Home Contra Costa County Lafayette City Council to Appoint Niroop Kasthuri Srivatsa as Permanent City Manager

Lafayette City Council to Appoint Niroop Kasthuri Srivatsa as Permanent City Manager

by ECT

The Lafayette City Council is considering the appointment of Niroop Kasthuri Srivatsa as permanent City Manager at its upcoming meeting on August 12, 2019. Ms. Srivatsa, who has served as the City’s Interim City Manager since January, will be considered by the Council to be the City Manager following a national search.

The Council, along with a Citizen’s Selection Panel and a Staff Selection Panel, interviewed finalists for the position last Friday, August 2. Srivatsa’s contract, which was negotiated by a subcommittee of the Council comprised of Mayor Mike Anderson and Vice Mayor Susan Candell, will be formally brought before the entire Council for a vote at the August 12 meeting.

“I am so pleased that the City Council is considering Niroop Srivatsa as Lafayette’s next City Manager. She has clearly demonstrated over her long tenure with the City a firm commitment and ability to maintain the values of our very special community,” said Lafayette’s Mayor, Mike Anderson. “As we head into a tumultuous cycle of State legislation determined to limit our local control over planning and development, and begin the update of our General Plan, Ms. Srivatsa’s knowledge and experience will be essential to our success,” Mayor Anderson added.

“We are fortunate to have such a well-known and trusted friend available to take on the responsibilities of this critical position,” he said.

Srivatsa, before serving as Interim City Manager, was Lafayette’s Director of Planning and Building Services for the past 18 years. Over her more than 30 years of local government experience – the majority of which she served in Lafayette – Srivatsa led city staff and advised the City Council and Planning Commission on land use policy, strategic growth initiatives, and housing and economic development matters. During her tenure, the City completed an update to the general plan, adopted its first downtown specific plan and approved over 100 below-market-rate housing units in the downtown.

From 1992 to 1999, Srivatsa worked as Lafayette’s Planning Director and Community Development Director supervising the planning, engineering, and public works divisions and serving as staff to the newly-created redevelopment agency. Under her supervision, the department commenced work on a $15 million capital improvement program with community oversight and public review added to the process. In addition, she has acted as incident commander during emergency operations drills and held leadership roles during real emergencies, most notably the 1998 flooding in Lafayette.

Prior to her work at the City of Lafayette, Srivatsa served as Associate Planner and Chief City Planner, from 1982 to 1989, for the City of Naperville, Illinois. Srivatsa serves on the League of California Cities Revenue and Taxation Committee which provides policy direction on pending legislation to the League Board and advocates for local control. She was recently appointed as an alternate commissioner to the California Statewide Communities Development Authority, where she reviews applications from more than 500 cities, counties and special districts for funding community infrastructure, affordable housing, and environmental projects.

Srivatsa has a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Town Planning from Madras University in Chennai, India. She and her husband, Sanjay, raised two sons, Vikram and Arjun, in Lafayette where they attended the Meher Schools, Stanley Middle School, and Acalanes High School. For the last 14 years, she has volunteered as a dog socializer at Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF). She lives in unincorporated Saranap, served by the Lafayette School District and within Lafayette’s sphere of influence.

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6 comments

Go back to India Aug 8, 2019 - 6:18 pm

Get her outa here!

Greg Aug 9, 2019 - 12:30 pm

A “permanent” city manager? I thought city managers change with a new mayor and a new city council. Nothing is “permanent.” What’s with these people?

Curry Hater Aug 9, 2019 - 11:47 pm

Now the Lafayette city hall will look like CULCUTTA!

Matt Aug 15, 2019 - 12:28 am

The place will reek of curry!

Gopal Aug 16, 2019 - 2:17 pm

That city hall has reeked of curry for quite a while

Tammy Aug 13, 2019 - 6:18 pm

What happened? No Americans available NATIONWIDE to take this job?

Comments are closed.