CAMARILLO : Camrosa Opening Draws 55 Applicants

About 55 people have applied for the job of general manager of the Camrosa Water District, board President Jeffrey C. Brown said Wednesday.

Gina Manchester, the present general manager, was asked to resign by the new board that took over after a November election in which three directors were recalled and two were voted out of office. Manchester will leave her $74,000-a-year post March 18.

Board directors hope to fill the position in the next three weeks, Brown said.

Norman Roberts & Associates, a Los Angeles-based recruiting firm, will narrow the field of candidates to about 15, Brown said. The board has agreed to pay the firm up to $21,500 to find a qualified candidate.

The board will choose five to seven finalists for in-depth background checks, and the best candidate will be chosen after interviews, Brown said.

Brown said directors are working on ways to handle Manchester’s duties for the four to five weeks that the board is looking for a replacement. They are considering having staff members from Camarillo-based Camrosa or other water districts help out until the new manager starts work in about mid-April.

Under a separation agreement with Manchester, Camrosa will retain her services for up to 15 hours a week at a rate of $6,187 a month, a pro-rated equivalent of her annual salary.

Manchester, who has worked in the district since 1982, resigned in December.