Los Altos Hills City Manager Peter Pirnejad has resigned from his position and is retiring Jan. 23, the town announced Wednesday.
Pirnejad is on leave through his retirement date, while Deputy City Manager Cody Einfalt will be acting city manager and take over daily responsibilities, City Attorney Steve Mattas said.
The city council will hold a special meeting in the near future to talk about the recruiting process for a new city manager. A decision has not been made on whether a search firm will be used in the search, although the council has used a search firm in previous hiring decisions.
Pirnejad will be compensated by the town through his retirement date, and as part of his retirement, he has waived his severance rights, Mattas said.
Pirnejad has served as city manager since 2021. Mayor Kavita Tankha said in a press release, “The city council appreciates the service Peter has provided to the town, and we wish him the best.”
Pirnejad’s tenure has not been without contention. Pirnejad has taken some heat from residents who blamed heavy town staff turnover on his management style and a reliance on consultants, with some residents calling for his resignation in 2023. However, Pirnejad received unanimous backing from the city council at the time. The current city council held an Oct. 16 special meeting for an employee performance evaluation for Pirnejad, during which there was no reportable action to the public.
Clarification: This article was updated Nov. 11 to clarify that residents blamed heavy staff turnover on Pirnejad’s management style. It previously said blame.
