The Turlock City Council on Tuesday moved to install Chris Fisher as the new interim city manager, replacing the previous interim city manager, Gary Hampton.
Fisher already wears two hats: director of municipal services and general manager of the Stanislaus Regional Water Authority. Assistant director of municipal services Will Richards will step up to become acting head of the department.
Fisher, a widely respected city administrator, was asked whether he has interest in the post on a full-time basis.
“That’s a great question,” said Fisher. “At this time, I’m solely focused on the interim. The city is actively finalizing its recruitment process, but if an opportunity presented itself in the future, I would consider it. I’m just honored that they chose me to serve in this capacity.”
In the meantime, Fisher said he’d like to focus on three areas during his time in the manager’s chair: safety, quality and community.
“In whatever work we do, we have to do it safely, for the good of our employees and for the citizens of Turlock,” said Fisher, who became GM of SRWA and director of municipal services in November 2023. “And in whatever we do, we want to strive for quality – to do it to the best of our abilities. And we always have to think about what is in the best interest of our community’s when doing our work.”
Hampton, who was serving his fifth stint as Turlock city manager, was the city’s chief of police from 2006 to 2011. He first served as interim city manager in 2009, following the firing of then-city manager Tim Kerr, before leaving to become chief of police in Tracy, where he also served as interim assistant city manager and public safety director. Hampton returned to Turlock in April 2016 as the full-time city manager, a position he held until his retirement in 2017. He most recently took over for Sue Borrego, who had taken over for the retiring Reagan Wilson.
Fisher is now the fourth different interim manager in the past two years.
In other business Tuesday, the council heard the second and final reading to amend and extend development agreements for the city’s four cannabis retailers and one cultivator.
The city also voted against moving forward with putting a cannabis tax on the November ballot.
“I do believe that going to a tax and going to the voters is the more appropriate way to go about this long term,” said District 3 Councilmember Cassandra Abram, who, along with District 1 Councilmember Kevin Bixel, voted in favor of putting it on the ballot. “One of the recommendations from the cannabis (ad hoc) committee was to move out of the DA’s.”
Mayor Amy Bublak, and councilmembers Rebecka Monez (District 2) and Erika Phillips (District 4) voted against putting it before voters.
Dispensaries FF Farms, Firehouse, Natural Healing Center and Perfect Union all came online at different times since the pilot program was initiated in 2019, but each will have their development agreement extended through June 2029 to streamline the renewal process moving forward. As part of their development agreements, the dispensaries were required to pay a public benefit fee of 5.25 percent of gross receipts or $25,000 (whichever sum is greater) in the first year, with the lump-sum option increasing by $5,000 per year in the subsequent four years.
To date, the dispensaries have generated $8 million in public benefit funds, with Firehouse ponying up more than half of that total, $4.1 million, since opening its doors in August 2020. Perfect Union has contributed nearly $2.4 million since opening in September 2020; NHC has paid $1 million since opening in May 2023; FF Farms has paid just over $500,000 since opening last year.
