AnonymousSource: City of Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara City Administrator Paul Casey has appointed Rebecca Bjork as the Interim Community Development Director, effective August 3, 2020 to oversee planning and permitting, housing, and building and safety functions. The Community Development Department is comprised of over 77 employees and a budget totaling $13 million.
Ms. Bjork currently serves as the Public Works Director, a position she has held for six years. In this capacity, she has provided oversight of the City’s water and wastewater utilities, street maintenance, capital project design and construction, fleet services, downtown parking, and maintenance of over 100 City buildings and facilities. She has worked with local government for over 30 years. She received a Bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College, and a Master’s degree from California State University, Northridge.
Brian D’Amour, City Engineer, has been appointed to serve as the department head for the Public Works Department during this time.
An executive recruitment process is being planned to fill the key department head position.
Ms. Bjork is doing really well in her City job. She was the Water Resources Director during the time when the City lost the plans for the desal plant, leading to a $17M overrun on that project on top of the $55M original estimate because the contractors for the plant restart didn’t know what they were dealing with. Was rewarded for this with Public Works Director job, and now the acting Community Development Director job. Pulling down more than $300K total for her work.
Ms Bjork is a puppet for the city’s unwritten agenda. She is advancing because she goes along to get along. Her time in the water works was a disaster. We were sold the desalination boondoggle by her and her cohorts. We are paying through the “hose’for this already. Just imagine the next ten years.