LIVERMORE — City Manager Marc Roberts announced this week he will retire on June 3 after 10 years at the helm, and 35 years working for the city.
“Although I’m really looking forward to life after work, it will be difficult for me to leave this organization, “ Roberts said near the end of the Dec. 13 City Council meeting, where he made the announcement.
“In addition to the amazing professionalism I encounter every day across the entire organization, over my years with Livermore, I’ve been healthy enough to work with 24 different council members and five different mayors, who’ve all been committed to improving the quality of life for Livermore residents,” he said.
Roberts, a resident of the city, has held six positions in his tenure, beginning as an assistant planner, and including stops as a special project coordinator and community development director beginning in 2000.
He was unanimously selected as the city manager by the council in 2012, according to a city statement.
Roberts has had a hand in several major efforts in the city, including serving as project manager for the South Livermore Valley Specific Plan, “which helped revitalize Livermore’s wine country,” increasing it from six wineries and fewer than 1,200 acres of vineyards in the 1980s to more than 50 wineries and about 4,000 acres of vineyards currently, according to the city.
He also oversaw the transformation of Livermore’s downtown, including the relocation of Highway 84 and the transition of First Street “from a four-lane highway to a quaint and vibrant pedestrian-oriented main street.”
“A lot has been accomplished on his watch; over 60 new pieces of public art have been added, along with an emergency operations center, and a new council chamber,” former Mayor John Marchand said in a statement.
Roberts has also helped guide Livermore during the COVID-19 pandemic, directing the emergency operations center for the city.
Mayor Bob Woerner said at the meeting that he came onto the council around the same time Roberts was appointed as city manager.
“Being a newbie on the council at that time, I certainly really appreciated all I could learn from you, and all you’ve done, and even after 10 years, I’m still learning from you. So I will be very sad to see you go,” Woerner said.
“I just want to really thank you for everything you’ve done for this city; it’s phenomenal,” he said.
Councilmember Regina Bonanno said she will miss many things about Roberts, including his “absolutely brilliant sense of humor.”
“I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had over the decades to build teams of professionals who have accomplished a lot together and who have made Livermore the great place it is today. I’m looking forward to a long retirement here and will continue to enjoy this amazing community,” Roberts said in a statement.
“It’s been an amazing ride here for 35 years to be able to work for the city and to accomplish and be a part of so many different things,” Roberts said at the meeting.
Recruitment for a new city manager is underway with a replacement expected to be on board in May to overlap with Roberts, according to the city statement.