Top Official Selected as Del Mar's City Manager

Scott W. Huth, director of public services for Coronado, has been named Del Mar's top administrative official, an appointment announced at a special council meeting in Del Mar late Monday.

He was the top city manager candidate in a field of 106, the Del Mar Times reported this morning.

“Scott was on the top of the list,” Del Mar Councilman Mark Filanc told the publication. “I’m really excited to have him come on board.

As director of public services, he was responsible for overseeing the maintenance of Coronado’s streets, sidewalks and public buildings, from trimming trees and repairing pavement to removing graffiti.

Water conservation and recycling also were among his responsibilities.

In the early 1990’s he was part of the team that implemented an alternative fuel program in Coronado, making it one of the few cities that used compressed and natural gas and batteries for its vehicles.

In what may be one of his last projects for the city, he is working on getting an electric vehicle charge station installed.

City Manager Blair King and Councilwoman Carrie Downey were among the people who recommended Huth for the position.

“Both of us were happy for him, but sorry to see him leave Coronado,” Downey said. “He was the best director of public services any one could ask for.”

Replacing him, she said will not be easy. “He was a special kind of leader that doesn’t come around very often, a true team builder.’

Huth has worked for the City of Coronado for 22 years, the last 16 as director of public services.

He applied for the Del Mar job because one of his “career goals was to be a city manager,” but leaving Coronado will not be easy.

“It's like leaving a family,” he said. “I’ll miss the community. Working with them has been a wonderful experience.” 

He defines working for a public agency this way: “You need to understand what people’s expectation for service is and then set the bar higher.”

He begins his new job Jan. 1.