City Manager to retire

Laguna Beach City Manager Ken Frank announced his retirement Tuesday at the City Council meeting.

Frank has managed the city since 1980 when he was lured from the city of Berkeley where he served as assistant city manager. His retirement will take effect at the end of November.

“By then, I will have concluded 31 years of service as city manager of Laguna Beach,” Frank said in a press release issued Wednesday. “Also, since I will turn 66 this week and since I have been working since age 10, a change of pace seems timely.”

Mayor Elizabeth Pearson said the November date will give the city time to conduct a major recruitment to find a successor to Frank.

The timing will also allow Frank to close the books on the current fiscal year and to present the mid-year budget update for next year.

“As part of that discussion, we will be suggesting a financial roadmap for the City over the next several years until the economy improves,” Frank said.

At the conclusion of his announcement, the audience at the meeting and those seated on the dais sang “Happy Birthday.” “Olde Lang Syne” could have been the encore.