Following an ongoing saga that revealed a city official had knowingly accepted discounted hotel rooms from a developer looking to do business with the City of Long Beach, City Manager Pat West (pictured, left) has reassigned former Redevelopment Agency director Craig Beck (pictured, right) to a position with Long Beach Gas & Oil as Manager of the Business Operations Bureau.

“This has been a very difficult decision that I do not take lightly,” City manager Pat West said in a statement released this afternoon. “This action is the right decision for the Long Beach community and the city organization and allows us to get back to the business of making Long Beach a great city.

Beck received a discounted room in November, at a Napa Valley hotel owned by Lodgeworks; which is also looking to build a new hotel in Long Beach. He was accompanied on the trip by DLBA head Kraig Kojian and Mike Murchison, a lobbyist for Lodgeworks.

Beck originally explained that his wife paid the hotel bill and he did not notice the discount until he returned home and promptly called the hotel to pay the full amount.

But the Press-Telegram last week uncovered e-mails between Beck, Kojian and Murchison in which discounted room rates and other gifts were discussed. Shortly after that information was published, West placed Beck on paid leave.

Deputy City Manager Reginald Harrison (pictured, right) has been named interim development director as West says he will look for someone to fill the position permanently.

“I will be relying on the professionalism and incredible expertise of the employees in Development Services to keep all the great work moving forward over the next few months until a permanent Director is appointed,” West said.

UPDATE: Mayor Foster has released a statement concerning today’s announcement.

“Clearly, this was a difficult and painful decision for the City Manager but ultimately a very prudent one that moves toward restoring public confidence and staff morale,” Foster said.

Previous coverage:

Beck Placed On Paid Leave
The Monsters We Make
Government Ethics We Deserve
Controversy Swirls Around RDA Director About Hotel Stay 
Local Group Demands Lobbyist Answers