Paso Robles police chief to become new city manager
Paso Robles has a new city manager — and he’s a familiar face for many residents.
The city announced on Friday that Police Chief Ty Lewis will take on the city’s top administrative position. City Council members will formally appoint Lewis at their next meeting on Tuesday, a city news release said.
Lewis will replace former city manager Tom Frutchey, who retired in April after holding his position for about five years. Greg Carpenter, a retired city official from El Segundo, has served as interim city manager since Frutchey’s departure.
Lewis became police chief in 2018 after working for the city’s Police Department for nearly 20 years, “serving in every rank and various assignments,” the news release said.
Prior to his career in Paso Robles, Lewis worked for police departments in Portersville and Bakersfield for six years. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Science degree in administration from CSU Bakersfield.
“I am honored and humbled that I have been asked to serve as Paso Robles’ next city manager,” Lewis said in the release. “I have spent my entire career in public service, 20 of those years here in Paso Robles. We have many economic, social, and political challenges facing our community and I feel privileged that I have been asked to help lead and guide our community into the future.
“I thank the City Council and the community for their trust,” Lewis added. “I look forward to the opportunity to work with the 250 women and men of our organization who help make this city unlike any other!”
The city manager selection process involved an “extensive nationwide search and selection process that included community members, city executives and the City Council,” the release said.
The city cited Lewis’s “initiatives to support community safety and the quality of life for Paso Roblans,” including increasing the number of police and emergency services personnel, creating a Community Action Team (CAT) and modernizing communications and computer infratstructures.
The city also noted Lewis’s leadership during a “multi-day active shooter event” and racial justice protests, both of which took place during summer 2020.
Mayor Pro Tem John Hamon called Lewis the “trusted and respected leader of our largest city department” and said he appreciates his “conservative approach to city management through goal setting measurements.”
“We spoke to a number of quality individuals and at the end of the day, we decided that Ty best fit the organization’s needs,” Mayor Steve Martin said. “He has shown his leadership and communication skills, his knowledge of the unique challenges and attributes of Paso Robles, he analyzes information to make decisions and, most importantly, he has a strong desire to serve Paso Robles to the best of his ability.”
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 10:52 AM.
