By Megan Ma

Jim Porter, public works director for the city of Los Altos, tendered his resignation March 30, with his last day in office set for April 20. Porter, who has served eight years in the position, has taken a job as director of public works for San Mateo County.

Porter’s announcement marks the second major staff resignation this year. In January, City Manager Phil Rose announced his retirement, effective May 5, with the condition that he would continue as a consultant until the position was filled. City staff hope to have a new city manager by July. Plans to fill Porter’s position are not yet clear, said City Clerk Susan Kitchens.

Of his decision to move on, Porter said, “It was just a positive career advancement for me. There really is no good time to saw it was an exciting and challenging opportunity.”

Porter’s new job will entail overseeing an annual budget of approximately $100 million and managing a county department staff of 350 people, based in Redwood City. Projects in the unincorporated areas such as Moss Beach and La Honda will fall under his purview, as will the small airport in Half Moon Bay.

During his tenure, Porter cited establishing the city’s sewer master plan of 2005 as a major milestone for the city. The plan, which had not been updated since 1959, offered a thorough examination of the city’s maintenance practices for Los Altos sewers and evaluated the condition of pipes. The project led to rate fee assessments, plans to improve and upgrade aging pipes and a city staff consensus that a master plan should be established every five to six years, Porter said.

The traffic-calming project on Berry Avenue near Loyola Elementary School also marked a proud moment in his career in Los Altos, he said. Funded by a federal Safe Routes to School grant, the project included a widened bike and pedestrian path and bump-outs to lower traffic speeds.

“It was really the first (grant) project we did, the first major traffic calming component for the city,” Porter said.