Novi City Manager Announces Resignation

Source: City of Novi news release
 
Long-time Novi City Manager Clay Pearson announced his resignation early Tuesday morning.

He will head south to Pearland, Texas — a suburb immediately south of Houston, and assume the city manager position there in March. Pearson was formally appointed as Novi's city manager in July 2006, after serving as assistant city manager since September 2000.

“Our 13-plus years in Novi have been a great experience and amazing journey,” Pearson said in a news release. “Jennifer and I have made so many great friends while we have become fully vested with this incredible community and City staff team. I have had great elected leaders to work beside on important issues and opportunities. The Novi traditions of having an eye to the future with quality and professionalism are values I think I have helped sustain and that I know will continue. Novi will be a leader in the southeast Michigan region long into the future.” 

During the past eight years as city manager, Pearson oversaw all city operations and worked closely with city council. He was responsible for the internal operations of the city, which consist of a 2013/2014 general fund budget of more than $29.7 million, with a total budget of $56.1 million. The City of Novi remains on a strong financial foundation with a AA+ credit rating and maintains targeted fund balances while making road/utility/parks investments, the news release said. 

“During Mr. Pearson’s tenure here, Novi has thrived under some very adverse economic conditions,” said Novi Mayor Bob Gatt in the release. “Clay's leadership and vision were the guiding light that directed us all towards where we are today. Pearson and his team, working in conjunction with a very fiscally-minded city council, made some extremely difficult decisions that set Novi on the straight and upward path."

Pearson said Pearland and Novi are remarkably similar, like their desire to be a place that welcomes people from all ages and backgrounds. 

“Seeing that community in person last weekend solidified that the place we are headed next is one of boundless opportunity," he said in the release. 

Pearson’s last day with Novi will be Feb. 28 and he starts in Pearland on March 10. The Novi city council will soon begin discussions on the format and tools to implement a nation-wide search for Pearson’s successor. 

Pearson led several projects in Novi, including new Novi Public Library

Pearson led several initiatives and projects over the past decade in Novi including: 

• Remaining a growth location through a prior difficult economy, Novi hosted the third-highest real property additions in Oakland County which represented 8.06 percent of the total 2010 real property additions in the entire county. 
• Worked with police and EMS/Fire professionals on staff to complete resources and utilization study with ICMA Public Safety Consulting and followed through on recommendations for improving services and increasing use of data and maximizing assets to fulfill most critical city mission. 
• Led presentation to earn increase in bond credit rating to AA+ from Standard & Poor’s for issuance of $16 million library construction bonds for new 55,000 square-foot city library on Civic Center campus. Followed through as member of Building Authority to design, construct, and open a new Novi Public Library as part of the Civic Center Campus, on time and under budget. 
• Named to be one of four cities in the United States to participate in pilot older adults perception survey. Completed follow-up Community Assessment for older adults and associated Older Adults Services Strategic Plan 2013-2015. City initiated additional programs and communications specifically for older adults, including quarterly Enhance newsletter mailed directly. 
• Made organizational priority to cross-train staff to improve service levels at permit processing and citizen service centers; support training and development strongly with continuous support of tuition reimbursement, staff technology training at all times. 
• Integrated individual review sessions formerly to cadre of outside consultants of core technical functions by hiring and building systems for engineering, forestry/woodlands, and planning into a new collocated Plan Review Center resulting in over $65,000 in savings of City Plan Review costs in its initial nine months of operation and decreased number of required plan copies submitted by applicants from 23 to 10. 
• Oversaw plan review and building inspections for simultaneous construction of Providence Hospital (280-bed hospital and Level 1 Trauma Center) and expansion of Taubman Company’s Twelve Oaks Mall.