The wait appears to be over.

A straw vote at an Englewood City Council special session on June 17 picked James Lewis, Longmont's assistant city manager, to be the new city manager of Englewood, which has not had a permanent manager since Eric Keck's resignation in October. A formal vote to make the job offer in a regular city council meeting, required under the city charter, was set for June 24.

The contract calls for an annual salary of $172,500, plus benefits. It also states there will be a 10% retirement contribution from the city, 100% vested immediately. In addition to an immediate paid time off bank of two weeks to make up for benefits and leave accrued in his current Longmont job, the manager also is set to receive four weeks paid time off per year, increasing to five weeks after three years and six weeks after five years.

In lieu of comp time, if the contract is accepted, the manager also will get 48 hours a year of personal leave. The city is offering $2,000 a year in tuition reimbursement, $400 per month for car allowance, and $250 per year in health and wellness expenses, such as a gym membership. The city will pay all moving and relocation expenses, and will pay for professional dues and subscriptions and provide reimbursement for other job-related expenses.

If the manager is terminated for cause, which requires clearing a high bar such as a criminal conviction, working while intoxicated, court-adjudicated mental incapacity or other defined situations, the manager would be paid accrued time off and compensation. If the manager is terminated without cause as defined on that list, the manager would be paid accrued time off plus three months' salary, increasing to four months' salary after a year, five months after two years and six months after three years.

The contract says the city has a goal of "assuring the manager's morale and peace of mind with respect to his future job security."

The contract can be viewed at: https://englewoodgov.civicweb.net/document/71597/Resolution%20approving%20City%20Manager%20Contract.pdf

About Lewis

Lewis has worked as an assistant city manager in Longmont since 2013. His resume stretches to San Angelo, Texas, where he was director of planning, director of development services and director of community and economic development. He also worked as a business development coordinator and old town development coordinator in Lewisville, Texas and a main street manager in Huntsville, Texas.

Lewis earned a master of public policy from Pepperdine University in California and his bachelor of arts in business communication from Lubbock Christian University in Texas.

At a meet and greet on June 3 at the Englewood Civic Center, where residents could listen to finalists for city manager, Lewis said any Englewood employee can end up being the city's most important one at any time.

“Sometimes you have a push-pull between people that have been here for their whole lives. Their families have been here, but you also have newcomers that are wanting everything to change,” Lewis said. “I've worked really hard throughout my career to balance those sometimes competing priorities, and I want to help do that here in Englewood.”

Lewis will be responsible for enforcing policy decisions made by city council and for overseeing general operations in Englewood.