By Lidia Dinkova, Special to the Herald
After one year of serving as the Sunny Isles Beach city manager, Alan Cohen resigned from the job. He cited “personal reasons” in a resignation letter he submitted June 20.
“I am very proud in what I was able to accomplish in the time that I was there. There are many good people that I would miss,” Cohen told The Miami Herald. He declined to elaborate on the reasons for his departure.
The city has been looking for a new manager and hopes to announce a candidate and bring him or her up for a vote at next commission meeting on July 19, said Mayor Norman Edelcup.
In the meantime, Police Chief Fred Maas has been appointed to serve as the interim city manager. At the June 21 commission meeting, commissioners and the mayor unanimously approved the motion to accept Maas to serve on an interim basis.
Here are some of the capital improvement projects the city moved forward with while Cohen was the city manager: Demolition and reconstruction of the Newport Fishing Pier that is to be finished by the end of the year, beautification projects and a sound study at the skate park at Town Center Park. The skate park has been at the heart of some contention in the community because of the noise made from children skateboarding there. The city has set aside $50,000 in the current fiscal year’s budget for a company, Stanley Consultants, to do the sound study and also come back with three options how to alleviate the noise.
Cohen said he is particularly proud of the work he did within city hall, improving employee morale, keeping communication open and “taking a true interest in what your employees are doing.”
He served as city manager for an annual salary of $180,000, an amount negotiated when he was hired in spring 2011, according to the city’s Human Resources Department.
For more information on how to apply for the city manager position, call the Human Resources Department at 305-792-1708.