Parks, public works job goes to former Saratoga manager
By Nathan R. Huff
Los Gatos welcomed former Saratoga city manager Larry Perlin into the fold last week, hiring him as the town's new parks and public works director.
Perlin, who resigned Jan. 9, under heavy pressure from the Saratoga City Council, replaces acting public works director Scott Alman, who stepped in last fall after long-time director Scott Baker left for a similar job in Pleasanton.
Perlin, a Santa Cruz resident, will work with the staff the week of May 15 to May 19, to prepare the budget for council approval. He will start his job officially on June 5. Perlin's salary will start at $91,800.
Town manager David Knapp said Perlin was a natural candidate. He has worked with a number of Los Gatos officials, and was Saratoga's public works director before becoming city manager. "He had the best mix of things in terms of knowing the area and the responsibilities," Knapp said.
Perlin, speaking from his home near the beach, said while he was beginning to "get very used to this lifestyle," he was excited to get back to work in the public sector.
"It's in my blood," Perlin said. "I've worked in the public sector and local government for 20 years and I'm very comfortable with it. I enjoy the type of work done by local government, and I like working with the public."
Perlin said his ties with Los Gatos staff, such as community development director Paul Curtis who worked with Perlin in Saratoga, and his knowledge of the area would make for a quick learning curve. He added that he knows all the town's council members in varying degrees.
Asked why he didn't pursue city manager jobs, Perlin said that while there were possibilities out there, at this time in his life he just doesn't enjoy the instability such positions bring. Stability, he said, was a major factor in his decision to come to Los Gatos.
"It seems like the town is politically very stable." Perlin said. "For the most part, the council seems to be sort of a cohesive group and doesn't seem to have nearly the nasty or divisive politics that exist in Saratoga."
However, that doesn't mean Perlin isn't interested in tackling Los Gatos' most pressing issues. He said he's quickly becoming educated on the parking issues in the town and what his role will be. Perlin helped to set up Capitola's downtown parking management program years ago. "I gather that's the hot topic right now," he said. "Every conversation seems to veer off in that direction."
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
