Avoid exposing them to anything they might disagree with, something new, or those anonymous negative comments.
Please note, exposure to anonymous positive comments is allowed in this structure.
Users must select from one of the 3categories to begin viewing and stick to their category. As said before, absolutely no peeking.
Nice, the manager of a monopoly franchise is lecturing us on how to comment.
The city council would do well in getting rid of this law firm that bilks the public and making a clean sweep of it. Free choice would be a far better way to go.
It's better odds that we'll get some good people on board - Foster City didn't hire Ms. Ritzma for her financial acumen. She has no experience other than helping to destroy Pacifica's finances!
Wow 901 your 3rd point is pretty harsh. I don't know Ms. Ritzma, but unless there's some job consolidation being planned in FC, it could be she wants nothing to do with city finances after being exposed to the rat hole that is Pacifica. She didn't bring about our financial ruin. It's been underway for 30 years. The coup de grace was a cash-strapped government yanking away the safety net we slept in.
Ritzma's new job is HR Director and it pays her more than she made as admin services director for Pacifica. Foster City is a smaller city with more city employees than Pacifica.
No one on staff here seems sad to see her go, but she's in a job where you don't have the luxury of making friends. Hope she acted with integrity here and does so in Foster City. I don't blame her a bit for moving forward.
Hey Chris, this is America and bitching about anything and particularly about stuff we pay for or vote for, is our patriotic right and duty. The internet made it possible to do so anonymously. Don't like it, don't read it.
"The blog master can give us a choice of pages to view. One with all comments, one with signed comments only, and one with anonymi comments only. No peaking!"
Nope, you're wrong.
My comments stand..If you have the right to complain and your believe in what you say, why are you afraid to sign your name?
Her salary was tied to the top 3 highest paid Pacifica salaries. Why would you think she would give any concessions to anyone??
She fleeced the taxpayers like everyone else.
Does anyone think the voters will give this broke city another 30 million + in debt in bond money to build a library? Or I mean a new City Council chambers?
Never.
Much of the blame should go to the previous councils that approved contracts like Ritzma's. Quick had the same kind of contract, where she was guaranteed to be the first or second highest paid city employee. (I don't remember the exact details.)
Those types of contracts should be banned.
Way to go Chris, I agree with you... Hahaha, I AGREE WITH YOU!!!
Todd Bray and Chris Porter agree!!!
Kathy, change your header on that HMB pig article...they're flying, by God they're flying.
Yeah, Ritzma had a very nice contract and it's pretty standard stuff at her level. If the public knew and really understood all the little deals and intricacies and consequences of some of these public employee contracts-particularly mgmt level and public safety--they'd pick up the pitchforks and storm the castle. Of course, no one knows what treasure is possible better than an HR director or how easy it is to sell to the decision makers...these are the salaries for these jobs, we need to be competitive, everyone gets this why shouldn't you/we ...blah blah blah.
"Todd Bray and Chris Porter agree!!!" Anonymous 1:49 PM.
Sure Todd and Chris agree that when you have something to say, sign your name to it. Aren't you glad you brought up that issue, Anonymous?
Sorry, pigs still can't fly (lol).
Well, something is sure flying. Best case scenario, it's pigs!
Go with the pigs.
"Todd Bray and Chris Porter agree!!!"
Has anyone got a warm coat. It is getting cold down here.
Kathy and Chris agree (on talking about whether people are anonymous rather than addressing what they say)!!!
Bring your ice skates!
Can we gain insight from this seemingly odd match-up? Inspiration? If Todd and Chris can find a common ground, perhaps there's hope for the rest of us and our little hamlet-by-the-sea?
Sure. When pigs fly. Through a frozen over hell. Wearing ice skates and carrying snowballs.
I have addressed what people are saying and again the comment was that the critics haven't negotiated anything more than their Comcast bill or they would know what it takes to ask the Unions for givebacks. And also what was Ann supposed to do when she interviewed for the Pacifica job...say gee I think you are paying me too much so why don't we reduce the salary by 25%. That's what all you anonymoi would have done, right? I know Steve has reduced his benefits, reduced his salary and not taken any cafeteria cash payouts but he is still a "bad guy" in the anonymoi's eyes.
Now this City will have no City Mgr and no Administrative Services Director with any history on what's going on here and you all think that's great...Well excuse me if I think we are headed for a bad stretch when we need leadership the most. We have parttime City Council members; people who have businesses to run during the day so now what is going to happen? I put in a minimum of 10 to 11 hours a day and I'm sure a lot of them do also so with Ann gone who is pick up Steve's job when he leaves? You all have been hammering on the City employees salaries and benefits and you can see the mass exodus of qualified and experienced police and management to other cities. I am sure there are interview processes there so why would they hire them if they were so incompetent. So anonymoi, please don't ever say again I don't, can't or won't back up what I say. I have many friends on all sides of the political arena and I love to sit with them and talk over our various views. The difference between them, me and you is "you" feel it is necessary to hide behind your computer screen. You all know where my office is and I'm there every day so stop by if you want to have a real discussion. My friend Todd has been there many times!
Very well said Chris. Loosing the top two Staff people with-in weeks of each other is going to have a real negative impact on this city as it tries to move forward in difficult time.
Tom, I always thought having a building contractor on planning, would be and is a conflict of interest. What if someone you bid against goes up for a job, that comes up before you in planning. I am sure it happens.
I have been on union negotiating committees in the private sector and it is quite different from what happens with public unions. There is a definite sense of combat in the private sector. It is war and the company comes at the union with everything it has, asking for much more than they think possible to achieve. Even trying to de-certify the union. Especially if the company is in serious financial trouble. Here in Pacifica the "company" is friends with employees and that's reflected in the weak contract concessions.
Anonymous 6:52
1. The size project I bid on and build generally do not come before the Planning Commission.
2. If I were to find myself in the position of reviewing a project I had bid on I would recuse myself.
3. I feel the Planning Commission process benefits from have at least one Commissioner who fully understands what a developer has to go through to bring a project before the Commission.
Don't you just love the way people with names are clear and accountable, Broken Records 5/21, 4:59 PM? I do.
Of course, contractors and architects belong on a planning commission 6:52 AM. Tom's contribution is invaluable. And thank you for your service, Tom!
Anyone want to do a planning commission members occupation study in this city compared to several other regional cities? If so, that would make a good article to share.
Kathy, the city handbook and the state of cal. city's handbook for commissioners actually encourages the commission NOT have architects or builders but rather ordinary citizens. Regardless the choice of a commissioner is AT THE PLEASURE of council.
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