Paul Arevalo is the City Manager for the City of West Hollywood; he also serves as the Executive Director of the West Hollywood Redevelopment Agency. Paul has more than 20 years of experience working in state, county and local government. He has been with the City of West Hollywood since 1990 and served as the Director of Finance prior to becoming City Manager in 2000. As Chief Executive Officer of the City of West Hollywood, his responsibilities primarily consist of providing executive oversight to a creative and talented team of department directors. He also prides himself in working with a dedicated legislative team that provides support to the West Hollywood City Council.
Paul’s most satisfying accomplishment, to date, has been leading the West Hollywood community through the Vision 2020 Plan. In 2002, the City Council approved this landmark long-range strategic plan for the City of West Hollywood updating its Mission Statement, Core Values and establishing visionary primary strategic initiatives that will guide the City’s budget priorities for twenty years. These primary strategic initiatives that resulted from this visionary community process include:
- Maintaining the City’s Unique Urban Balance;
- Creating More Commercial Parking Opportunities;
- Developing and Protect Affordable Housing;
- Maintaining Fiscal Sustainability (by monitoring, protecting and increasing City resources); and
- Expanding City Parks and Library (by expanding and enhancing the City’s green and public spaces).
Directly linked to the City’s Vision 2020 Strategic Plan, Paul’s current challenge is the development and implementation of the 25th Anniversary Capital Campaign, an aggressive capital public works effort that will implement the first phase of the West Hollywood Park Master Plan (building a new library & meeting space with a 435-parking space structure and over 2.5 acres of new park space), the expansion and renovation of West Hollywood City Hall (expansion of City Hall, upgrading and modernizing the facility, including development of a ‘One Stop’ permitting center and a 250-space public parking structure), and the first phase of the Plummer Park Master Plan (completing renovation of the community/performing arts space, parking structure and open space). These projects, along with other key public works initiatives, will total in excess of $125 million.
Additionally, Paul is currently spearheading the efforts for the West Hollywood General Plan, which is a strategic update of the comprehensive long-term policy document that balances the commercial, residential and development needs of the community. A visionary document and a road map for the next 40 years, the General Plan is a living document that reflects the wants and desires of the community in the areas of Land Use, Housing, Traffic and Transportation, Parks and Open Space, Public and Community Services, and Social Services.
These two major objectives, the 25th Anniversary Capital Campaign and the General Plan Update will be major steps in accomplishing the holistic community goals set forth in Vision 2020 Plan. While this plan is merely five years old, with a 20 year implementation period, many of the initiates established in Vision 2020 will be achieved through these two significant efforts. These initiatives include developing much needed off-street parking throughout the city; adding more than three acres of green space; renovating and developing nearly 100,000 square feet of community/municipal space; and, through the General Pan Update, creating land use policies to protect, preserve and enhance the City’s residential neighborhoods and housing stock as well as maintain a strong and unique commercial districts to support vital City services.
Over the years, Paul has been appointed to various commissions and taskforces, including a current appointment to the (League of California Cities’) Revenue and Tax Committee, and he serves as the California Contract Cities’ Chair of the City Managers Committee. He currently serves on the Rose Bowl Operating Company Board where he is assisting in overseeing the implementation of a major stadium renovation. He has previously served on three City of Pasadena advisory bodies, including the Transportation Advisory Commission.
A graduate of California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, Paul has completed graduate level courses at the School of Public Administration and the Berkeley Executive Seminar (BES) for City Managers. He is an avid runner who has participated in numerous marathons and proudly serves as a founding member of Team-WEHO, a group of enthusiastic West Hollywood employees who participate in the (APLA) AIDS Marathon program.