Jack Stewart recalls years of service to California City

BY DEBBY BADILLO - Desert News
 

JACK STEWART steps down as city manager on Aug. 31. The search for his
replacement continues.

Jack Stewart recalls years of service to CalCity

Sees bright future for the city

QUOTE: “It’s been a great ride.” — Jack Stewart

QUOTE: “He’s not a pencil pusher.” — City Clerk Helen Dennis

CALIFORNIA CITY — From his office at City Hall, decorated with photos of his grandchildren, City Manager Jack Stewart can look across California City Boulevard and see new houses going up a few hundred yards from Rite Aid and McDonalds in the Villages, where he started his involvement with the city in 1991 as the project manager for the 317-acre Villages development when it belonged to the Weissman Group. He left that job and started as city manager on January 7, 1999. Now, six years later, Stewart, 67, has tendered his resignation and is preparing to retire back east, to be closer to his children and extended family. His resignation is effective Aug. 31. “I have no regrets. It’s been a great ride,” Stewart said. “I’ve worked with wonderful people, both in the public and private sector. I’ll miss everybody.”

A few frustrations

He does have a few “frustrations,” though. Like being unable to get Matrix to honor its commitment to the city, not convincing a major supermarket chain to locate here, spending a lot of time and energy dealing with the state and federal environmental bureaucracy, and finally, the greed of some absentee property owners who treated the
Hyundai buyout as a lottery ticket. But that’s more than balanced by the successful projects, like the 40-acre industrial park at the airport, including getting the foreign
trade zone designation and installing the infrastructure improvements. New construction around town includes the relocation of Friends’ Tires, a furniture store, and two shopping centers. The presence of national companies like Rite Aid, McDonalds, and Chevron is also a sign of success, Stewart said, and he expects a major supermarket to commit to the city within six months to a year.

Looking to the future

When he looks to the future, Stewart sees a city with plenty of land and water, in position to take advantage of the Mojave bypass where it touches city limits to develop commercially along highways 58 and 14. The Mojave Airport will continue to be a major local employer, along with Edwards AFB and US Borax.

New schools planned by the Mojave Unified School District will also benefit the city, Stewart said. Once the city finishes extending water to Wonder Acres and widens California City Boulevard to four lanes, that neighborhood will also see more residential and retail growth, he predicts. The city’s population will likely grow to 15,000 in a few years, peak at 20,000, Stewart said, and then level off, although there’s room for more residents. All those new residents will add to the tax base, Stewart said, and that’s good for the city.

21 years in California

When he came to California 21 years ago to work for the city of Oxnard as an economic development specialist, Stewart said he had no idea how long he’d be in California. His resume in the Golden State also includes stints as president of the California City Economic Development Corporation, director and general partner with the Tehachapi Valley Research Center, and president of the Kern Economic Development Corporation.

He put the banking and finance expertise he developed in Ohio to good use in California and North Carolina, working on lots of economic development projects. The Kern Council of Governments awarded Stewart a lifetime achievement award in March for his years of dedicated service to the community.

“He’s been dedicated more to economic development of the city than to administrative duties,” said City Clerk Helen Dennis, who wrote the nomination application to KernCOG. “He’s not a pencil pusher.” In turn, Stewart gestures to the row of city offices and says, “My total success is due to these people, especially the city clerk.” He developed the master plan for the Villages, leaving the city with a detailed blueprint for the large, multiphase residential and commercial project.

Stewart will stay in California City long enough for his grandson, Jason, to attend Mojave High School for one semester and play football. They’ll leave town during winter break. Already, Stewart and his wife, Kitty, have bought a 39-acre farm in Tennessee where they’re building a log cabin, just a few hours from most of their relatives, and they’re fixing up Kitty’s family farm in North Carolina, which they plan to rent.

Time with family

Besides spending time with a family that includes his mother, grown children and seven grandchildren, Stewart said he’ll spend time sailing, reading, listening to jazz and country music, and attending Scottish festivals. One of his goals is to hike the Appalachian Trail with his son, who is president of a Sierra Club chapter. He and his wife are also big NASCAR fans, and they plan to attend as many races as possible. Kitty Stewart’s uncle, Herb Thomas, was a major NASCAR racer in the 1950s. He jokes she’ll be sitting in the VIP section, while he collects tickets.

‘Good employee’

“He’s been a good employee for us,” Mayor Larry Adams said, citing Stewart’s expertise in land use and land development. “He helped bring a lot of business to the city.” Adams says the city manager’s knowledge of land use law made it possible for the city to navigate the complicated channels of the combination annexation/detachment process that brought the Hyundai test track into city limits.

The search for a new city manager is now in its second phase, and Stewart has promised to be available to help his replacement get on his feet. But after December, when Stewart and his wife pack up for good, the new city manager and the city will be on their own.

Reprinted with permission of the Mojave Desert News

Copyright 2004 Mocal Corporation

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