By Brittany Hanson/Garden Grove Journal
A new manager, service recognition and new fees for non-city residents all got a nod on Tuesday in Stanton.
Jim Box, former director of parks and recreation and assistant city manager, is now Stanton’s newly appointed city manager as of Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
Former City Manager Carol Jacobs has accepted a position in Riverdale in Riverside County and officially vacates her current station as of Sept. 6.
Box has served Stanton for 12 years.
“Our city manager is a gift that keeps on giving. Jim takes the position of being the second-lowest paid city manager in the county,” said David Shawver, council member, jokingly.
Jacobs’ parting notes to the city at what was her last city council meeting, was that she had been given a great opportunity in Stanton.
“I have never met a council that has the guts and the fortitude that you have to make those decisions. I have got the most amazing group of people . . . you have the best staff I have ever worked with in my life. If you think I’m a great city manager it was because of the staff. Your senior staff is amazing . . .they are incredibly talented,” said Jacobs, “I knew that when I left , Mr. Box can handle the job. My greatest hope is that after Mr. Box has been working for you for six months you’ll say, ‘Carol who?’”
The Orange County Fire Authority and Orange County Sheriff’s Department protection services in Stanton as well as the Orange County Firefighter Association, IAFF Local 3631 and the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs were given recognition at the meeting as well.
The recognition comes in the wake of the OCSD and OCFA working with the city to cut $1.8 million from their respective contracts and budgets.
“This is a first, they [OCFA and OCSD] took all their overhead and salaries and worked with us and made us a viable city . . . we are one of the few cities that have done this. This is once in a lifetime that you’ll see this in any city,” said Al Ethans, council member.
The budget reworking required the reassignment of nine firefighters from Station 46 and two deputies from an already-reduced police services department.
“We asked for your help and you gave it to us and it really doesn’t get any better than that,” said Donahue.
Also, ordinances to impose fees for emergency response and fire services to non-residents who incur damages or are cited for incident damages and accidents were approved. Ordinance numbers 1006 and 1007 do not have any specific numbers tied to them, as the numbers will vary by rank, number and length of response and responders per situation.
I have met Jim several times and wish him the best. He is down to earth, approachable and eminently capable of helping the city.