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Administrator will exit Central Point position By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT - In six years at the helm, City Administrator Jim Bennett has helped create an award-winning transit-oriented housing district, establish a full-service parks and recreation department and enact a controversial no-smoking ordinance. And nearly every Friday afternoon, he's gone to battle - on a volleyball court with city staff against a crew from the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. On May 1, he'll be looking for new challenges - and a new volleyball team. Almost six years to the day after Bennett began managing the city of 14,000, he leaves to become city manager of Newberg, an agricultural and industrial city of 17,000 located in Yamhill County. Bennett said the new position will give him a chance to grow professionally. "There are a lot of challenges and opportunities to look forward to when you go to work in a new area," he said Tuesday. "Of course I'm sad to be leaving because I've had a lot of wonderful employees here and colleagues in the area that I will miss very much. This is just a professional move on my part and, I think, a good one." Bennett said he has seen Central Point change for the better in his six years as administrator. "Central Point is one of the fastest growing cities in Southern Oregon and a very different city than it was six years ago. There are new businesses, new housing, more jobs. It's a much more whole community," he said. Becky Green, who will assist Bennett in Newberg, said he was chosen out of 75 applicants because he was the best fit for the city. Located near the Willamette River in wine country, Newberg is similar to Central Point in size and budget. As outlined in the city charter, Mayor Bill Walton will choose Bennett's replacement. Walton said he expected a new city administrator would be on board within two to three months. An interim administrator, yet to be named, will serve in the meantime. City staff members were sad to learn Bennett would be leaving. "He is by far the most awesome human being I have worked for in a long time," said municipal court clerk Katrina Blanton. "I'm just sad I can't go with him. He has a really good way of letting people do their jobs without micromanaging. You have to have nothing but respect for a person that just lets you fly." Bennett's secretary, Diana Gregory, agreed. "City staff is all very sad that he's going," she said. "I just can't even imagine replacing him. He's been a great teacher and great to work for. Newberg is really lucky to get him." Police Chief Michael Sweeny said Bennett always managed his staff with a sense of fairness and progressive thinking. "He's a genuinely nice guy and a quiet leader. I learned quite a bit from him and I'm going to miss him when he leaves," he said. "I guess we can just hope to get someone that has all his good qualities and a few of their own. We'll all be kind of holding our breath for awhile." Sweeny said Bennett has a great sense of humor. "His playing volleyball every Friday is proof of that," Sweeny joked. "They're serious about their volleyball, rain or shine," he added. "It has to be pretty bad for them not to play. "It's always a good hour and a half of hard-fought volleyball. The other day he was sitting at his desk rubbing his arm, and he said he wasn't sure if he'd miss being stiff and sore." Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.