By Janene Scully, Noozhawk North County Editor
Santa Maria’s retired city manager, Rick Haydon, has been hired to lead the city of Solvang staff on an interim basis.
The City Council voted 4-0 Monday night to hire Haydon to fill in once City Manager Brad Vidro retires Dec. 28.
The panel’s fifth seat is vacant due to Councilman Ryan Toussaint’s election to mayor.
While Solvang has started recruiting for the city manager’s job, it is not expected to be filled when Vidro leaves.
Haydon assisted the Solvang City Council in April of this year with a goal-setting workshop process.
Due to the public retirement system regulations, Haydon cannot work more than 960 hours per fiscal year, and must be paid $85.61 per hour.
“It is anticipated that the interim position would work well under the 960 hour cap, as a new city manager should be hired soon,” Vidro said in his staff report.
At the end of 2017, Haydon retired from the city of Santa Maria where he initially worked as assistant city manager for 12 years before being promoted to city manager in late 2011.
Vidro worked for Solvang for 13 years, first as public works director before being named city manager.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com.
