Eudora City Manager Gary Ortiz will leave his position July 1, the city’s mayor announced Monday.

Eudora Mayor Tim Reazin said Monday the reason for Ortiz’s impending departure was not his performance but based of his inability to meet a contractual requirement that he reside in the city or the Eudora school district.

“Historically, city managers live in the cities they serve,” Reazin said. “We feel it is an important standard that our city manager demonstrate to citizens that he is a resident of the city and the decisions he makes affects him.”

Ortiz called the decision “amicable” and said he would much on his plate before leaving July 1.

Among the important issues before the city is the selection of a developer for the old Nottingham Elementary School and adjacent football field on Church Street. Last month, the Eudora City Commission approved issuing a request for proposals, which seeks developers for the property the city purchased last year for $850,000. The deadline for developers to respond to the RFP is March 3 and the goal is to select a shortlist of developers for interviews on March 18. The interviews will be March 24, and the developer chosen March 29.

Ortiz told the City Commission on Monday that to date, two developers have indicated they would respond to the RFP.

Associated with the property’s redevelopment will be the creation of a tax increment finance district, which will also include the commercial center directly east of the site on Church Street. Ortiz said he would continue to be involved with the creation of the TIF district.

Reazin said it was Ortiz who proposed that the city purchase the Nottingham property from the Eudora school district so that it could be developed for the benefit of the city as a whole and not just the developer. It was one of Ortiz’s accomplishments during his tenure, he said. Other accomplishments of note were the successful April 2015 referendum on a 0.75 cent sales tax for implementation of the city parks and recreation master plan and capital projects, the opening of Shadow Ridge Park and upgrades to the boat access ramp on the Wakarusa River, he said.

Ortiz started in Eudora in June 2014, leaving a seven-year post as assistant county manager of Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan. He previously was city manager of Leavenworth from 1998 to 2007.

Reazin said Barack Matite, Eudora’s assistant city manager, would be named interim city manger with Ortiz’s departure.

“We will then evaluate the positives and negatives of going out to look for a new city manager against raising up someone who has performed very well in his position and has been the face of the city manager with the town,” he said.