Hercules taps Richmond development director for city manager post

By Tom Lochner
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 09/13/2011 10:48:09 PM PDT
Updated: 09/13/2011 10:48:10 PM PDT

Steve Duran, currently Richmond's community economic development director, will be the new Hercules city manager.
Hercules Mayor Myrna de Vera announced the City Council's unanimous choice of Duran following a closed session preceding Tuesday's regular council meeting.
Duran said he likely will take the helm in Hercules next month. The Hercules city staff is negotiating a contract with Duran, de Vera said.
Duran succeeds former City Manager Nelson Oliva, who stepped down in January and is now in a dispute with the city over $112,500 in severance pay that was withheld after news reports surfaced in May that Oliva had done private consulting work for a company he founded while serving as city manager.
Oliva had said the company was transferred to family members in January 2007, before he took the Hercules job.
In May 2010, Oliva made a presentation to the Lompoc City Council pitching the services of his old company, NEO Consulting Inc./Affordable Housing Solutions Group, which was Hercules' affordable housing contractor at the time. The Lompoc council approved a $350,000 contract with NEO/AHSG, but the agreement was never executed.
The revelation of Oliva's out-of-town work produced public ire and demands that the city withhold the second installment of the separation pay.
Dan will become the city's first permanent manager in nearly 10 months. Fred Deltorchio and most recently Liz Warmerdam have held the post on an interim basis.
From: Steve Duran
Sent: Tue 9/13/2011 7:31 PM
To: Bill Lindsay
Cc: Leslie Knight
Subject: An Offer I Can't Refuse
Bill,
The City of Hercules has offered me, and I have accepted, the position of City Manager.  I will start work there on October 10, 2011.
Therefore, I am tendering my resignation to be effective at the close of business on October 7, 2011.
'Sorry for the e-mail resignation, but Hercules wanted to make an announcement tonight and I didn't want you reading it in the paper before you heard from me..
I am sure we'll have a chance to debrief on everything I am working on.
- sd