Pomona Picks Administrator : Government: Divided City Council is unanimous in hiring Azusa City Administrator Julio Fuentes.

POMONA — Julio Fuentes, city administrator in Azusa for the last 2 1/2 years, was appointed city administrator Tuesday night by unanimous vote of an often divided City Council.

Meanwhile, acting City Adminstrator Tom Fee named Kelson McDaniel, 52, former police chief in San Clemente and Los Alamitos, as interim police chief. McDaniel, who began in Pomona Wednesday, has more than 25 years experience in law enforcement and said he will be a candidate for the permanent police chief job.

Fee also announced Douglas Dunlap, former El Monte city administrator, will become deputy executive director of the city’s redevelopment agency Nov. 29.

Mayor Donna Smith said: “I’m thrilled. Mr. Fuentes is well qualified for the position. After six months of being adrift like a lost ship, we have a captain.”

Councilman C.L. (Clay) Bryant said Fuentes was his second choice in a field of more than 130 applicants for the job, but he voted for him to make the decision unanimous. Councilman Tomas Ursua was more enthusiastic, saying “what we’re getting is a young, energetic, bright image for Pomona.”

Fuentes, 33, is a graduate of Cal State Long Beach and holds a master’s degree in public administration from USC. He held administrative positions in Monrovia and Cypress before joining Azusa in 1984 as an assistant to the city administrator.

The administrator said he is looking forward to the challenge of working in Pomona, a city whose population of 119,000 is more than three times as large as that of Azusa. Fuentes is expected to start working for Pomona around the first of the year.

He said his impression of the Pomona City Council is that “they are very talented, very bright people. They have a lot of excellent ideas.” He said his first task will be to meet with council members about the direction the city should take. “I want their input,” he said. “I’ve always prided myself on my excellent relations with council members.”

Smith said it was Fuentes’ ability to move Azusa forward economically, despite a council often at odds politically, that made him attractive to Pomona. “He has had experience working with a difficult council,” she said.

Ursua added that Fuentes has a reputation for fairness. “He won’t get involved in political games,” he said.

Another asset, Ursua said, is that Fuentes is Latino in a city with a large minority population. “It really sends a message--here’s another role model,” he said.

Smith said details of the salary and benefit package for Fuentes are still being worked out, but he has been offered a base salary of $87,200 a year, plus a $4,800 car allowance.

Fuentes said his contract with Azusa requires him to give 45 days notice before leaving, but he is asking the council to release him in 30 days.

The position of city administrator has been vacant since May 1, when the council fired former Administrator A.J. Wilson. An interim replacement, Andrew Lazzaretto, quit after a month. Fee, who has been acting city administrator since June, did not apply for the permanent appointment.