Enhance La Jolla seeks new MAD manager and plans to hold elections

The board of Enhance La Jolla will see some changes in coming months, as it will have an election to fill four seats and is seeking a new manager for the La Jolla Maintenance Assessment District.

The La Jolla-based nonprofit administers MAD with authority to “enhance” city-provided services, including landscape maintenance, street and sidewalk cleaning, litter and graffiti abatement and additional trash collection, and to privately fund and complete capital improvement projects in public spaces, such as upgraded trash cans, bench installation, sign augmentation, park improvements, more public art and tree canopies on main thoroughfares.

At its June 18 meeting via Zoom, Enhance La Jolla President Ed Witt said MAD manager John Unbewust would be moving on as of Tuesday, June 30.

“It was a mutual understanding,” Witt said. “We will certainly miss John and his expertise and devotion to his job. He has done a great job giving us a road map to success. John will remain a friend and colleague ... and will always have the best of The Village in his heart.”

Unbewust did not respond to a request for comment.

The board is looking to hire a new manager as soon as possible.

La Jolla Maintenance Assessment District manager John Unbewust, pictured in 2019, is leaving the post June 30.

(File)

A job description is posted at enhancelajolla.org under “About us” and “Request for proposals.” Resumés and applications are due by 5 p.m. June 30, after which the Enhance La Jolla selection committee will interview qualified candidates.

Preferred experience includes working with public-benefit, not-for-profit boards of directors, understanding assessment district law and Proposition 218 special-benefit requirements, writing and maintaining records of the district association and basic knowledge of the creation and maintenance of public spaces within the district.

Additionally, the board will have an election in the months ahead to fill four seats.

Enhance La Jolla has 13 directors on its governing board. According to the bylaws, seven are owners (or representatives of owners) of commercial, residential and nonprofit properties paying the MAD assessment; three are board members of the La Jolla Community Foundation; one is a member of the La Jolla Village Merchants Association and two are representatives of the La Jolla community at large.

The seats that will be available are for a commercial property owner, a residential property owner, a La Jolla Community Foundation member and an at-large member.

Board member Kathryn Kanjo said nominations will open July 30 and close Aug. 13 so the board can facilitate the election and announce the winners during its next scheduled meeting at 4 p.m. Sept. 17, tentatively via Zoom.

Kanjo said the vote could be conducted with in-person ballots if they could be collected safely in light of the coronavirus pandemic, or the board could determine a system of electronic voting.

Voting is open to the thousands of property owners within the district boundaries. ◆