San Clemente City Manager Erik Sund announced his resignation, saying he is taking a new job in the same role in the 5,000-resident community of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Sund leaves the Spanish Village by the Sea on Sept. 9, after serving as the top boss for the community of 65,000 for a little more than a year. He was hired into that position in May 2021 after serving alongside previous city managers James Makshanoff and Bob Dunek for six years.

Sund submitted his resignation on Friday, Aug. 12.

“I have nothing but love for the San Clemente community,” Sund said. “It has been an extreme honor to serve this city for almost nine years, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I was afforded to serve as its city manager.”

Sund also praised the city’s staff and expressed his respect and gratitude for them.

“Without them, I wouldn’t have been successful, and they are the true heroes that keep this city beautiful, or more appropriately, the beautiful Spanish Village by the Sea,” he added.

Sund has 33 years of experience in Southern California local government. He previously served as the director of financial management for the city of Long Beach, purchasing manager for the city of Downey, and senior buyer for the city of Irvine.

In previous city manager searches in San Clemente, the council met to discuss the city’s needs, and an outside company was hired to conduct a national search. Before Sund was appointed to the position in May 2021, the council reviewed 130 candidates for the position. Sund had been serving as San Clemente’s assistant city manager since 2013.

“They will talk about what to do with an interim and launch a recruitment during the upcoming Tuesday, Aug. 16 council meeting,” said San Clemente City Attorney Scott Smith.

Calls for Sund’s resignation have been a constant drum beat at San Clemente City Council meetings — and just again recently during a special meeting held earlier this month to discuss an anti-abortion “sanctuary for life” resolution. That proposal, from Councilman Steve Knoblock, was ultimately voted down 3-1.

Residents have accused him of being non-responsive, unpersonable, politically motivated, and slow to act.

When he was selected as city manager, Councilwoman Laura Ferguson was the sole “no” vote, saying then: “We can do better.” On Friday, she reiterated that sentiment and said she was “surprised” by his resignation and “didn’t know he was looking.”

“I’m pleased and looking forward to getting a new city manager to serve this city better than he did,” she said.

“We have enough people in management, directorships, and even line-level to have institutional knowledge,” Ferguson said. “We need someone who can be ahead of the curve rather than being reactive. Someone that’s not political and serves at the will of the council. Now, we have a city manager that just hasn’t and decides to ignore and implement things at his own pace.”

Ferguson, before joining the council, worked for the city of San Clemente from 1999-2017.

Sund acknowledged there were those who didn’t favor him, saying “there will always be noise.”

“I choose not to listen to the noise and listen to the council,” he said in response to requests for his resignation.

Sund said he is proudest of his work mitigating the toll roads expansion, helping come up with an alternate use at the former site of the old San Clemente hospital, and letting his staff focus on the goals.

Knoblock said he “wishes Sund the best in his new position.”

“The city of Big Bear Lake is gaining a seasoned and experienced city manager that has served our city well,” said Councilwoman Kathy Ward, who voted to appoint him to his current position. “We ask a lot from our city managers. Since my time on council, we regulated several quality of life issues: vacation rentals, sober living homes, and we stopped a toll road from going through the middle of our city. I wish him further success in his next position and I am grateful for his service.”

Big Bear Lake is about 70 miles northeast of San Clemente.

This story has been updated. 

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