Huntington Beach taps former Newport Beach city manager Dave Kiff as its temporary leader

Former Newport Beach city manager Dave Kiff will serve as Huntington Beach’s temporary city manager as the city conducts a nationwide effort to appoint a long-term leader by fall.

The Huntington Beach City Council on Monday night unanimously approved Kiff’s appointment without discussion. Kiff will receive hourly pay of $128.29 and no city-provided benefits.

Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, currently Huntington Beach’s interim city manager following the recent departure of former top administrator Fred Wilson, has been hired to be city manager of Costa Mesa. Farrell Harrison is expected to take her new post by July 1.

Kiff could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

Kiff, who left the Newport Beach job at the end of August, recently served as interim executive director of the Assn. of California Cities-Orange County, a public policy group, where he helped start the Orange County Housing Finance Trust to help fund homelessness solutions and new supportive housing units.

Kiff also was tapped to provide transitional assistance to Costa Mesa at no cost in the wake of former city manager Tom Hatch’s departure in November.

Kiff’s career in Newport Beach spanned 20 years, including nine as city manager. He worked on water quality, Newport Bay dredging, the annexations of Newport Coast and Santa Ana Heights, the extension of the city’s noise agreement with John Wayne Airport, pension reform and construction of the Civic Center complex.

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